What Makes The Subaru WRX STI Such A Legendary Rally Car?

The Subaru WRX STI was a higher-performance version of the Subaru WRX, available with six-speed manual transmission and full-time all-wheel drive (AWD). It was powered by a turbocharged flat-four engine. The last version of the Subaru WRX STI to come to the U.S. was the VA, a four-door sedan that was sold here from the 2015 through the 2021 model years. Since then, there has been a Subaru WRX model available in the U.S., but not a WRX STI.

There are several factors that make the Subaru WRX STI such a legendary rally car. Some of these can be attributed to the performance capabilities built into the car, while there are others that are about Subaru's determination to put its cars up against the world's best and win in rallying competitions worldwide. The preparation of the Subaru WRX STI rally cars, the performances of the drivers behind the wheels of these WRX STIs, and the commitment of the Subaru/STI team as they pursued victory one race at a time during each WRC rally season added up to a spectacular run of wins and championships, one season after another.

Rallying is an ideal form of competition for Subaru to engage in. Subaru has achieved a significant amount of sales success because the all-wheel drive traction that is an integral part of Subaru's image is reinforced by the marque's rallying successes, many of which are achieved in muddy, snowy, or icy conditions. "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday" works as well for Subaru as it does for NASCAR Cup racers.

The engine in the 2021 Subaru WRX STI, the last model year sold here, was a 2.5-liter, turbocharged and intercooled flat-four, putting out 310 horsepower on premium unleaded fuel. Expert reviews at that time noted that while the STI's engine revved willingly, a combination of poor bottom-end torque and turbo lag at low revs conspired against smoothness during low-speed driving. The clutch was also heavy to operate, but once the road opened up and there was no traffic to restrain you, the WRX STI's engine came into its element, ready to go into full attack mode on your favorite roads or gravel tracks.

In contrast, the current Subaru WRX STI 2.0-liter VT22r engine, built by Vermont Sports Car and used for rallying in the American Rally Association (ARA) Open 4WD Class is tuned for reliability and solid power delivery, not ultimate power. Rally regulations dictate both a maximum turboboost pressure and a turbo inlet restriction for this engine, resulting in the production of 330 horsepower. The Subaru rallying mill uses custom crank, pistons and connecting rods, reinforced engine block and cylinder heads, a Garrett turbocharger, and racing settings in the ECU. A custom Inconel (a high-strength, lightweight nickel-chrome-iron alloy) exhaust system had to be fabricated. This was needed because of the high levels of heat produced by the engine's anti-turbo lag system, which makes sure that the turbocharger transforms engine performance by always turning fast enough to produce instant power whenever the driver needs it.

All-wheel drive has been a core feature of Subaru vehicles (with the exception of the Toyota joint venture BRZ coupe) for many years. It has been standard equipment on Subarus since long before AWD became a common feature on both garden-variety and upscale vehicles in our home market. Unlike many of those brands that came late to the AWD party, you can't get a non-coupe Subaru without AWD. The Subaru also has a flat-four engine, which provides it with a lower center of gravity when compared to the taller inline engines in other brands of vehicles. This improves the handling performance of Subarus in general and the WRX STI in particular.

The AWD powertrain on the Subaru WRX STI is further enhanced by its Driver's Control Centre Differential (DCCD). This is a feature, controlled from the center console, which allows the WRX STI driver to adjust the car's handling by varying the characteristics of its center differential lock. It determines how much of the engine's power is moved back and forth between the front and rear wheels in the car's AWD system. This control can be used to send more power to the rear wheels for better handling in the turns, or to send more power to the front wheels for better grip. 

STI stands for Subaru Tecnica International (STI) and was founded in 1988 as a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru. It was created, in STI's own words, "...to push Subaru's performance to the limits." This has been done through STI's participation in motorsports, most notably in the World Rally Championship (WRC). 

Subaru and STI competed in the WRC from 1990 through 2008, accruing numerous victories and championships, initially with the Subaru Legacy, which got Subaru its first WRC victory in 1973's Rally New Zealand. In 1994, Subaru made a change to the Impreza body style for its rally cars, which spawned the WRX STI variant and kick-started their path to victory. The Subaru STI team finished in second place overall in 1994, followed by three Manufacturer's Championships in a row in 1995, 1996, and 1997. This was a first for Subaru among all other Japanese automakers.

By the time that STI ended its rally participation with Subaru, the team's WRX STI had notched a total of 46 WRC wins, along with 120 podium finishes from 1994 through 2008. During this period, the Subaru STI team also came in second in the 1999 Manufacturer's Championship and snagged third places in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Not a bad record.

Subaru's rally drivers also bear much of the responsibility for the Subaru STI team's accomplishments. These include Drivers' Championships for Colin McRae in 1995, Richard Burns in 2001, and Petter Solberg in 2003 (shown above). Colin McRae, who won five British rally championships before moving up to WRC, was the youngest driver to win the WRC Drivers' crown. This happened during the final event of the 1995 season, at the RAC Great Britain Rally. He was 27 years old. McRae was also the first Scotsman to win the title. He died in a helicopter crash in 2007, which also killed his son.

Richard Burns of the U.K. started out by building and racing his own rally car. He quickly got noticed, which led to a factory drive. He later won the British Rally Championship in a Subaru Legacy in 1993, which led to his joining the Subaru STI team. After the 1995 season, Burns left for Mitsubishi, but returned to Subaru in 1999, replacing McRae, who had moved to Ford. After finishing second in both 1999 and 2000, Burns took the top spot in 2001. Sadly, Burns' career was cut short by a brain tumor, which caused his death in 2005.

Petter Solberg is a Norwegian whose first major achievement was as the national radio-controlled racing car champion of Norway. As a rally driver, he switched over to the Subaru STI team during the 2000 season. Solberg's sole Drivers' championship came in 2003. He is now retired, helping his son Oliver with his WRC career.

Subaru has a long and storied history in North America. It started way back in 1971 with Subaru's first entry in the Baja 500. Subaru's first U.S. rally win came in 1991, with Chad DiMarco's victory in a Legacy at the Press On Regardless Rally. The Subaru Rally Team USA launched in the year 2000, carrying the mantle of Subaru's rallying efforts in North America. The Rally Team USA and the Subaru WRX STI took its first title in 2001, winning the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) ProRally Championship. 

With Vermont Sports Car on board as Subaru Rally Team USA's rally car builder and the addition of the legendary American driver Travis Pastrana to the roster, the stage was set. Pastrana went on to win four national rally titles in a row, in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Subaru has also captured rallying championships for nine years in a row (from 2011 to 2019), along with being named rallycross team champs in 2019 and 2021. Since then, Subaru Motorsports USA, the successor to Subaru Rally Team USA, has become the U.S. competition arm of Subaru, focused on record attempts, desert racing, rallying, and rallycross. 

More recently, Subaru Motorsports USA driver Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams won the second event of the 2025 American Rally Association (ARA) season, the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. The duo braved severe winds, forest fires, and tornadoes in achieving their victory in this grueling event, held in Missouri in March 2025.