Subaru has entered a WRX-like development race car in the 2026 Super Taikyu Series, but it has not announced a production WRX STI hatchback. Its official name is SUBARU HIGH PERFORMANCE X version II (HiPerfX2), and it competes in the ST-Q class as a Team SDA Engineering project. Subaru describes it as a car for developing people and technology through motorsport—not a retail model.
What Subaru actually revealed
Subaru announced on January 9, 2026, that it would enter the Super Taikyu Series ST-Q class with a new race car. The subsequent official motorsport report identifies the car shown at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 as SUBARU HIGH PERFORMANCE X version II, abbreviated HiPerfX2. The annual program lists Masahito Motoi as team representative, Susumu Ito as team manager and chief engineer, and Takuto Iguchi, Hideki Yamauchi, and Subaru employee drivers in the lineup. At the February 28 test session, Subaru’s report specifically names employee drivers Kazuhiro Ito and Masashi Hanazawa among those present. Subaru’s 2026 motorsport announcement and the SUBARU/STI MOTORSPORT test report describe the program and car.
“Track-only WRX STI hatchback” is therefore a visual shorthand, not Subaru’s official designation. The releases call HiPerfX2 a development race car; they do not identify it as a production WRX STI, confirm a retail hatchback, or announce a sales plan.
How HiPerfX2 differs from Subaru’s other STI-related reveals
Three related Subaru projects are easy to mistake for one another. Subaru’s event materials list them separately, with distinct roles and names.
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| Vehicle or concept | Officially described role | What it means for HiPerfX2 |
|---|---|---|
| SUBARU HIGH PERFORMANCE X version II (HiPerfX2) | Super Taikyu ST-Q development race car | The subject of this story. |
| Performance-B STI concept | Concept shown at Japan Mobility Show 2025 | Its development philosophy is cited as a basis for the race-car program; it is not HiPerfX2’s official name. |
| WRX STI Sport♯ | Prototype shown at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 | A separate exhibit, not proof that HiPerfX2 is a production WRX STI hatchback. |
Subaru says the Performance-B STI approach is to combine existing company assets in pursuit of accessible driving enjoyment, then refine the machine in competition and apply what is learned to future vehicle and parts development. The company’s Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 exhibit outline and its WRX STI Sport♯ announcement distinguish the race car from the show prototype.
What Subaru has confirmed about the car
Subaru says HiPerfX2 uses an FA24 direct-injection turbocharged horizontally opposed engine and will run on ENEOS Low-Carbon Gasoline (E20). The company also cites suspension optimization, body design informed by rigidity analysis, and recycled carbon materials as part of aerodynamic development with Subaru’s aerospace and aerodynamics teams.
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In its March report, Subaru says HiPerfX2 carries over the previous HiPerfX development car’s FA24 engine, subframe, suspension, brakes, and differential. The newer car uses a clean-sheet white-body/monocoque starting point, with added body reinforcement and collaborative aerodynamic development. These are details of this competition development car, not specifications for a production WRX.
The cited official materials do not provide a complete specification sheet. They do not establish horsepower, torque, transmission, weight, drivetrain configuration, lap record, homologation details, price, or a production schedule.
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What the Motegi test showed
SUBARU/STI MOTORSPORT reported that HiPerfX2 ran at Mobility Resort Motegi during the official Super Taikyu test on March 1, 2026. It covered 54 laps over 2.5 hours without trouble in that day’s running. This is a bounded preseason test-session result, not a race result or a claim about the car’s reliability over a full season.
Susumu Ito, identified in the program as team manager and chief engineer, said in an English rendering of his Japanese remarks in Subaru’s report: “From the moment it started running here, the professional drivers gave it a positive response, which was a relief.” The comments offer an early indication of driver response, not a published performance comparison.
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Does this mean a WRX STI hatchback is coming?
No production hatchback has been confirmed in the cited announcements. Subaru presents HiPerfX2 as a Super Taikyu development car intended to build motorsport capability and carry lessons into future vehicle and parts development. That goal leaves open what Subaru may do later, but it is not an announcement that the race car—or a road-going version of it—will go on sale.
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