Fans are craving a new WRX STI, but Subaru Motorsports USA is testing their patience with fictional renders
- Subaru shared renders of a WRX ARA25L rally car fitted with street-legal license plates.
- The fictional WRX model features wild carbon fiber aero parts and a central exhaust pipe.
- Fans of the brand flooded social media asking for a road-ready version of the rally-inspired car.
Subaru’s rally division just tossed out a fun little “what if” for fans to chew on. Instead of unveiling a new production car, Subaru Motorsports USA took to social media with a set of digital renderings and a question: what if the WRX ARA25 rally car was street legal?
The images show the rally-bred machine with license plates bolted on, hinting at what a modern road-going homologation special might look like.
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The WRX ARA25L was built to comply with Limited 4-Wheel Drive class rules under the American Rally Association (ARA). In full competition spec, it features body-colored wide fender extensions, reshaped bumpers, a vented hood, and a massive rear wing that’s definitely not shy about its purpose.
A Rally Car in Street Clothes
The fictional road-going version closely follows the rally car’s design, carrying over the aggressive styling with exposed carbon fiber accents and a centrally mounted exhaust. Instead of the full motorsport livery, it gets a more subdued paint finish and a standard license plate tucked onto the tailgate.
The renderings, first spotted by The Drive, would feel more grounded in reality if Subaru had tweaked a few small details, like swapping out the race-spec mirrors, ditching the hood latches, and losing the roof scoop. Rolling on something other than racing slicks wouldn’t hurt either.
Still, the intention is clear enough. Subaru set out to imagine a modern-day homologation special that sticks as closely as possible to its rally roots, even if the street cred is more Photoshop than DMV-approved.
Built to Outrun the CVT
Subaru Motorsports USA / Facebook
Matthew Stryker for Subaru Motorsports USA
In terms of mechanical bits, the rally car is fitted with a turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer engine generating “roughly 315 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque”. For comparison, the roadgoing WRX makes 271 hp (202 kW / 275 PS) and 258 lb-ft (349 Nm) of torque.
More: Is This Subaru’s Next WRX Or Something Even More Extreme?
More importantly, the rally car ditches the road car’s CVT for a proper six-speed sequential gearbox. Power is sent to all four wheels, as you’d expect, and the chassis is reinforced with motorsport-spec suspension and Brembo brakes.
As sharp as the ARA25L renderings are, they’re practically reserved by comparison to Project Midnight – a one-off build based on a Gymkhana monster that will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. That car is set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with an even more unhinged aero setup and a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine cranking out a ridiculous 670 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque. Subtle, it is not.
People Want It, But Subaru Isn’t There Yet
As expected, the Facebook post by Subaru Motorsports USA was met with an enthusiastic response. Many commenters said they would buy it in a heartbeat, with others questioning why such a model hasn’t become a reality yet. Sadly, despite having hinted at a possible return of the STi badge, Subaru remains a long way from turning its rally-bred machines into production-ready road cars.
That said, something could be on the horizon. A few weeks back, Subaru’s Japan division teased a new prototype with a widebody kit and hatchback profile. While the details were thin, the timing suggests we might get a clearer picture at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show in late October.
For now, the renderings serve as a reminder that Subaru still knows how to push enthusiast buttons, even if it’s just on social media.