- End of the line for iconic Subaru STI
- Only 150 commemorative cars to build
- ‘Final Edition’ will remember the car
LONDON, England – The Subaru WRX STI is the iconic Subaru – a modern incarnation, according to its builder, of yesteryear’s Impreza, conjuring images of special-stage success and rally legends pushing to the limit.
Now Subaru UK has launched a WRX STI Final Edition, strictly limited to 150 units, to say farewell to this brand icon and mark the end an era of Subaru’s UK heritage.
With the launch of new models and investment in platform and power trains, the automaker says, the time was right to open a new chapter for Subaru and allow the WRX STI’s heritage to inform future developments rather than continue.
‘FITTING TRIBUTE’
The Final Edition has a series of upgrades across key sections of the car which, Subaru says, have made it “the most capable WRX STI sold in the UK and a fitting tribute to its legacy”.
Driving performance has been improved by changing from mechanical /electronic to full electronic control of the Multi-Mode Driver’s Control Centre Differential (Subaru’s capitals) which provides optimum cornering ability.
The wheel diameter has grown to 19″ to house new and larger Brembo brakes with yellow calipers, which is said to reduce fade and give a constant pedal-feel.
SHARPER GRILLE
The front bumper has been redesigned to look more purposeful with the lower grille blacked-out with a geometric textured panel and there’s a larger opening to improve cooling.
The hexagonal grille has been sharpened and defined and a black surround added while the iconic Subaru wing design which flows through to the C-shaped headlights has been incorporated, hinting at the Boxer engine under the bonnet.
A “Final Edition” badge is positioned on the door.
The cabin his gloss-black inserts on the facia, gear-shifter surround, door panels and steering-wheel with red stitching. Red seat restraints “tie the scheme together”.
The front seats are now heatable, there’s a larger – now 15cm – multi-function display added to the top of the facia and the instrument panel design has updated.
READ MORE Subaru features on Carman’s Corner
The infotainment system now includes DAB radio; a reversing camera is included to make reversing safer.
The WRX STI is also fitted with bi-functional projector diode headlights, a single bulb enabling automatic switching from low- to high-beam at the command of a camera in the windscreen to identify oncoming traffic.
The lights are also steering responsive, turning left or right according to the steering input to illuminate more of the corner.
The WRX STI Final Edition is already in UK showrooms priced at (Nov 2017 conversion) for the eqjuivalent of R630 000. (Check with your local Subaru dealer to see if a unit can be imported, if youre keen.)
