Tag Archives: S209

Subaru STI S209 review: The fastest STI comes to America

"The S209 justifies its price for Subaru super fans."

• Incredible grip

• Sharp, responsive chassis

• Well behaved in the city

• Aggressive style

• Expensive

• Additional performance is hardly noticeable

Subaru has a well-documented history of playing alphabet soup with hot rod cars. From the Impreza 22B to the BRZ tS, these special machines ranged from legitimate legends for road traffic to glorified equipment packages. This has led to confusion over the years. For connoisseurs, STI, which stands for Subaru Tecnica International, the company's performance-oriented sub-brand, is an acronym that stands for size.

We had a fair share of the seat time in the fifth generation WRX STI, based in Impreza, a car that is a bit unrefined compared to some of its competitors, but offers a lot of charm. But there is another STI offering that a US driver may not know about. Over the past 20 years, Subaru Tecnica International has launched a range of limited-production S-Line models that take STI performance to a new level. All were exclusive to Japan.

Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

With the S209, the latest S-Line creation from STI, Subaru decided to change the program. Only 209 copies of the automaker's latest WRX STI are produced, all of which travel to the United States.

Each model includes a laundry list with upgrades for the STI garden variety and a high MSRP of $ 63,995. This type of coin takes the STI out of its original competition set, which is occupied by cars like the Ford Focus RS and the Honda Civic Type R, and places it next to the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and the BMW M2 Competition.

Does the S209 have the hardware to secure its price?

Inside and outside

Although Subaru's performance is often linked to a rally competition on stage, S-Line vehicles focus more on the road course capabilities. For this purpose, the route intentions of this car are obvious at first glance, from the fenders on display to the canards and the unique rear wing. It is clear that the S209 has fast runtimes in mind. However, its extroverted aero is just the tip of the iceberg.

The strongest iteration of the Subaru 2.5-liter boxer engine EJ25, which we have seen in a production car, is hidden under the hood. It features a new intake and air filter design for improved engine breathing, larger injectors and a larger turbocharger that can deliver a maximum boost pressure of 18.9 psi.

Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

There is also a trick intercooler water spray system. It works like an overboost function. With paddles mounted on the steering wheel, you can call up the system at will to inject water mist into the charge air cooler. This briefly lowers the temperatures for brief additional power surges.

The combination, which exhales through a unique low throttle exhaust system, is good for 341 hp and 330 pound-feet of torque, up to 31 hp and 40 pounds per foot. from the standard STI. Coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox with a tight gear ratio, the all-wheel-drive Sube is said to be able to perform sprints from 5 seconds up to 60 miles an hour on its way to a top speed of 162 mph from 5 seconds.

Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

Sharper looks and more grunts are always welcome, but it's the suspension and suspension improvements that really set the S209 apart from its STI-branded brothers. Specially tuned Bilstein dampers are equipped with 10 mm lowering springs, a 20 mm stabilizer bar at the rear and pillow-like bushings for the front / rear side arms to improve body control. A two-piece strut tower bar and flexible front / rear stiffeners stiffen the body of the vehicle to maximize tire grip, improve cornering stability and improve steering behavior.

Speaking of tire grip, there are some of them. This is not only due to the improvements in handling, but also to the 265 mm wide Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600A summer tires on which the S209 rolls and wrap the unique 19 × 9 inch BBS wheels. The braking force is provided by the same Brembo hardware that you find on a standard STI. However, a new material with a high friction pad replaces the standard pads to improve light resistance.

Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

Inside, it usually runs as usual, although the steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara, the S209 emblem, silver contrast stitching and a serial badge in front of the gear lever help distinguish this S-Line car from other models. Subaru's 7.0-inch Multimedia Plus infotainment is standard and the only system offered in the S209. This means that navigation and the Harman Kardon sound system are not available. Fortunately, the touchscreen system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so Google Maps, Waze and other supported apps are available to help close the gap.

Steering

The standard STI has earned a reputation for being a fairly stiff driver, and given the route focus of the STI S209, we expected this machine to have even less compliance in the city.

Imagine our surprise when the S209 not only proved good-natured in LA's urban sprawl, but also more comfortable than a typical STI. The lightweight, communicative clutch and the Recaro sports seats made the car's sporting intentions clear, but had only a minimal impact on daily driving behavior. We wouldn't mind strengthening the thighs a little more to keep the front occupants seated if it was fun.

Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

Speaking of which, it should come as no surprise that the technical switchbacks of the San Gabriel Mountains highlighted the greatest strengths of the S209. The extra power under the hood – even if we pulled the intercooler paddles in the hope of a video game-like performance boost – isn't transformative, but the improvements to the suspension and suspension are.

The Dunlops offer breathtaking grip and are connected to a chassis that both wants to change direction and quickly forgive imperfect inputs. This makes the S209 a car that promotes trust if you familiarize yourself with its limits.

Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

As with all WRX-based models, the overall sophistication of the Subaru pales in comparison to cars like the Volkswagen Golf R, but the quick fading of the VW in the rearview mirror on a good road will be a source of comfort for S209 owners.

Our opinion

Given its price, the fact that only 209 vehicles are built, and the lack of options available, the S209 is ultimately a model aimed more at collectors than enthusiasts. This is a bit of a shame, because the improvements in the entire car serve to noticeably increase performance without affecting driving behavior.

This is the most powerful WRX STI that has ever come out of a Subaru factory, but its price tag puts it in a league of cars that are likely to outperform it on a number of fronts. However, if Subaru applied these suspension and suspension modifications to a garden-style STI at a cheaper price, it would have a potential game changer in this segment.

How DT would configure this car

The only option available for the STI S209 is color – 128 units will be produced in World Rally Blue with matte silver wheels, while the remaining 81 cars will wear the Crystal White Pearl paint with gold wheels. Ideally, we would choose the World Rally Blue with the gold wheels of our test car, but we would be ready to settle for the combination of blue and matte silver.

Should you get one?

Most people, including enthusiasts, will want to see more powerful cars in this price range. However, if you have the resources and are a Subaru fan, this car is a real treat.
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