Japanese customers have always been the first amongst equals, for Subaru.

Subaru has proven this, yet again, with its new WRX S4 STI Sport#. And yes, the naming convention does include a social media hashtag.

Differentiating this new limited edition WRX is a grey grille, blackened front spoiler and darkened 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside Subaru has been a touch more inspired, adding Recaro semi-bucket front seats with STI embroidery. The automatic transmission’s shifter also gains gloss black surface detailing and drivers take hold of a suede-trimmed steering wheel.

One of the updates on this WRX S4 STI Sport# which you can’t see is the added sound deadening material. Subaru’s engineers opted to make its latest performance car quieter at cruising speeds, to increase passenger comfort. The claim is that road noise has been reduced by 0.6 decibels, which is marginal.

Powering the WRX S4 STI Sport# is Subaru’s familiar 2-litre horizontally-opposed turbocharged engine, which manages to boost 221 kW and 400 Nm, from four-cylinders. Those outputs are distributed to all four wheels, via a CVT transmission.

Although the choice of transmission might rankle Subaru traditionalists, the WRX S4 STI Sport# does have some neat component upgrades. There is a strut tower brace which spans the engine bay, which should slightly improve dynamic turn-in behaviour and a sports exhaust system, to amplify that characteristic flat-four warble, seemingly contrary to the extra sound deadening that has been added.

All 500 of these WRX S4 STI Sport# units have been pre-sold in Japan, at an estimated price of R750000.

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