What is the fastest Subaru Impreza?
The fastest Subaru Impreza to date is the WRX STI, which produced up to about 310 horsepower in its final US-spec form. Subaru discontinued the WRX STI after the 2021 model year, so no current Impreza-based model matches that peak performance.
Historical speed records: the WRX STI
The WRX STI represents the performance peak within the Impreza lineage during its production run. Here are the key numbers most commonly cited for its final US-spec iteration.
- Power: up to approximately 310 horsepower
- 0–60 mph: around 4.9 seconds
- Top speed: about 174 mph (280 km/h)
These figures define the apex of Impreza-based performance in the street-legal, US-market lineup, underscoring why the STI is still remembered as the benchmark for fast Impreza variants.
Limited editions and exceptional variants
Beyond the standard STI, Subaru produced limited-edition and specialist versions that offered higher output and track-oriented tuning. The most notable example is a limited edition developed in collaboration with Subaru Tecnica International that pushed performance beyond the stock STI, though production was extremely limited and aimed at enthusiasts and collectors.
- S209 (2019): a limited-run variant with higher output and enhanced handling characteristics, built for a small number of markets and customers
These rare editions illustrate how, on paper, certain Impreza-derived models could exceed the normal STI’s numbers, all while remaining scarce and costly.
Current status and what to expect today
In today’s market, Subaru’s performance flagship within the Impreza family is no longer the STI. The WRX remains the closest contemporary successor to the Impreza’s performance heritage, featuring a turbocharged engine and rally-borne engineering, but it is marketed separately from the Impreza name in recent years. The current WRX (introduced in the early 2020s) uses a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine with about 271 horsepower, delivering strong acceleration and all-wheel-drive performance. The Impreza nameplate itself continues in its non-turbo form with lower horsepower figures, making it far less quick than the STI-era peak.
Summary
Historically, the fastest Impreza-based model was the WRX STI, with roughly 310 horsepower and near-5-second 0–60 mph times in its final US-spec form. Subaru ended STI production after 2021, so no current Impreza-based model matches that level of performance. Today, the fastest Impreza-derived option is effectively the WRX, with about 271 horsepower, while the standard Impreza remains significantly less powerful. The STI era remains the benchmark for speed in the Impreza lineage, reinforced by rare limited editions like the S209 that pushed numbers even higher for a few customers.
