STI
In 1972, Fuji Heavy Industries entered the Southern Cross Rally in Australia with the first Japanese FF (front-engined, front-wheel drive) car, the Leone. In 1980, they made their first foray into the WRC when they contested the Safari Rally in an AWD car, the 4WD Leone. Following that, STI was born as it responded to the oncoming generation of the WRC and its AWD turbo cars. The founding president of the company was a Director at Fuji Heavy Industries, the late Mr Ryuichiro Kuze, who co-drove on the Leone's debut on the Southern Cross Rally in 1972. Mr Kuze had the firm objective of making SUBARU the world's best through Motorsport. As soon as he founded STI, he started preparing for the world speed record event in Arizona to benefit the company as a whole. He used the original Legacy because that was the car that held the key to Subaru's future. There the car established a world speed record for continuous driving over a 100,000-kilometre distance. For over 16 years since, this record was never broken. Right from the start, STI was shot into recognition as a brand that had "World's Number 1" associated with it.
At the Arizona, U.S.A. test track. The original Legacy makes an official FIA 100,000km continuous-running speed record. This record has remained unbroken in the 16 years since.
ENTER
April 1988, The Birth of STI Participation in the WRC accomplished In the Impreza STI lie the roots of the evolutionary WRC version. A small number of premium, special limited-edition cars built at the hands of STI The number of WRC wins by the Impreza is tops among Japanese cars STI's bloodline pulses in the new Imprezas COMPANY OUTLINE