Subaru dropped a bombshell on the performance world last week. For nearly 30 years, the amped-up STI version of the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive WRX put an exclamation point on rallytastic performance on and off the tarmac. With a new WRX generation now here, everyone expected a new WRX STI to follow. We now know that's not happening.
Subaru's March 11 announcement didn't offer any specific reason for the STI's cancellation. It merely stated that the company was exploring opportunities for the next-gen STI that included electrification. But in the meantime, "a next-generation internal combustion engine WRX STI will not be produced based upon the new WRX platform." A report from Road & Track offers a little bit of context on that decision, citing Subaru Corporate Communications Director Dominick Infante as saying regulations are changing so fast that a new STI would have a limited shelf life. That wouldn't make sense, according to the report.
