THERE are certain combinations of letters and numbers in cars’ titles which immediately provoke the attention of petrolheads.
Things like GT3 RS, RS6 and 360CS. Each bring up wildly differing images: the track-ready Porsche, the every occasion big Audi and the red carpet F1 glamour of Ferrari.
WRX STi, although without numbers, represents something special to every car fan because it’s Subaru’s top dog, the one that’s appeared on bewinged Imprezas’ rumps since the likes of late greats including Colin McRae and Richard Burns were storming through dusty rally stages on their way to world titles.
Subaru’s current WRX STi may go without the much-loved ‘Impreza’ name, but it’s the modern equivalent of icons such as the P1, WR1 and RB320 - all of which have won a loyal army of fans for their supercar-killing, point-to-point pace.
But 2018 is a very different time and those cars all had just one rival - the Mitsubishi Evo. Although we haven’t been given an Evo for three or so years, we now have four-wheel-drive VW Golf Rs, Mercedes A45 AMGs, Audi RS3s and Ford Focus RSs.
While their hatchback dimensions might be a stark contrast to the saloon-only STi, which has stayed true to its tried-and-tested formula, the Japanese car has a tiny share of the market and is an increasingly rare sight on the roads.
Indeed this car is the last-of-the-line STi - a car which Subaru has confirmed won’t be replaced as it moves towards plug-in hybrids and away from the petrol station-obsessed, turbocharged cars it’s made its name with.
All of the above cars, without options at least, are around £35,000 to £40,000 and each offer 0-60mph in five or so seconds, 155mph-plus top speeds and practicality. However, none have the same pedigree as the Subaru, so is there still a place for it?
Think about that question not with your heart, but with your head. Your heart says absolutely yes; it has the typical Subaru spoilers, vents and air intakes, not to mention bags of pace and agility, but your head says a massive, undisputed ‘no’.
Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way, because having spent a week with it, I - a person who has often been guilty of buying cars with my heart - unsurprisingly fell head over heels for it, despite its considerable foibles.
The first annoyance is its insatiable appetite for petrol. A week-long stint behind its plastic steering wheel resulted in 23.4mpg and, as hard as I tried, the highest it registered was 24.6mpg. Given its 2.5-litre, 300bhp motor is also mated with a gearbox with extremely short ratios, at 70mph you’re sat above 3,000rpm in sixth - catastrophic for economy.
I alluded to ‘plastic’ in the previous paragraphs and it’s a serious bugbear. While its interior has an extremely good touchscreen infotainment system, the rest leaves little to be desired. Interiors have never been Subaru’s strong point, but the dashboard looks like it’s from the 2003 WR1 and hasn’t moved the game on much at all.
There’s more STi badging than you can shake a stick at, though, but sporty and classy it is not. A Golf R owner would be reduced to tears by it, so heaven only knows what would happen when Mr RS3 plonks down in it.
But get past the shocking fuel economy and the lack of interior quality, and what’s left is a characterful, beguiling and charismatic car which has much going for it.
Its looks are fantastically controversial - more people hate its appearance than love it - but I’m firmly on the ‘love’ side given it’s exactly how something of this ilk should look. There’s no fakery - the giant rear spoiler is there to provide downforce and the bonnet vent is there to cool that thirsty engine. Take note, Honda, when you’re lavishing your next Civic Type-R with fake vents...
Thumb its starter motor and it bursts into a deep, typically-Impreza-of-old burble. The clutch is heavy, as is its steering, but both immediately appeal. It’s a no-nonsense type of car - having light-to-the-touch aspects just wouldn’t sit right.
The driving position is good, not exceptional, but the short-throw gearbox and its fantastic positioning makes up for that. The clutch is heavy, so it takes about 50 yards to know this isn’t an easy-going car to drive.
Get some miles under its wheels - which unfortunately aren’t painted gold - and it’s clear it doesn’t feel like a modern performance car. Cars like the RS3 have light steering, confidence-sapping in my opinion, and are something my 70-year-old nan could get in and drive briskly.
The STi is the complete opposite of that. Its powertrain is a throwback - a very good throwback at that - because while everyone else is attempting to reduce its engines’ emissions and appeal more to the mass market, Subaru has again gone off on a tangent and made a car for people who simply love the thrill of driving a rally-bred, four-wheel-drive monster.
I fear this attitude may backfire, indeed if sales figures are anything to go by, it already has, but Subaru should be applauded for what they’ve attempted because it’s something that will never happen again.
It brings an end to nearly 25 years of history, multiple title wins and heritage its new breed of rivals can only dream about. Sad but inevitable, let’s hope the few people who stayed true to their passion for Subaru and stumped up the cash for one and rewarded with strong residuals.
As a last hurrah to a car which made its name flying through boiling hot deserts and muddy, wet, British forests - a Jack of all trades and master at everything - the WRX STi is a special way to end the dynasty.
