The newest Subaru WRX STI has proven to be pretty well received. Though its design is a radical departure from the older WRX models, it nonetheless has been selling well. In Japan, the car has already garnered a decent sized following, and now Subaru has found another way to keep the buzz on this cool car going. Called the WRX STI 20th Anniversary Edition, this new special will only be available in Japan for now.

The 20th Anniversary Edition STI differs itself from regular STI’s by incorporating a much more refined and sophosticated (read: expensive) suspension system which offers a much more compliant rid, while still maintaining that legendary Subaru handling. A front strut tower bar, supporting lower-arm bar and rear-suspension pillow-ball bushing are all new to this model and are derived from another Japan-only Subaru, the Legacy S402. Besides these suspension tweaks, only a black roof spoiler and lip spoiler, along with some tasty 18” BBS wheels differentiate the standard STI from the 20th Anniversary Edition. Oh, and they only come in white.

Power is still provided by the Japan-spec 2.0-liter 304hp boxer four-cylinder turbo engine. Subaru’s famous asymmetrical all-wheel-drive system dumps all those horses on the pavement, while Brembo’s finest braking hardware helps you come back down to legal speeds.

There will only be a limited run of 300 of these special cars made and they will all go to Japan. With a price equaling about $42,000 it should be no cheap boy racer. I have a hunch that if Subaru needs to boost sales here in the states, it will bring this car over here, probably as a rebadged “special edition” model.

-Source: Edmund’s Inside Line

-Photo: Subaru of America Inc.