I was wondering about the glossiness (didnt even know it was an option in any market).....i was looking at the viziv performance concept to compare the production car with and even though almost everything about the concept actually made it to the production car, it still looks alot better. part of it was that the wheels and arches are oversized which takes up more body panel real estate (so you dont get the tiny wheel syndrome that a ton of production cars suffer from), part of it was that there appeared to be less cladding used and didnt look all that out of place and was glossy, and part of it was that the car was lowered (concept lowered?) and it doesnt look like it has 10 inches of ground clearance.

Is there any hint of when the sti will drop.

It was slotted for fall 2022 iirc

Concept preview for the STI E-RA at Tokyo Auto Salon:

https://i.imgur.com/PWBFRDf.jpg

Check: https://instagram.com/subaru.tecnica.international

On my phone otherwise I'd embed the real images.

STI E-RA Concept looks like electrified/electric version of BRZ. Makes sense.

:wub:I’ve lost faith in Subaru to be honest. They seem to be going in a similar direction of Nissan. Where all their “sport” or “sti” models are just like the “Nismo” models, where all they do is plaster a bunch of red, orange, or pink trim around the interior/exterior, change the wheels, and add some badges and call it a day.

PS. Thanks to whoever put my name in the tags again. Feels so nice to be so thought of 24/7 around the holiday season. I’m flattered:wub:

I have noticed STI, at least here in the US, has become more of a badge thing. Though I loved the S209. I feel a lot of it is down to American consumers are cheap fucks and won't buy anything unless it adds an enormous amount of horsepower. Not steering response, or more aggressive gearing, or better handling. Those little additions made the S209 desirable to me. But I know I read too many comments talking about how some other STI owner could 'build' their own S209 and make it 'better' and I just think that sums up how a US consumer is.

Which is comical to me because all of these years, people in the US have complained about not getting the special STIs… and the entire time, they’ve been the equivalent of around 50k or more.

The same people claiming they can build a better STI for the same money are the same people blowing up their cars within 2yrs of ownership while rolling on XXR wheels, BC coilovers, and stock arms with no alignment paired on $70 federal 595 tires talking about ZOMFGWTFBROSOMUCHGRIPTHECARHANDLESONRAILS lol

Yup exactly! lol But I'm a parts snob so I always chuckle at the "influencers" talking about their sweet build while they throw on the cheapest coilovers or some shitty off brand exhaust.

The same influencers who are always plugging Mishimoto for their great cooling products…. But their cars are always overheating lmao

An American company with a vaguely Japanese sounding name. Although I like their penguin mascot

Honestly what gets me is that IMO people aren't given a chance to get into performance stuff here, so there's never a market for it.

Whereas you go to japan and many of the Toyota dealers have GR Garages where they sell a bunch of TRD/GR "aftermarket" parts, and also third party stuff from like HKS and other tuners. Plus they do the installs if you want. It encourages customers to get into that kind of stuff.

But here for the longest time the most you could buy at a Toyota dealer were seat/steering wheel covers and other random crap.

I understand that but also those parts cost a premium and nobody is willing to pay it except a select few. Toyota offers an $1100 exhaust and immediately people are complaining saying “I can buy a straight pipe for half that” or “I can get a Tomei exhaust for the same price”

The aftermarket segment used to be so much bigger and in more demand. But through the recession and changes within the industry on a global level, the demands of the market have changed dramatically.

I got to see it all first hand given the type of work my Dad did working with Eibach, then Magnaflow, all while working with Universal Studios for F&F movies and doing the whole NIRA, HIN, and NOPI thing.

QFT