This Subaru WRX S4 STI Sport# Is A 500-Unit, JDM-Only Special

The special Subaru WRX S4 STI Sport# has been launched in Japan, with only 500 units available

Besides Toyota and Honda, fellow Japanese marque Subaru also took the Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) 2024 centre stage last week to debut its latest special model. Dubbed the Subaru WRX S4 STI Sport# ('#' as in sharp, not hash), this souped-up performance saloon boasts some additional performance bits as well as some minor cosmetic touch-ups.

Based on the existing WRX S4 STI Sport R EX variant, this Japan-exclusive model gets a new black front grille with STI badging plus a slew of Crystal Black Silica accents, including the side mirror caps, the whole roof, and the lip spoiler on the car’s decklid. By far the most prominent design changes are the new 19-inch BBS forged wheels finished in a Super Black hue and the exclusive Offshore Blue Metallic body hue.

On board, this special WRX model gets some minor equipment changes that further enhance its overall sportiness. Key highlights include the sporty Recaro front seats with STI embossing, plenty of Ultrasuede trim coupled with silver accents, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Other standard tech bits like the portrait-oriented central infotainment screen and the fully digital instrument cluster are also present here.

The WRX S4 STI Sport# gets the same 2.4-litre turbocharged flat-four engine as the standard WRX S4

On the performance front, the WRX S4 STI Sport# gets the same FA24F 2.4-litre 4-cyl turbocharged ‘boxer’ mill as the standard WRX S4 model. Rated at 271 HP and 375 NM, this flat-four mill sends its power to all four wheels via the Subaru Performance CVT automatic gearbox and Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system. Unlike the standard WRX, no stick shift, three-pedal option was offered for this special model.

While its powertrain setup mirrors other WRX S4 models, the STI Sport# version gets an extra performance strut bar at the engine bay plus a stiffening bar at the rear axle. Though sound minute, Subaru claims these improvements are enough to provide the STI Sport# a more thrilling ride compared to other S4 models.

With only 500 units allocated Japan-wide, this JDM-exclusive WRX S4 STI Sport# is going to be a modern classis in years' time

As if its Japan-only availability didn’t make this souped-up Subie a rarity, Subaru only plans to produce 500 examples of the WRX S4 STi Sport#, with all of them to be allocated via a lottery system – just like what Honda Malaysia did with the FL5 Civic Type R last year. This means that ownership is not 100% guaranteed, even if you can afford to pay its JPY 6.237 million (RM199,000 approx.) asking price.