Subaru Tecnica International

Subaru Tecnica International
Public
High-performance tuning and motorsport division of Subaru
Founded April 2, 1988
Founder Noriyuki Koseki
Ryuichiro Kuze
Headquarters Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
Area served
 Motorsport
Key people
 Yoshio Hirakawa
Masahiro Maeda
Hiroshi Mori
Koji Mitsuno
Owner Fuji Heavy Industries
Parent Subaru Motors
Website www.sti.jp
STI badging on an Impreza WRX STI 2006

Subaru Tecnica International (スバルテクニカインターナショナル株式会社 Subaru Tekunika Intānashonaru Kabushiki-gaisha), or STI (prior to 2006, STi), is Fuji Heavy Industries' motorsports division. STI, along with Prodrive of the UK specialized in the preparation of a variety of vehicles for the Subaru World Rally Team which competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). It was founded in 1988 by Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent company of Subaru, to promote the company's performance-oriented identity.

STI's signature color is "Cherry Blossom Red" (or "Rubine Red" as it is known in Australia.) It is seen as a masculine colour in Japanese culture.

STI special limited models

While Subaru offers many models with a trim level labeled "STI" or "Tuned by STI," there have been several special limited edition STI models.[1]

STI was also known for its exceptional quality in producing cars designed for rally racing. Subaru discontinued its participation in the WRC in 2008.

Subaru models with STI trim

The Subaru Impreza WRX and the Subaru Legacy B4 both come in high performance STI editions (formerly capitalized "STi" before the 2006 model year), designed by STI. The STI offers many advantages over the WRX, such as a six-speed manual transmission with a helical (Suretrac in '04 models) limited slip front differential, driver controlled center differential(DCCD), IHI VF39 turbocharger (VF43 in 2007, VF48 from 2008 on), BBS lightweight alloy wheels, a mechanical rear limited slip differential and Brembo brakes. The 2.5 litre engine (designated EJ257) 280PS with 40.0kgfm of torque. The WRX STI has Recaro style bucket seats and a MOMO steering wheel. STI also designs upgraded parts, mostly suspension related, for use on other Subaru vehicles. STI versions of the Impreza, Forester and the Subaru Legacy have been marketed as limited edition vehicles in certain markets. The WRX STI was the first and only STI vehicle made available to North American consumers to date. For other markets, STI also released Legacies kitted out in full STI trim, they are rare and sought after by Subaru enthusiasts. They were only released new in Japan (JDM) and New Zealand (NZDM). In 2016 an STI kit was built for the redesigned Crosstrek models which included STI branded wheels, hatchback spoiler, and shift knobs for both automatic and manual variants.

STI parts

STI also provides parts for racing and street applications in Japan. In the US, STI parts are distributed and sold by SPT (Subaru Performance Tuning) although increasingly they are being made available under the STI name.

References

  1. ↑ STI - COMPLETE CARS; All Models (Past & Present). Retrieved 2011-9-28
  2. ↑ "Legacy RS RA type STI - Subaru Forum | Type RA Forum for Subaru Impreza WRX Type RA, WRX STi, Spec-C, S202, Type RA-R". Type-ra.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
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