The Subaru WRX has been on the market for about 25 years now, and Subaru has made constant updates to the model over the years. This time, Subaru has launched the Subaru S208 WRX STI Limited Edition at the Tokyo Motor Show. Will it be enough to take on its chief rivals - the Honda Civic Type-R, VW Golf GTI, and Ford Focus RS? Let's find out:

Now, what makes this limited-edition beauty special? Well, to start off, the roof and rear spoiler get carbon-fiber treatment which takes the handling up by a notch. On the braking front,18 inch ventilated disks by Brembo have been deployed. Along with it, 24 additional horses have been added to the existing 305 under the hood.

The interior gets a set of Recaro seats with black leather and silver stitching, among other changes. There is also a performance muffler, front under-spoiler, and air vents on the rear bumper to aid aerodynamics. But, there is a catch - there are going to be just 450 of these beasts for the taking!

The Subaru WRX made its debut in 1992 when the WRX series was first launched. It had one of the best rivalries in the performance sedans segment with another legend - the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. Two decades later, the WRX has somewhat lost its charm to the likes of VW Golf R, Ford Focus RS, and Honda Civic Type-R; to name a few. Despite this, the car is still desired by many around the globe.

Our Take

Showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show a couple of days back, the S208 does seem drool-worthy. But, the limited numbers up for production are a clear indication of the hefty price tag this car will carry. This car doesn't stand-out from the competition, save for the legacy and long history associated with it. The performance sedan market is flooded today, and there are numerous rivals the S208 will have to take on. And, to make matters worse, this Subaru will serve only to the Japanese market. It is just a matter of time before we know if the S208 was worth the hype or a dud as most people expect it to be.

References

Subaru WRX

Read our full review on the 2018 Subaru WRX STI S208.

Read our full review on the Subaru STI S207.

Subaru WRX STI

Read our full review on the Subaru WRX STI.