Earlier this year, Subaru teased a trio of manual-shifting performance cars, all due for release by 2027. Fast-forward to this week, and the first of these models just got teased—in a pretty straightforward fashion. As posted on the carmaker’s Japanese social media, the manual-transmission Subaru WRX is coming soon, with a November 2026 date indicated on the teaser website.
Subaru also provided a very blurry teaser picture. You can just about recognize the WRX’s silhouette, and the way we see it, this looks like the sedan body we’ve had for a while. Sorry, hatchback fans—you guys need to wait a little longer for the five-door version.
The WRX teaser site also has a 15-minute mini-documentary on reviving a manual gearbox for mass production. Given Subaru’s focus on mass-market-oriented SUVs and crossovers equipped with CVTs, it’s easy to imagine how the automaker lapsed on keeping up production.
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More important, Subaru engineers have specified that the WRX is getting the heavy-duty TY85 gearbox—the manual transmission used in the last WRX STI. Compared to the TY75 Subaru uses for the few manual-equipped models it builds, it’s designed to handle more power and torque. Also, it seems like this manual WRX is going to be a permanent addition to the WRX lineup, and not a limited-run model (which Subaru has done plenty of, leading to this).
But before you get your hopes up: No, this doesn’t automatically mean a full-fat WRX STI is on the way. Neither the website nor the mini-documentary indicates any upgrades to the 2.4-liter flat-four engine, so expect the same 271hp and 350Nm of torque. Of course, we’d still love to be proven wrong and be surprised by a VB-generation WRX STI showing up next month.
For now, we’ll stay tuned for more information coming out as November approaches. Fingers crossed this renewed focus on enthusiast models means big things coming for Subaru down the line. What do you think? Let us know in the comments if you think Subaru should add a manual option to the local-spec WRX.
