Subaru Corporation, then known as Fuji Heavy Industries, traces its roots to the Aircraft Research Laboratory established in 1917 and, later on, called the Nakajima Aircraft Factory. The company might have gotten through a lot of name changes, but one thing always remained true: Subaru makes some of the coolest and most resilient Japanese cars on the market.

FHI’s first car was the Subaru 1500 developed in 1954, which was followed by the 360 four years later. The company is now among the most recognizable and largest brands worldwide. Subaru not only makes vehicles for daily commuters, but also sports cars, crossovers, and even high-performance autos. That’s where Subaru Tecnica International comes in. Acting as Subaru's motorsport division, the goal of STI is pure performance excellence. Here’s everything car enthusiasts should know about STI.

10 Subaru’s Beginnings In Motorsports

Subaru’s foray into motorsports dates back to 1971 when its FF-1 joined the Baja 500. It did not finish the race and was only successful in doing so two years later. 1972 saw the company competing in Australia’s Southern Cross Rally (Leone).

In 1980, the Japanese car brand made a mark in the World Rally Championship when it entered the first all-wheel drive in the competition, the Leone 4WD. After eight more years of working on AWD and turbo cars for the competition, the company founded STI which allowed it to dominate the World Rally stage for decades to come.

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9 Once A Record-Holder

Every Subaru fan should know that the STI was once a record holder. By 1990, the company was already a worldwide brand, but it wanted to do more. They had a goal of setting a world record, that is. As early as 1988, the Japanese firm was already planning to break the 100,000-kilometer (62,137-mile) world speed record with the Subaru Legacy sedan.

In 1990, the 24-man STI team achieved just that with the help of three sedans that ran nonstop (except for fuel, tire, oil, and driver changes) at speeds topping 145 mph. The endurance run was finished after more than 447 hours of high-speed driving, breaking the records of the International Automobile Federation and the United States Auto Club — truly a legacy.

8 How STI Delivers The "World's Most Enjoyable" Driving Experience

STI's mission is to deliver "the world's most enjoyable" driving experience with automobiles that harmonize the five senses. This means creating cars that are responsive to the driver's command, be they on track or on the road.

It also entails accurate driving and superb control that helps drivers improve their skills, and allows for the passengers to have a comfortable ride. STI does so by participating in motorsports, aiming not just to win but to also learn. The racetrack serves as a classroom, and when ordinary drivers take on the steering wheel of their Subaru, they experience nothing but pure performance.

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7 WRC Is STI’s Playground

Subaru was awarded the WRC championship for the first time in 1993 with the Legacy RS, just three years after joining the competition. To further their game, the STI team started using the Impreza WRC the following year and, from then on, collected victories until 1997.

So successful was the run that Subaru became the first Japanese company to win the manufacturers' title for three years in a row. The victorious journey of STI in the WRC made Subaru a rally legend. It also garnered drivers' championships until the team withdrew from the competition in 2008 – the end of an era.

6 The Nürburgring Test

STI also conquered the Nürburgring 24 Hours, though the Nordschleife had already been Subaru’s proving grounds in 1992. The WRX STI was first entered in the 2005 competition, finishing 14th.

Years 2011 and 2012 saw the WRX STI clinching victory in the SP3T class and scoring back-to-back class wins in 2015 and 2016, and again in 2018 and 2019. That’s how impressive the WRX STI is—it might as well mean success, talent, and integrity.

5 The “Sport, Always!” Philosophy

As previously stated, STI aims to create cars that are one with the driver. If zen is possible with driving, that’s what Subaru wants to achieve. As such, they follow the “Sport, Always!” philosophy. Thanks to their impressive run at the WRC and continuing presence at Nürburgring, they mean what they say.

Whatever the reason, the season, and road condition, STI vehicles aim to deliver a pleasurable driving experience. For Subaru, a car is “complete” if it has become an extension of the driver’s body.

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4 S209's Supremacy

The S209 is a special edition WRX STI, and Subaru’s most expensive ($63,995) sports car to date. It deserves that price tag because it can deliver 341 horsepower and launch to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, all while sporting Subaru's famous 2.5-liter Boxster engine.

This limited edition Subaru is the quickest and most powerful STI, so lucky are those who can drive this monster. It’s an artwork and a labor of love.

3 A Look At STI Heritage Cars

After decades of serving enthusiasts, Subaru is now dropping the WRX STI, partly because of its plans for electrification. Its 2008 model might have been the worst STI ever, but overall, the STI is an icon for lovers of Japanese domestic market cars, thanking it for the high-performance drive.

Other heritage STI models include the road model Imprezas, Forester wagons, the AWD Legacy, S204 sport sedan, S402 grand touring car, seven-seater Exiga, and the XV Hybrid, among others.

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2 Performance Parts That Mean Business

STI makes performance parts designed to “complete” the brand's models. Their aero parts include side under, front lip, rear side under, and front side under spoilers, plus the aero garnish. All these work together to create a smooth and sporty driving experience.

Subaru’s flexible tower bar, meanwhile, helps drivers have a fun time conquering any type of road. The tower bar makes the vehicle flexible and is all about control, proof of STI's “Sports, Always!” philosophy.

1 The STI E-RA Concept

STI launched the E-RA concept at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. Subaru aims to be carbon-neutral with this electric vehicle and targets to have a lap time of 400 seconds in its time attack at Nürburgring. It has a maximum power output of 800 kW and features torque-vectoring AWD.

This “near-future” motorsport concept is Subaru’s contribution to tackling climate change as far as motorsports is concerned. It’s an exciting prospect that someday, a street-legal E-RA will be flexing its prowess.