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Subaru STI display celebrates the division's high-performance history in New York

Subaru Tecnica International is really getting to celebrate itself at the 2015 New York Auto Show. Not only is the Japanese brand's performance division showing off a turbocharged take on the BRZ in the Big Apple, it also set up a small exhibit commemorating four past achievements. The oldest car of the group is a 1996 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type RA wearing full rally garb. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder kicks out 270 horsepower, but this specific one isn't a competitor. Instead, Subaru used the vehicle to promote the launch of the 1998 Impreza 2.5RS. STI also has one of the most coveted Subarus ever on display, a 1999 Impreza 22B STI. These limited two-door models were made to celebrate the company's World Rally Championship victories. Each one was plucked off the assembly line and fitted with a curvaceous, wider body and adjustable rear wing. Power was provided by a 2.2-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder with 280 horsepower. The final two members of this mini museum are a bit more modern. The 2004 WRX STI should be familiar to performance fans in the US with its 300-horsepower boosted 2.5-liter four-cylinder and six-speed manual. There's also the 2015 WRX STI that blitzed the Isle of Man last year to set a new lap record of 19 minutes and 26 seconds around the island course. With STI planning a US expansion over the coming years, this is a fantastic reminder of the division's past. Hopefully, it can keep living up to these high standards. Related Video:

Next-gen Subaru WRX STI spotted at the N"urburgring

Subaru has been busy testing the next-generation WRX STI. Well, it may be the STI. The big wing out back lends some credence to that theory, but it could be that the basic WRX is getting new action in the back section. Time will tell.
In either case, spy photographers nabbed a few shots of the heavily camouflaged sedan running around the Nürburgring. Unfortunately, it looks as if Subaru has taken some of the sexy out of the WRX Concept we saw at the New York Auto Show, leaving this car looking more derivative of the current model than a revolution in design. The bold power bulge has disappeared from the vehicle's hood and the lower fascia looks far more demure than the the wild concept. Likewise, the muscular rear fenders have been toned down substantially.
The result is a car that looks more like a mildly warmed over version of the current model than a production version of the WRX Concept. Still, engineers and designers may have a long way to go before the finished product hits the market, so we'll reserve final judgement for now. After all, the early BRZ mules were nothing short of a travesty to look at, and we know how that turned out. Hope springs eternal.

Why I chose a Subaru WRX over a BRZ

It was early 2012, and I was ready to get a new car. Not just any car, but the car I had dreamed about for no less than a decade: the Subaru Impreza WRX. There was something about this car that always appealed to me, even before the WRX was sold stateside; originally it was the Impreza 2.5RS that caught my eye. What was so special about the WRX? Well, I loved the idea of having a small car with all-wheel drive and good power, all in a relatively affordable package. It was one car that could do it all. Oh, and that fresh rally blue paint and signature boxer rumble were easy on the eyes and ears. It was a long time coming. I was just about ready to place an order with my Subaru dealer. But wait. What's this? A new kid on the block. Subaru was releasing its long-time-coming, rear-wheel-drive sports car: the BRZ. I was enticed early on when it was announced that Toyota and Subaru would jointly develop a lightweight sports car, and my interest was piqued once I saw the beautiful FT-86 concept. Now I kind of had a tough choice. I still wanted the WRX, but also liked the idea of having a proper sports car with a low center of gravity and low weight. Very different cars, I know, but both offered the fun I craved. I didn't get to drive a BRZ, but I did sit in one and enjoyed the low seating position and crisp feel of the shifter. I could tell it was one car that would feel connected to the road, a true driver's car. After some deliberation and research, I ended up ordering the WRX, my original goal. Why? For one thing, the BRZ was so new that I couldn't get invoice pricing. Plus, with the winters here in Chicago, I really wanted AWD; I was pretty much tired of FWD, and didn't want to risk driving RWD in snowy/icy conditions. Further, the WRX provided usable back seats and plenty of cargo space in the hatchback version (which is the one I chose). To top it off, I loved the power I'd get with the WRX, even though it wouldn't handle quite like the low-slung BRZ. Long story short, it came down to what I mentioned earlier: one car that could do it all. The WRX is a jack of all trades. It offers a nice blend of performance and practicality. Do I have any regrets? Not at all. If my financial situation allowed for it, I would love to have an AWD daily driver and a RWD sports car for occasional use (either a BRZ, MX-5, or S2000), but since I could only afford one vehicle, the WRX was the right choice for me. I liked it so much, in fact, that I upgraded to a 2016 WRX.