Here's Why America's Subaru WRX TR Doesn't Have A Big Wing

Speaking withMotor1, Subaru USA spokesperson Todd Hill has revealed that thenewly-revealed WRX TRdoes not have a rear wing because the automaker is worried people will confuse the warmed-up sedan for a hot, nonexistent STI version.

"In the USA, the rear wing has always been associated with the WRX STI and has only ever been offered on it," said Hill. "In other markets, the large wing has been offered onWRXmodels as well."

追求的原因ion comes up is that leaks from Australia before the TR's reveal showed the car with a large wing perched atop the trunk. The TR has only been revealed for the American market thus far, so we may yet see the wing appear on foreign-market TRs.

But does Subaru's decision to withhold a wing because of its STI relations in America indicate an imminent rebirth for the hot nameplate?

Unfortunately, the answer is most likely in the negative. Last year, Subaru said that itdecided against an STI derivativeof the latest WRX because "it would have a very limited shelf life" thanks to the ever-changing emissions regulations. Instead, Subaru is "exploring opportunities for the next-generation WRX STI, including electrification." Basically, Subaru didn't develop a new STI because it was concerned that emissions regulations would shorten its life cycle so much that the model would not turn a profit.

In retrospect, this decision may prove to be a poor one.Early WRX sales figureswere pretty lackluster, and while this year has seen a 61.7% increase in sales, enthusiasts don't want to settle for a regular WRX. The decision to cull the STI based on emissions regulations also seems odd since several other automakers have announced that the legal framework around emissions is enabling longer lives for their existing combustion engines. If Subaru had made a stronger effort to evolve itsboxer engineor simply taken a gamble on what it's already created, perhaps the WRX STI may yet have been born.