Subaru WRX 30 Years edition leaked

The 2024 Subaru WRX 30 Years special has been inadvertently leaked by the federal government, which has now approved the limited-edition sports sedan for Australian roads with a massive rear wing and upgraded brakes.

Regular readers will know Subaru of America is currently building up to the global reveal of the 2024 Subaru WRX TR – set for October 7 – and although we’re yet to see anything to do with a big rear wing, the timing of this Australian Design Rule certification document is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Listed simply as the ‘WRX SE’ in the government’s homologation database, the upcoming special-edition Rex stands apart from its full-time counterparts with a huge rear wing from the previous-generation STi, plus unique 19-inch alloy wheels and lurid red Brembo brake callipers.

We don’t yet know exactly where the special-edition will fit into the established WRX sedan range in terms of cost, equipment or performance, but it would be safe to assume it will be positioned as the penultimate variant between the existing RS and tS variants.

The homologation data reveals the winged special will only be offered with a six-speed manual transmission and will tip the scales at 1519kg – 2kg lighter than the mid-range RS.

Chances are the slight weight-saving is afforded by the upgraded braking package, new rolling stock and expected Recaro bucket seats.

Subaru Australia is yet to confirm any specs, but the lightweight pews have previously been teased for the US-spec WRX TR – the vehicle that’s widely expected to be the 30 Years edition’s North American counterpart.

Unfortunately, there won’t be any extra firepower on offer to match the upgraded exterior and interior designs and – judging by the unchanged 135mm ground clearance – nor will there be any major suspension upgrades.

The bigger wheels and upgraded Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber should still yield a subtle but tangible improvement in the 30 Years edition’s dynamics and driver engagement, especially in tandem with the new braking package that blends more powerful callipers with beefier rotors at all four corners.

Compared to the standard 316x26mm front and 290x18mm discs on the established manual variants, the special-edition’s Brembos will clamp 340x30mm front and 326x20mm rear rotors to deliver improved braking performance and feel in most conditions.

The data doesn’t reveal any standard equipment specifics, but chances are the 30 Years edition will be based on the RS, in which case you can expect standard equipment including a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, powered sunroof, sat-nav, heated and powered front seats and the obligatory 11.6-inch infotainment interface.

It’s unclear when Subaru Australia will officially unveil and detail the WRX 30 Years edition, or whatever it ends up being called, but this Saturday’s reveal of the TR in the US suggests we don’t have too long to wait.

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