Bred from a World Rally Championship race car, the Subaru WRX STI was never meant to be civil. Some even shy away from this high-performance sports sedan because it looks too aggressive. Of course, young guys live for this kind of high-adrenaline image. But Subaru has decided to appeal to the somewhat more mature Japanese crowd and come up with the A-Line, which should be on sale in Japan by the time you read this.
The A-Line is certainly a milder-looking version of the WRX STI, but it is by no means detuned. Power remains unchanged at 280bhp. It also has the same handling bite as the original. What Subaru has done is change the appearance slightly, going for a more understated look.
The car comes in three new colors, Urban Grey Metallic, Obsidian Black Pearl and Satin White Pearl (no blue is offered). The rear spoiler has been swapped from the familiar 'make no mistake, I'm a wing' to a small lip on the rear deck. What's noteworthy is that, for the first time on the WRX STI, side airbags come as standard, perhaps trying to attract the more safety-conscious buyer. Dozens of other minor changes, such as black Brembo brake calipers and fog lights integrated into the front bumper, make the A-Line the sophisticated enthusiast's WRX STI, although the price remains rather populist at 3,444,000 yen (about $29,000).