Skip advert
Advertisement

Limited-edition Subaru WRX STI TYPE RA-R revealed for the Japanese market

Celebrating thirty years of STI, Subaru has released the special-edition WRX STI TYPE RA-R.

Honouring thirty years of its STI performance arm on road, rally stages and track, Subaru has revealed the WRX STI TYPE RA-R, a limited-edition JDM (Japanese domestic market) exclusive. 500 will be built, each equipped with a host of engine and chassis upgrades plus extensive weight-saving measures.

Built to the same specification as the WRX STI S208’s turbocharged 2-litre flat-four, the RA-R’s engine benefits from a remapped ECU, a performance exhaust system and revised cooling. As a result, power and torque stand at 324bhp and 319lb ft; some 28bhp and 24lb more than the standard (JDM) WRX STI. While Subaru hasn’t disclosed any benchmark performance figures, we expect the dash to 62mph to take about 5 seconds and the top speed to be around 160mph.

Advertisement - Article continues below

> Click here for our favourite first and second generation Subaru Impreza WRXs

A weight-reduction programme has saved 30kg over the S208, and 10kg over the standard car, with lightweight parts and the removal of the spare tyre contributing. Subaru has optimised the RA-R with a bespoke chassis set-up to the get the most out of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, which wrap around forged BBS wheels, and the quicker steering rack borrowed from the S208.

The Brembo braking system comprises drilled and ventilated discs, all round, which are clamped by six-pot calipers upfront and two-pot calipers at the rear. Discreet, visual distinction from the standard STI comes courtesy of a spoiler delete, carbonfibre wing mirrors, a red pinstripe and a badge celebrating the STI’s 30th anniversary.

Priced at the equivalent of £34,200 (including taxes), all five-hundred units have already been spoken for.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation
MST Ford Escort front
News

MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation

Costing a tenth of most made-new classics, the MST Mk1 Sports is comparatively accessible
8 Jul 2025
Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good
Mini JCW – front
Reviews

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good

The petrol-powered JCW lives on – for now. But in its latest incarnation, has this supermini survivor become too hardcore?
6 Jul 2025