Posted Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 10:09pm
Subaru performance enthusiasts—myself included—have spent the last few years learning how to live on crumbs. A concept here, a cryptic teaser there, an ominously worded corporate statement about the future of STI somewhere in between. So when a new Japanese design registration surfaced recently, appearing to show a modern WRX STI hatchback, my reaction was excitement, but with caution. On paper, it looks like the return of something Subaru probably never should have abandoned in the first place: a practical, aggressive, rally-bred hot hatch with a hood scoop, swollen arches, and the sort of rear wing that makes your neighbours want to throw rocks at you. To be clear: Subaru has not officially announced a production WRX STI hatchback, and a design filing is not the same thing as a showroom confirmation. But this particular filing feels more significant than usual, because Subaru has already shown the world something strikingly similar.
