The long-fought battle between the Impreza and the Mitsubishi Evo seemed to be tailing off in recent months, with the Mitsi tending toward the hardcore end of the market and the Scooby remaining the more usable road car.
The title of this latest version of the STI, tipped for release at next month's Tokyo Motor Show, suggests that Subaru may be addressing that issue. The WRX STI Carbon sounds like it could be a lightweight bruiser to take on the FQ Evos, currently to be found bruising backs on A-roads everywhere.
Er - no. In fact, all Subaru has done is add a carbon fibre roof and covered the seats with suede. And, in a most bizarre packaging decision, apparently it will only be made available with a five-speed automatic gearbox.
This does make a little more sense when you consider the Japanese market, with its penchant for auto 'boxes and generous helpings of carbon fibre. And there is nothing in particular to suggest a UK release, so perhaps this is just a car that's lost in translation.
Subaru knows that at the moment 'green' is more of a universal language, so sharing space with the Carbon on its stand at Tokyo will be this, the Hybrid Tourer. It uses two electric motors, one for the front wheels and one for the rear, as well as a traditional Subaru 'boxer' engine in order to choose the most efficient power combination for different situations.
Having two separate electric motors also means that no driveshaft intrudes on cabin space, and the open feeling of the interior is accentuated by giant gullwing doors that span most of the length of the body, four separate seats and a dashboard that can move up and down to help with visibility and natural light.
Its all very clever, and it even looks pretty nifty (albeit in a very 'concept car' sort of way). This is a fairly critical moment for Subaru as they try to move with the eco trend, and the gawky STELLA electric car won't do their image many favours with petrol heads. But perhaps concepts like this can help to bridge the gap.
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