Subaru Admits Its Performance Cars Got Boring, Launches New Division To Fix It

For years, Subaru enthusiasts person watched the institution drift distant from the look that made it the marque it is today. The STI disappeared, the WRX gradually evolved into a much mature (and acold little playful) sports sedan, and breathtaking concepts repeatedly stole headlines earlier leading to precisely nothing for customers to own. Now, Subaru is acknowledging things request to change, and it’s creating an wholly caller part dedicated to making definite amusive cars don’t go an afterthought.

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According to a report from Japan’s BestCar, the automaker precocious established a caller Product Innovation Headquarters. Within it is simply a Sports Vehicle Planning Office tasked exclusively with adding amusive backmost to the Subaru brand. If that sounds similar thing Subaru should person done years ago, you’re right!

Subaru Admits The Problem

The announcement came during an interrogation with Subaru Chief Technical Officer Tetsuro Fujinuki, who made it wide the institution wanted to wantonness its erstwhile improvement process. “We decided to halt doing things the aged way,” Fujinuki said. “Because it’s boring.”

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That’s a remarkably candid admittance from a institution whose show lineup has mostly stood inactive portion rivals continued pushing forward, arsenic Autoblog points out. Subaru’s estimation was built connected rally-bred machines similar the WRX STI, Legacy GT, Forester XT, and different turbocharged, all-wheel-drive show cars. Yet implicit the past decade, the enthusiast broadside of the concern has steadily shrunk. At this point, it’s akin to a Hawkeye WRX STI rotting distant successful a field.

Perhaps thing illustrates that stagnation amended than the STI itself. The last U.S.-spec WRX STI produced 310 hp (231 kW), conscionable 10 hp much than the 300 hp (224 kW) exemplary that arrived successful America backmost successful 2004. Instead of evolving into an ever-more susceptible flagship, the STI simply disappeared aft the 2021 exemplary year, leaving enthusiasts wondering whether Subaru inactive cared astir show astatine all.

Blaming The Rulebook

According to Fujinuki, changing emissions and substance system regulations had made it hard to warrant much almighty gasoline models. Those aforesaid regs didn’t halt cars similar the Toyota GR Corolla, Honda Civic Type-R, and Hyundai Elantra N from arriving connected the scene, though. That said, American regulations are obscurity adjacent arsenic pugnacious arsenic they had been.

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Creating a caller section doesn’t automatically warrant a caller aureate property for Subaru show cars. Enthusiasts person spent years watching breathtaking concepts travel and spell without ever reaching dealerships. But establishing an full bureau dedicated to sports cars is simply a acold much meaningful committedness than different flashy conception unveiled astatine an car show.

Photos: Subaru