Subaru has dropped the latest teaser ahead of its manual resurgence, with a new version of the WRX sedan locked in for a November 2026 reveal.
The Japanese brand announced in June this year that it would introduce three new manual-transmission models "by 2027", and the first of the trio to be revealed is a WRX equipped with an STI manual gearbox.
Subaru has confirmed the WRX will receive the highly regarded 'TY85' transmission, a six-speed unit last used in the most recent WRX STI, discontinued in 2021.
The Japanese automaker stated that "it aims to revive Subaru's WRX", with the TY85's production line restarted after engineers discovered it was still intact and functional – indeed, the new manual WRX will be a regular production model, not a special edition.
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Further, Subaru says the new manual model utilises technology and knowledge derived from motorsport, with several undisclosed refinements to capture the spirit of old-school Subaru manuals. It's unknown if it'll offer the STI's headline Driver Controlled Centre Differential (DCCD).
However, there's one key caveat: it's likely to be Japan-only. That's because Subaru has labelled it as a reintroduction of the manual WRX, as it doesn't currently offer such a model in its home market.
That's despite manual WRXs being staples in global showrooms, including Australia, albeit equipped with a lighter-duty six-speed gearbox designed for the lower engine outputs of non-STI models.
Subaru may have previewed the WRX TY85 with the WRX STI Sport♯, which the company unveiled in January 2026 and announced as a limited-edition Japan-only model.
Fundamentally the same as the WRX tS Spec B already sold in Australia, it had adaptive dampers, gold Brembo brake calipers, a limited-slip differential, Recaro seats, and unique 19-inch wheels, but lost the massive rear wing.
It was powered by the same 'FA24' 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 'boxer' engine with 202kW and 350Nm, and it was proudly advertised as a six-speed manual model – albeit not the STI-sourced TY85.
The STI Sport♯ was confirmed for a 600-unit production run, with vehicles available to Japanese buyers exclusively via a lottery system. That allocation was exhausted in May 2026, so it's possible this new manual will effectively be a mass-production version of that car.
In any case, the new manual probably won't be a full-fat STI model. For now, the only true STI version of the current WRX will remain the S210 – a heavily upgraded, more powerful, limited-run special, albeit equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) rather than a manual.
It's possible Subaru could reveal a mid-life facelift for its manual performance sedan at the same time, as the WRX hasn't received an exterior update in the five years since the current model's launch, but no such update has been announced.
STI fans also needn't worry yet, because two new performance-oriented models are still to come. One is an updated manual BRZ coupe based on the limited-run STI Sport Type RA, and the other is the long-awaited production version of the Performance-B STI concept.
Previewed at last year's Tokyo motor show, the new model appears to be an Impreza-based five-door hatch equipped with a WRX engine and a manual transmission. No specific reveal date has been set, but it's still expected to debut before the end of 2026.
In any case, Subaru aims to "make driving more enjoyable and accessible" with its new manual trio, and all three will rely on technology and knowledge from the brand's "motorsports activities".
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