Once embroiled in a fight for WRC supremacy with both Mitsubishi and the rest of the world, Subaru is now almost a pale shadow of what it used to be – and it only thrives and survives on the goodwill of its ardent fans.
Sure, many will argue that – at least in North America – the Japanese automaker is doing much better than its mainstay rival. After all, it just launched the all-new 2024 Crosstrek rugged hatchback adventurer, has some enticing SUVs (Forester, Outback, Ascent, and even the Solterra BEV), and still sells the iconic Impreza alongside the Legacy. However, a quick look across the performance section of its U.S. portal will show everyone the wind is blowing through the almost hollow ground.
The $28,595 BRZ is a nice little enthusiast car – and I would gladly give it to my son when he turns 21 if it is still around by that time to show him what true sports cars were once made of. But the marginally more expensive ($29,605) 2022 WRX four-door performance car is a disappointment in so many ways that I cannot even begin to remind myself of what the WRX and WRX STi used to stand for (rally, all-wheel drive, daily usability, JDM ethos, etc.).
Just think about it for a second: even stock FWD cars like the Hyundai Elantra N or Honda Civic Si have come to beat it. Now, let that sink in, and let us remember with lots of sorrow that Subaru has already announced the VB second generation WRX (since it became a standalone model) is not getting the chance to fight all naysayers with a high-performance WRX STi build. And that, of course, does not bode well for Subaru’s fans.
And some of them have surely decided to take matters into their hands. Or, rather, at the tip of their CGI brush, as is the case here with the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. As such, meet David Scott Neal II, a Senior Industrial Designer at Modus Applied Innovations, and the pixel master behind nemojunglist, who has a new yet sketchy WRX STI revival idea. It is quite easy to explain why he produced this paradigm change in design, frankly.
“I don’t care much for Subaru's design language right now. It lacks personality and tension,” the author muses. Thus, he opted for a new styling direction where “the boxy flare graphics of past WRX STi generations” meet with “a tight bone line across the shoulder to make it feel nimble, even with the muscley flares.” All in all, he thinks this is an overall “pretty decent result.” What about us – do we give this unofficial attempt our CGI hall pass, or not? And, by the way, has anyone noticed it has coach doors?!
The $28,595 BRZ is a nice little enthusiast car – and I would gladly give it to my son when he turns 21 if it is still around by that time to show him what true sports cars were once made of. But the marginally more expensive ($29,605) 2022 WRX four-door performance car is a disappointment in so many ways that I cannot even begin to remind myself of what the WRX and WRX STi used to stand for (rally, all-wheel drive, daily usability, JDM ethos, etc.).
Just think about it for a second: even stock FWD cars like the Hyundai Elantra N or Honda Civic Si have come to beat it. Now, let that sink in, and let us remember with lots of sorrow that Subaru has already announced the VB second generation WRX (since it became a standalone model) is not getting the chance to fight all naysayers with a high-performance WRX STi build. And that, of course, does not bode well for Subaru’s fans.
And some of them have surely decided to take matters into their hands. Or, rather, at the tip of their CGI brush, as is the case here with the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. As such, meet David Scott Neal II, a Senior Industrial Designer at Modus Applied Innovations, and the pixel master behind nemojunglist, who has a new yet sketchy WRX STI revival idea. It is quite easy to explain why he produced this paradigm change in design, frankly.
“I don’t care much for Subaru's design language right now. It lacks personality and tension,” the author muses. Thus, he opted for a new styling direction where “the boxy flare graphics of past WRX STi generations” meet with “a tight bone line across the shoulder to make it feel nimble, even with the muscley flares.” All in all, he thinks this is an overall “pretty decent result.” What about us – do we give this unofficial attempt our CGI hall pass, or not? And, by the way, has anyone noticed it has coach doors?!