Subaru's refusing to bring the new WRX STI Sport# to the U.S. market, but enthusiasts shouldn't lose sleep—we're already getting functionally the same car as the WRX tS. It's the same story every generation: Subaru teases something, then settles for a half-measure that leaves everyone wondering what could've been.

Subaru rolled out four STI-badged models at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026, but only one actually carries the STI nameplate worth knowing about: the manual WRX STI Sport#. The rest are race cars and special editions designed to fill booth space. If you're hunting for a real driver, the manual is the last gasp before Subaru fully surrenders to CVTs.

Subaru dangled the possibility of a genuine STI revival ahead of Tokyo Auto Salon, but the Sport# variant lands as a half-measure—more aggressive aero and tuning than the standard WRX, but nowhere near the purpose-built machine enthusiasts were mentally building. The gap between teaser speculation and actual deliverable is exactly where marketing meets market reality.