CARS Updated 2026-05-14 4 pending verification

Subaru WRX STI in Forza Horizon: Every Generation From GC8 22B to S209

The Subaru WRX STI is the longest-running rally hero in Forza Horizon’s JDM line-up, and with Forza Horizon 6 launching on 2026-05-19 (five days from today, 2026-05-14) every major STI generation returns at launch. This page tracks the WRX STI across five chassis generations (GC8, GD, GR/GH, VA, VB) and three engine families (EJ20, EJ25, FA24), pairs each with its real-world spec sheet, and verifies its Forza Horizon 5 in-game numbers — the most reliable predictor of how each car will behave in FH6 until Playground Games publishes official FH6 dyno figures.

Key Facts

Field	Value
Manufacturer	Subaru
Model family	Impreza WRX STI / WRX STI
Generations in Forza	GC8 (22B-STi), GD (2005), GR (2008, 2011), VA (2015, S209), VB (2022 WRX, no STI)
Engine families	EJ20 (GC8/GD/GR JDM), EJ25 (GR/VA, S209 EJ257), FA24 (VB 2022 WRX)
WRC manufacturer titles	1995, 1996, 1997 (three consecutive)
WRC titles total	Six — three manufacturers’, three drivers’
22B production run	Approximately 400 units (Japan, 1998)
22B purpose	Celebrate Subaru’s 40th anniversary and third consecutive WRC manufacturer title
S209 real power	341 hp (254 kW / 346 PS) at 6,400 rpm
S209 real torque	330 lb-ft (447 Nm) at 3,600 rpm
VB STI status	No VB WRX STI — production of the WRX STI concluded after the VA generation
VB WRX engine	2.4L direct-injection turbocharged FA24 boxer, 271 hp
FH5 2005 — PI / Class	669 / B
FH5 2005 — Top speed	271.1 kph
FH5 2005 — 0–97 kph	4.500 s
FH5 2005 — Price	51,000 Cr
FH5 2008 — PI / Class	649 / B
FH5 2008 — Top speed	252.8 kph
FH5 2008 — 0–97 kph	5.0 s
FH5 2008 — Price	31,000 Cr
FH5 2011 — PI / Class	668 / B
FH5 2011 — Top speed	266.3 kph
FH5 2011 — 0–97 kph	5.500 s
FH5 2011 — Price	33,000 Cr
FH5 2015 — PI / Class	675 / B
FH5 2015 — Top speed	265.9 kph
FH5 2015 — 0–97 kph	4.8 s
FH5 2015 — Price	42,000 Cr
FH5 S209 — PI / Class	924 / S2 (689 B stock)
FH5 S209 — Top speed	265.4 kph
FH5 S209 — 0–97 kph	4.381 s
FH5 S209 — Price	70,000 Cr
FH5 2022 WRX — PI / Class	663 / B
FH5 2022 WRX — Top speed	263.3 kph
FH5 2022 WRX — 0–97 kph	5.500 s
FH5 2022 WRX — Price	250,000 Cr
FH6 confirmed	Yes — every Subaru in Forza Horizon 6
FH6 launch date	2026-05-19
FH6 in-game stats	(unconfirmed)

Every WRX STI generation in Forza Horizon (cross-game)

Forza Horizon’s Subaru roster maps cleanly to the real-world chassis lineage. From the GC8 22B commemorative special through to the VB-generation WRX, each generation brings its own engine family, body style, and PI bracket. See every Subaru in Forza Horizon 6 for the complete launch-day roster.

Year	Forza name	Chassis	Engine	Notes
1998	Subaru Impreza 22B-STi Version	GC8	EJ22G 2.2L turbo flat-4	WRC 40th-anniversary special, ~400 units
2004	Subaru Impreza WRX STi	GD (pre-facelift)	EJ20 2.0L turbo flat-4	’Blobeye’ era
2005	Subaru Impreza WRX STI	GD (hawkeye)	EJ25 2.5L turbo flat-4	US-market hawkeye
2008	Subaru Impreza WRX STI	GR (hatchback)	EJ25 2.5L turbo flat-4	Hatchback generation
2011	Subaru WRX STI	GR/GV (sedan)	EJ25 2.5L turbo flat-4	Sedan facelift, drops ‘Impreza’ badge
2015	Subaru WRX STI	VA	EJ257 2.5L turbo flat-4	Standalone WRX platform
2018	Subaru WRX STI ARX Supercar	VA-based	EJ-derived 2.0L turbo flat-4	600+ hp rallycross supercar
2019	Subaru STI S209	VA	EJ257 2.5L turbo flat-4	US-only S-series, 341 hp
2022	Subaru WRX	VB	FA24 2.4L turbo flat-4	No STI variant produced

The 2022 VB WRX is the first generation to ship in Forza without a matching STI — and that is not a Forza omission. Subaru has confirmed there is no VB WRX STI in production.

WRC heritage: why the STI exists

The WRX STI was built to homologate Subaru’s World Rally Championship effort and to capitalise on three consecutive WRC manufacturer titles. Subaru Tecnica International (STI), founded in 1988, was Subaru’s motorsport arm and the badge under which the rally-derived road cars were sold.

Subaru’s WRC programme delivered three consecutive manufacturer titles in 1995, 1996, and 1997 — all with the Impreza WRC under the Group A and later World Rally Car formula. The programme also produced three drivers’ championship wins, beginning with Colin McRae’s 1995 title, which made him Britain’s first world rally champion.

The 1998 22B-STi (GC8) sits at the summit of this heritage. Built to mark both Subaru’s 40th anniversary and the third consecutive manufacturer title, production was approximately 400 units for the Japanese market, plus three “000/400” prototypes: one gifted to Colin McRae, one to Prodrive’s David Lapworth, and one to co-driver Nicky Grist. The “22B” name itself is the hexadecimal value of “555” — a nod to State Express 555, the cigarette brand that sponsored the Subaru WRC livery throughout the championship-winning era.

Every road STI inherited the rally car’s symmetrical AWD layout, turbocharged boxer engine, and stiff WRC-tuned suspension geometry — the three traits that still define how the STI handles in Forza Horizon today.

Engines: EJ20 → EJ25 → FA24

The WRX STI’s engine bay tells three stories, one per decade.

EJ20 (GC8, GD, JDM GR): 1.994 L turbo flat-4. JDM STIs were rated at the informal 276 hp gentleman’s-agreement ceiling common among Japanese performance cars of the era. The 22B used a bored 2.2 L EJ22G variant — unique to the homologation run and not shared with any other production Subaru.

EJ25 / EJ257 (US GR, GV, VA, S209): 2.457 L turbo flat-4. The US market switched to the larger EJ257 from 2004 onward; it traded the EJ20’s high-revving character for stronger mid-range torque. The S209 is the EJ257’s final expression: factory-rated at 341 hp (254 kW / 346 PS) at 6,400 rpm and 330 lb-ft (447 Nm) at 3,600 rpm, the most powerful road-going STI ever sold in North America.

FA24 (VB WRX, 2022–present): 2.4 L direct-injection turbo flat-4 from Subaru’s newer FA-series. The current 2026 WRX runs the FA24 at 271 hp with standard symmetrical AWD. Subaru has explicitly confirmed that production of the WRX STI concluded after the VA generation with no plans for a VB STI — so the FA24 has not appeared in an STI-branded road car.

In Forza Horizon 5, all three engine families share one in-game trait: AWD with strong launch grip but a modest stock top speed (around 252–271 kph across the lineup). This makes the STI lineup a natural fit for dirt, cross-country, and mixed-surface events rather than straight-line speed contests — the opposite of the best drift cars in Forza Horizon, which tend toward RWD and high rear-wheel power.

Verified Forza Horizon 5 stats — every STI

FH6 in-game dyno figures are (unconfirmed) until Playground Games publishes them at launch on 2026-05-19 (see the Forza Horizon 6 full car list for updates), but FH5 numbers from kudosprime.com’s verified database are the closest available predictor.

Car	PI / Class	Power	Weight	Top speed	0–97 kph	Lat G	Price
2005 Impreza WRX STI	669 / B	232 kW	1,504 kg	271.1 kph	4.50 s	0.91	51,000 Cr
2008 Impreza WRX STI	649 / B	228 kW	1,540 kg	252.8 kph	5.00 s	0.92	31,000 Cr
2011 WRX STI	668 / B	228 kW	1,535 kg	266.3 kph	5.50 s	0.93	33,000 Cr
2015 WRX STI	675 / B	228 kW	1,536 kg	265.9 kph	4.80 s	0.93	42,000 Cr
2019 STI S209	924 / S2 (689 B stock)	254 kW	1,581 kg	265.4 kph	4.38 s	0.94	70,000 Cr
2022 WRX (VB)	663 / B	202 kW	1,495 kg	263.3 kph	5.50 s	0.93	250,000 Cr

Three takeaways stand out. First, the 2005 GD hawkeye is the quickest stock B-class STI in FH5: 271.1 kph and a 4.5 s 0–97 kph time, edging every other non-S209 STI on both metrics despite its mid-range PI of 669. Second, the S209 is the only WRX STI that escapes the B/A bracket out of the box — it ships at S2 924, with 254 kW and a class-leading 0.94 lateral G, and tunes cleanly toward best S1 cars in Forza Horizon territory if you dial back the upgrades. Third, the 2022 VB WRX is the most expensive Subaru on the autoshow at 250,000 Cr despite being the slowest stock car in the lineup at 202 kW — a reflection of its newer model pricing rather than its performance ceiling.

Cross-generation comparison

	GC8 22B (1998)	GD (2005)	GR (2008/2011)	VA (2015/S209)	VB (2022 WRX)
Engine	EJ22G 2.2L turbo flat-4	EJ20/EJ25 2.0–2.5L turbo flat-4	EJ25 2.5L turbo flat-4	EJ257 2.5L turbo flat-4	FA24 2.4L turbo flat-4
Drivetrain	AWD	AWD	AWD	AWD	AWD
Body	2-door coupe sedan (widebody)	4-door sedan	5-door hatch (2008) / 4-door sedan (2011)	4-door sedan	4-door sedan
Real-world peak HP	280 PS (276 hp)	300 hp (US 2005)	305 hp	305 hp / S209: 341 hp	271 hp
FH5 stock PI / class	(unconfirmed)	669 B	649 B / 668 B	675 B / S209 924 S2	663 B
FH5 stock top speed	(unconfirmed)	271.1 kph	252.8 / 266.3 kph	265.9 / 265.4 kph	263.3 kph
FH5 price (Cr)	(unconfirmed)	51,000	31,000 / 33,000	42,000 / 70,000	250,000

Which WRX STI should you buy in Forza Horizon 6?

Until FH6 stats publish on 2026-05-19, the FH5 numbers are the best basis for picking your STI. All six cars listed here appear on the confirmed Forza Horizon 6 Subaru roster, so every recommendation carries over to launch day — with the caveat that exact FH6 PI placements, top speeds, and prices are (unconfirmed) until the game goes live.

Best B-class STI for Cross-Country / Dirt Racing: the 2005 Impreza WRX STI (GD hawkeye). PI 669, 271.1 kph stock, and the fastest 0–97 kph time of any non-S209 STI at 4.5 s. At 51,000 Cr it is also the cheapest high-performing STI on the autoshow.

Best STI for new players: the 2008 Impreza WRX STI (GR hatchback). At 31,000 Cr it is the cheapest entry point in the Subaru STI lineup and still runs a solid B 649 stock.

Best S-class endgame STI: the 2019 STI S209. Already at S2 924 stock with 254 kW and the highest lateral G (0.94) of any STI in the game, it tunes naturally into S2 998 territory. This is the pick for anyone building toward the best S1 cars in Forza Horizon bracket.

Consider skipping: the 2022 WRX (VB) at 250,000 Cr carries the highest autoshow price in the Subaru roster but the lowest stock power at 202 kW. Unless you find it on a Wheelspin, hold off until FH6 confirms whether its pricing structure changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Subaru WRX STI in Forza Horizon 6?

Yes. Five WRX STI generations are confirmed on the official Forza Horizon 6 car list (2004, 2008, 2011, 2015, and the 2019 S209), plus the 2018 WRX STI ARX Supercar and the 2022 VB WRX (non-STI).

Why is there no 2022 Subaru WRX STI?

Subaru ended STI road-car production after the VA generation. As Wikipedia states verbatim: “Production of the WRX STI concluded after its first generation, there are currently no plans for a VB WRX STI.” Forza Horizon 6 therefore ships the 2022 WRX (FA24) but no 2022 STI.

What engine does each WRX STI generation use?

GC8 and GD JDM STIs use the EJ20 2.0L turbo flat-4 (the 22B uses a unique 2.2L EJ22G). US GR/GV/VA STIs use the EJ25/EJ257 2.5L turbo. The 2022 VB WRX switches to the new 2.4L direct-injection FA24 turbo boxer with 271 hp.

How powerful is the Subaru STI S209 in real life?

The 2019 STI S209 produces 341 hp (254 kW / 346 PS) at 6,400 rpm and 330 lb-ft (447 Nm) at 3,600 rpm — the most powerful road-going STI ever sold in North America. In FH5 it ships at S2 924 with 254 kW stock.

How many WRC manufacturer titles did Subaru win?

Three consecutive WRC manufacturer titles in 1995, 1996, and 1997 with the Impreza WRC. The 22B-STi was built specifically to celebrate the third title and Subaru’s 40th anniversary, in a limited run of around 400 units.

Which WRX STI is fastest in Forza Horizon 5?

The 2019 STI S209 is fastest overall — it ships at S2 924 stock with a 4.38 s 0–97 kph time. Among the B-class STIs, the 2005 Impreza WRX STI has the highest stock top speed at 271.1 kph and the quickest 0–97 kph at 4.5 s.

Sources

Pending verification: key_facts.fh6_stats, comparison_table.rows[4].values[0], comparison_table.rows[5].values[0], comparison_table.rows[6].values[0]