2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA

The first thing that strikes you about the limited-edition Subaru WRX STI Type RA is the price: $49,855. Yep, for a full $12,900 more than a base STI, you can be one of 500 people with an RA logo on your trunklid. That’s $6450 per letter. On the plus side, you’re getting an STI that has been specifically tweaked to extract maximum performance by the people who know it best.

Honed though it may be, the STI Type RA is no knife. Just like the everyday STI, the RA is a rock hammer. It works best when you throw it around by the scruff of its overly thick steering wheel: Carry too much speed into a corner because you can, then stand on the brakes and yank arbitrarily. To hell with the apex. Wait patiently as the tires doth protest, then bury the gas pedal and hold on. The party starts when the boost gets there, and it likes to show up late. This isn’t a car that should come to mind when you think about delicately aiming for apexes and dancing the line between oversteer and neutral. There’s plenty of grip and the steering is quick, but turn-in behavior is vague, and the steering feels light and jumpy in steady-state cornering.

There are significant changes underhood, but they come without equally significant numbers to quantify their existence. There’s a negligible gain of five horsepower from revised ECU tuning and a high-flow intake (+3 hp) and a less restrictive exhaust system (+2 hp). Strengthened pistons and sodium-filled exhaust valves are installed in the name of reliability, as the car’s mission statement all but mandates regular time at the track. That cracking open the engine resulted in only five additional horsepower is disappointing, especially considering what tuners—and Subaru itself—have been able to extract from the august but aging EJ25 engine in past models.

Third gear has been slightly tweaked with a 4.3-percent-shorter ratio than in the base STI, which is said to better keep the turbocharger on boil. Without a standard STI on hand for comparison, it’s tough to confidently say we could tell the difference, but the Type RA hardly runs out of breath in any gear, always pulling hard, like a tractor, to redline. A short-throw shifter reduces throws by 10 percent but is somewhat notchy. The RA uses inverted monotube Bilstein dampers, which offer higher damping force at lower speeds—they’re ideal for hooligan driving, but make the ride a little bouncy around town. Nothing out of character for a car with letters in its name that stand for Record Attempt, though.

Inside, a steering wheel wrapped in microsuede, a red engine-start button, and a serial number plate are the only cues to this model’s exclusivity, although everyone will have noticed the car’s dedication to purpose before getting in. Like Japan-market STI Type RA offerings of the past, the molded spoiler is ditched in favor of an adjustable high-mount carbon-fiber wing, which Subaru says makes real downforce at speeds of more than 50 mph or so. A new rear bumper has functional ducts to slightly reduce drag and lift, and a front splitter helps create some downforce as well. There are—wait for it—Cherry Blossom Red accent stripes on the grille up front and on the bumper out back. Red brake calipers were cool in the ’90s, but the RA’s silver-painted, reinforced six-pot Brembo calipers and cross-drilled rotors look perfect behind the gaping 19-inch forged BBS wheels of today—which are painted gold, of course. (They’re also a welcome change from the fluorescent yellow calipers on the normal 2018 STI.) Subaru says the carbon-fiber roof lowers the center of gravity while improving torsional rigidity and shaving eight pounds to boot.

Subaru claims the STI Type RA is 51 pounds lighter than a base STI, with the bulk of that accounted for by replacing the spare tire with a tire-repair kit. The roof, BBS wheels, carbon-fiber wing, and deleted rear armrest make up the remainder. You’ll never notice the weight savings, added power, or aero improvements without the aid of measurement devices, but it’s nice to know that Subaru is trying in an era where “fun factor” means you get sweet apps on the infotainment screen.

The STI Type RA is available at select dealers in Crystal Black Silica, WR Blue Pearl, or Crystal White Pearl, with blue making up 49 percent of the 500-car mix. The rarest (and best-looking) color is black, at just 19 percent. If you have $50K and a hankering for a rally hammer, act fast.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

BASE PRICE: $49,855

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 150 cu in, 2457 cc
Power: 310 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 290 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 104.3 in
Length: 181.3 in
Width: 70.7 in Height: 58.1 in
Passenger volume: 96 cu ft
Trunk volume: 12 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 3400 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 12.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.2 sec
Top speed: 155 mph

EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/highway: 18/16/22 mpg