The 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon is in full swing as more and more concepts are breaking cover. After seeing the epic Toyota GR Super Sport with nearly 1,000 horsepower, now time has come to check out the new Viziv Performance STI. It’s basically Subaru’s way of saying a new WRX STI is being developed as the concept provides a taste of things to come as far as the next generation of the sporty sedan.
We only have these live images from the show in Japan to go by at the moment of writing, but as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. The design of the car should be quite familiar taking into account Subaru introduced a Viziv Performance concept last October at the Tokyo Motor Show. The most obvious novelty is noticeable at the back where the STI-branded version has a massive wing with side extensions.
The numerous carbon fiber bits and pieces have been carried over from last year’s concept, including those square wheel arches, along with the hood scoop and the roof. Subaru has thrown in some red accents to go with the “STI” badge on the front grille and you can also see the Subaru Tecnica International branding on the redesigned front bumper as well as on the sides of the aforementioned rear wing.
Overall, the new concept is not all that different compared to the one before it as the wing is essentially the most important modification. It’s not actually that big of a big surprise when you take into account the differences between the standard WRX and its hotter STI counterpart. Speaking of which, the dynamic duo is expected to get a new generation around the end of the decade. Subaru has hinted the top-of-the-range version will eschew the 2.5-liter, with rumors suggesting a smaller engine will be teamed up with an electric motor to form a hybrid powertrain linked to an all-wheel-drive system.
Source: Subaru