In-Depth Photos of the 2019 Subaru STI S209

Until now, most special-edition Subies offered in the States have been largely cosmetic tributes.

The STI, to most, is the WRX's top rung in the U.S. But in Japan, STI is essentially a niche manufacturer all its own that pumps out variants with significant performance upgrades.

The S209 is the 10th S-line car since the S201 of 2000 and the follow-up to the Japan-only S208.

STI is the department responsible for manufacturing legends like the 22B, Spec C, and S204—ask a millennial fluent in Forza or Gran Turismo if those STI models don't ring a bell.

Maximum boost pressure increases from 16.2 psi in the Type RA to 18.0.

All told, the engine makes an estimated 341 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of torque (final figures are still pending).

Bilstein dampers, stiffer springs, a stiffer rear anti-roll bar, and more aggressive brake pads to match the stickier rubber, which Subaru says will hold on for more than 1.00 g on a skidpad, round out the chassis modifications.

Front, side, and rear skirts, all of which are otherwise available at the parts counter, come standard on the S209, as does a Type RA–looking rear wing on racy looking metal pedestals. The roof is unpainted carbon fiber.

On the chassis side of things, STI did the orthodontic equivalent of braces, headgear, and a palate expander to the underside of the STI's well-aged unibody.

The most interesting of these body braces are three draw stiffeners—two are oriented diagonally underneath the front of the car, and one connects the shock towers in the rear—that incorporate springs to preload the chassis without compromising the ride quality too much.

Lateral suspension links get ball-jointed connections at the body and hub side to maximize chassis feel. The result is a buttoned-up body with crisp turn-in and minimal quiver.

Specially developed Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600A tires that are wider (265s all around versus 245s on the standard STI) on forged BBS 19-inch wheels fill obligatory fender flares.

An increased wheel offset yields a 0.6-inch-wider track.

This is the first significant boost in power for the STI in, well, ever.

Remember that it launched in 2004 with 300 horses. Fast forward 15 years, and the STI's engine puts out but 310 ponies, a measly 3 percent increase.

Subaru also had a Type RA on hand for us to refamiliarize ourselves with the track, and going from the Type RA to the S209 isn't a dramatic change, at first.

The only interior differentiators are a few badges and some whitish-silver trim on the Recaro seats.

The one area we wish STI would have diverged is the seating.