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http://www.caranddriver.com/news/subaru-sti-performance-concept-debuts-in-new-york-news
Subaru has big changes in store for its STI (Subaru Tecnica International) performance division in the U.S. To make sure its plans don’t go unnoticed, the maker cooked up the BRZ-based Subaru STI Performance concept for the 2015 New York auto show.
Subaru says the STI Performance concept is a “showcase for the engineering prowess and tuning capability of STI” and that it features a racing engine that STI developed for the BRZ Super GT race car, along with unnamed upgrades to the aerodynamics, suspension, and chassis. There’s also the issue of the salad-bar-sized rear wing that looks both mean and comical in equal measure.
Subaru has already begun conditioning U.S. enthusiasts to the new, more encompassing meaning of the “STI” moniker by dropping the former Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) aftermarket parts for STI-engineered parts. The next step is the announcement that additional STI-tuned models will be available in the U.S. Again, Subaru didn’t disclose any details, but the company does mention that these cars could feature more extensive modifications from the factory than previously offered, such as suspension, performance, braking, chassis, and aerodynamic upgrades.
Subaru rather curiously makes a point of mentioning that while the Japanese market has settled on a two-tiered naming convention (“S model” for the full-blown WRX STI and “tS” on BRZ and Forester vehicles that have only a smattering of STI components), the company has not yet established a naming approach for future U.S.-market models.
So to recap, STI is gearing up to bring more aftermarket parts and STI-tuned cars to the U.S., as well as increase its involvement in motorsports. We just don’t know what models, how much of an STI touch they will receive, or what, exactly, they’ll be called when they get here.
