Key facts
- Subaru will revive a mass-produced manual WRX for Japan.
- The new WRX will feature the heavy-duty TY85 six-speed manual transmission.
- The TY85 gearbox was previously used in the older generation WRX STI.
- Subaru is ending production of the CVT-equipped WRX S4 STI Sport grades in Japan.
- The new manual WRX is scheduled to debut in November 2026.
Subaru will fully revive a manual-transmission version of its WRX sports sedan in Japan, responding to demand after a successful limited run earlier this year. The automaker had not sold a mass-market manual WRX in Japan since 2019. The new variant, slated for the 2027 model year, will feature the heavy-duty TY85 six-speed manual gearbox, revived from the previous-generation WRX STI. Subaru engineers noted that manual transmission assembly lines were being dismantled, but a partner factory's production of the TY85 was found to be operational. A small team developed the new WRX variant in just one year, incorporating engine control mapping derived from Subaru race cars for enhanced throttle response. Subaru is ending production of the current CVT-equipped WRX S4 STI Sport grades in Japan to make way for the new model, which is scheduled to debut in November 2026.