The big wing, gold rims and oversize bonnet scoop have been banished from the new Subaru WRX STI.
The meanest Impreza of them all has moved upmarket away from the boy racers who have so passionately adapted the super-fast small cars.
Its price alone will scare a lot of them away, with Subaru stating two STI models will cost somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000 when the cars arrive in Australia next February; a significant increase over the previous model's $56,990.
The STI is a more exclusive model than the last, with changes that can be picked at first sight. Subaru has given the STI its own unique and menacing body shell; complete with pumped-out front and rear guards.
The panel changes are significant, with only the bonnet, front doors, roof and rear hatch in common with the standard WRX.
Its wide wheel arches not only look cool, but allow for the STI's front and rear track (the distance across the axles) to be increased by 40mm and 45mm respectively, which gives the car a greater footprint than the just-introduced WRX.
While the STI's wheelbase is the same as the new WRX, it is longer than the previous model.
The STI is available only as a hatch and Subaru insists there will be no STI sedan.
Subaru actually designed the new STI before the other Impreza models. It wanted to build a car that could win the World Rally Championship after years of poor results.
The engineers decided a hatchback was the best possible solution as it offered a longer wheelbase with less front and rear overhang.
Of course, the WRC car will have a very different mechanical make-up, but the base and body are the same as the STI road car.
While some STI fans will mourn the passing of the sedan, there are other advantages for switching to a hatch apart from the handling benefits, including increased headroom for the rear passengers.
There are also more improvements under the bonnet, including a power total that rises from 206kW to 221kW at 6000 revs and raising torque from 392Nm to 407Nm at 4000 revs.
The engine is still a 2.5-litre turbocharged boxer, but several changes have been made to boost its responsiveness as well as peak power and torque.
The last STI engine had variable control for the inlet valves but not for the exhaust valve. Now they are both variable, making the engine meatier. There is also a bigger intercooler, redesigned turbo, a more free-flowing exhaust for less back pressure and the repositioning of the catalyst closer to the engine.
The same 2.5-litre engine is used for all Subaru STI export countries, while the domestic market uses a higher-revving 2.0-litre engine with a hint more power and torque.
Tests of the European STI have found the car is able to dash from 0-100km/h in just 5.2 seconds, but Subaru Australia said it would wait to carry out its own test, using its own method, before announcing the official sprint times for the local model.
The new STI comes standard with a six-speed manual and there is no automatic option.
The constant all-wheel-drive system uses a helical front limited-slip differential (LSD), a Torsen rear LSD and a mechanical centre differential paired to an electronic LSD.
Subaru has introduced a more complex version of its centre differential control system. It now features different differential control configurations as well as the ability for the driver to manually set the front/rear drive split between 50/50 front/rear and 41/59 front/rear.
STI drivers can also use the SI-Drive system which controls the engine mapping and alters the throttle character, allowing a choice between more aggressive and more conservative modes.
Will consumers maintain their loyalty to the latest Subaru 'hatch' range?
