2023 Subaru Prodrive WRX Prototype First Drive Review: The STI that isn't

BEDFORD, England — If you’re like me, Subaru’s choice to axe the STI from its redesigned 2022 Impreza WRX lineup hit you like a ton of bricks. With other manufacturers choosing to go hard with their final ICE-based performance machines, Subaru’s decision to opt out of its range-topping sport compact model seemed like a huge miss — especially in a pandemic-era enthusiast market seemingly unfazed by skyrocketing MSRPs. Surely, I thought, the plain, ol' WRX with a CVT can’t be the only ace up Subaru’s sleeve? Alas.

Enter Prodrive. This British tuning shop dabbles in a little bit of everything, but it’s perhaps best known to the broader enthusiast community for its motorsport efforts, whether in affiliation with Subaru or otherwise. In the 90s, Prodrive was responsible for engineering and developing Subaru’s world-beating rally machines, including the Impreza WRC97 that was homologated as the 22B STI. That relationship spawned a line of Prodrive upgrade parts for street-going Subarus that has since been discontinued. Might that change? 

The 2023 Prodrive Subaru WRX prototype is an STI in just about everything but name. The package includes revised engine programming that squeezes out another 30 horsepower (for a total of 300) and bigger, Prodrive-branded AP Racing brakes (six-piston front; four-piston rear) to help you rein in the extra ponies. A suspension overhaul comprises one of two stiffer anti-roll bar options (buyer’s choice), stiffer bushings and uprated Bilstein dampers with stiffer springs that also drop the prototype's body by an unspecified (but evidently not significant) amount. 

There’s some visual pizzazz too. For starters, the almost universally abhorred fender cladding has been replaced by a painted arch extension kit, which not only eliminates the plasticky look but widens the car by 1.2 inches, and a body-colored rear spoiler integrated with the standard trunk lid. A set of 19-inch satin grey wheels inspired by the Prodrive P25 completes the exterior look; they’re wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza sport tires in 255/35 R19. Mmmm. Beefy.

Absent are the swankier WRX GT’s additional drive modes and adaptive suspension (not to mention the STI’s DCCD system to control center differential bias), but Prodrive says the car is track-ready, not track-only. We’ll have to take their word for it, largely. I only had the opportunity to turn a few quick laps in Prodrive’s prototype on a somewhat brutally surfaced test track at Millbrook Proving Grounds in England. But even on that aged concrete with large, exposed aggregate, the Prodrive WRX didn’t rattle my teeth out or threaten any internal organs with liquefication.

The other unfortunate consequence of such a brief outing is the difficulty in pinpointing the benefits of Prodrive’s engine tuning. An 11% bump in power is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but finding its benefits in the space of a few 35-second laps of narrow track without the benefit of a stock car for comparison is more guesswork than guarantee.

The WRX’s approachable, go-anywhere attitude lurks beneath the Prodrive’s sharpened edges, but the Prodrive’s turn-in feels crisp and more deliberate and the chassis more inclined to rotate than roll with throttle inputs. It still drives a bit loose, but certainly not soft. The beefier side bolsters of the Sparco seats are welcome additions, even if the Prodrive’s flatter cornering attitude makes them less of a necessity. Which brings us to an important point: Prodrive designed this package to be opt-out friendly. If produced, the kit will be bundled for those who want a one-box solution, but the components will also be available individually. Don’t need the bigger bolsters? Fine. Skip ‘em. 

Our time with the Prodrive WRX was quite brief, but it reinforced something we already knew: This latest iteration of Subaru’s compact chassis came from the factory practically begging for a hotter treatment; it can take this and so much more. Fortunately, what’s here feels good, and it’s heartening that Subaru is open to kicking something out the door for its track rat customers. There are certainly those who want more than what the WRX offers without having to resort to piecemeal aftermarket solutions.

There's an elephant in the room, though: Prodrive hasn't yet committed to offering this bundle. Both the tuner and Subaru said they're paying close attention to the prototype's reception. You know what that means, folks. If you want the goodies, shout it from the rooftops. The powers that be are all ears. 

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