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For the Japanese customer who wants near-Subaru WRX STI performance without the hassle of a manual transmission, Subaru offers the more refined, less ostentatious WRX S4. While consumers can add an STI Style package and STI Performance package to the S4, it seems those packages still leave S4 drivers with a car that’s shy of the full-zoot STI. For those who want more, but can’t or don’t want to deal with the STI’s manual gearbox, Subaru’s STI division is releasing the limited-edition WRX S4 tS, a car that’s more or less a WRX STI but with a continuously variable transmission.
Maintaining the S4’s 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine, the tS adds an oil cooler to accompany the S4’s CVT, as well as modified intake and exhaust parts that Subaru claims enhance the near-300-hp sedan’s acceleration by 10 percent. Additional performance items such as a strut-tower brace, adjustable damping for the front suspension, Brembo four-piston front brakes, and a torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system further enhance the tS’s dynamic abilities.
Thanks to its 19-inch BBS wheels, red pinstripes on the grille and rear bumper, and big front spoiler, spotting a WRX S4 tS on the streets of Japan should be rather easy. Nevertheless, customers who want to call even more attention to themselves can also opt for the NBR Challenge package for 300,000 yen (about $2920). The package commemorates Subaru’s class wins at the 2015 and 2016 Nürburgring 24-hour endurance races and adds a massive rear wing to the car’s trunklid and black-painted 19-inch BBS wheels.
Inside, front-seat riders are hugged by a set of Recaro seats from the STI, while the driver stares at a tS-exclusive speedometer. Subaru’s EyeSight safety system is standard, too, and a microsuede-wrapped steering wheel is included with the NBR Challenge package.
