Motor News

Kia has revealed the full 2024 EV9 range, starting at the $56,395 rear-wheel-drive Light model.The Light Long Range can cover more miles for $60,695, while stepping up to the all-wheel-drive Wind variant will cost $65,395.The $71,395 EV9 Land adds more luxurious features, while the $75,395 GT-Line at the top of the lineup brings more torque and a swankier interior design.Just a couple of weeks after announcing the 2024 Kia EV9’s base price, the South Korean automaker has revealed full pricing details for its three-row electric SUV. Five variants will be available when deliveries kick off late this year, starting at the rear-wheel-drive EV9 Light and topping off with the sporty EV9 GT-Line e-AWD.KiaThe entry-level Light RWD starts at $56,395 and features an electric motor on the rear axle that provides 215 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 800-volt architecture supports DC fast-charging as standard, and the cabin also comes with an eight-way power adjustable, heated and cooled driver’s seat. Long RangeThose looking to take longer road trips can opt for the $60,695 EV9 Light Long Range model, which upgrades the battery pack from the standard 76.1-kWh pack to a 99.8-kWh pack. This should provide a range of around 300 miles, according to Kia, and the Long Range model is also fitted with captain’s chairs in the second row to give passengers a more comfortable ride on lengthier journeys.KiaThe cheapest all-wheel-drive EV9 will be the Wind trim, starting at $65,395. The dual-motor setup combines for 379 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, and this model brings a standard heated steering wheel and a heat pump to help the battery cope with colder temperatures. Buyers seeking a more feature-heavy interior with all-wheel drive will have to pony up $71,395 for the EV9 Land, which adds snazzy “digital pattern” lighting elements on the front and 20-inch wheels. Inside, there’s a heated and power-adjustable steering wheel, digital rearview mirror, and a 14-speaker Meridian sound system. The Land model also includes more driver-assistance technology, while an optional towing package boosts hauling capability up to 5000 pounds. More Kia NewsAtop the range sits the EV9 GT-Line, an all-wheel-drive performance-oriented version that sees torque boosted to 516 pound-feet. At $75,395, the GT-Line also wears special front and rear designs and 21-inch wheels. The GT-Line features standard remote smart parking assist, and the cabin is decked out in more luxurious materials and unique trim elements. Sales of the EV9 are set to begin later this year.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

The Ferrari 296GTB is now the fastest rear-wheel-drive car we’ve ever tested, dispatching 60 mph in 2.4 seconds and finishing the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds at 150 mph. Its ultra-short 70 mph stop of 130 feet takes that crown away from the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, which formerly held the record at 132 feet. The plug-in-hybrid powertrain fuses a 654-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 to a 165-hp electric motor for 819 horses of combined output. Welcome to Car and Driver’s Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We’ve been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).While prepping the Ferrari 296GTB for testing, an interested bystander asked the obvious question: “What does it have for an engine?” When we said it had a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 mated to an electric motor, the eye-rolling was nearly audible. “A V-6 hybrid Ferrari? Not interested.” Oh how their tune would have changed if they had seen it break our rear-wheel-drive acceleration record by reaching 60 mph in 2.4 seconds and storming the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds.Massive PowerThe heart of the beast is a 2992 cc V-6 engine, and this combination gives the 296 its name. Why not 306, because 2992 cc rounds to 3.0 liters? In a word: China. Tax-wise, 3.0-liter engines are taboo over there, and Ferrari wanted to underscore the fact that this engine lives on the happy side of that milestone.The part our bystander should have been interested in is the 120-degree bank angle, which gives this V-6 the firing cadence of a V-12. The result is incredible, especially as the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission cracks off shifts at the 8500 rpm redline. That broad vee is also a handy place for two turbochargers to live, and it all adds up to 654 hp of internal combustion oomph amounting to some 219 horsepower per liter.Dan Edmunds|Car and DriverBut that of course wasn’t enough, so there’s a 165-hp axial flow synchronous AC electric motor sandwiched between the engine and gearbox. It’s connected to a 6.0-kWh battery pack that’s bigger than a typical passive hybrid battery so that it can be plugged in. The EPA says it’s good for 8 miles of range, but after testing this car we think its true purpose is to ensure the added 165 electric horses always stand ready to insinuate themselves and raise total combined output to 819 horsepower.Launch ControlWe made two modifications to our test sequence because of the 296’s powertrain. The first was typical of any plug-in vehicle: we test acceleration first to take full advantage of the electricity. The second was in deference to the 296’s traction-control system, which learns the slip characteristics of the test surface. We scrapped the usual east-west-east-west alternating cadence that saves time and instead made all our eastbound runs before facing the other way for the westbound ones.Launching the car is simple, but the procedure has one counterintuitive quirk. After selecting Qualifying mode, you slide the adorable shift toggle to manual, press the brake, then floor the throttle. Revs will rise to 3000, then the ready light comes on and you release the brake. The weird part is this: even though you selected manual mode to arm the system, you don’t manually upshift. Launch control does that bit for you.Dan Edmunds|Car and DriverDown to BusinessOur consecutive same-direction runs got steadily better as the system adjusted to the start-point friction, but progress leveled off at the third pass, so our best-run data comes from that point on. The same was not true of runs in the opposite direction, which were quick right away. I guess our test asphalt is more consistent than we imagined. In the end, the 296GTB’s two-way average results were incredible for any car, let alone an 819-hp rear-drive one that must put all its power down through a pair of 305/35ZR-20 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires.The GTB’s 60 mph run of 2.4 seconds puts it ahead of the Lamborghini Huracan STO and the McLaren Artura, a pair of rear-drive exotics that ran 2.6 seconds. Next up is the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, which managed 2.8 seconds. But the gaps grow wide after that, with the Ferrari’s 4.7 second run to 100 mph nearly a second clear of the McLaren and Lambo, and a full 2.0 seconds up on the Porsche. At the quarter mile, the 296GTB’s 9.7 seconds at 150 mph is well clear of the next-fastest Artura, which crosses in 10.3 seconds at 140 mph.More SupercarsThem’s the Brakes On the issue of electricity preservation and needing to run acceleration first, we needn’t have worried. The 296GTB has massive regenerative braking capacity, but it’s not obvious because all brake triggering—regenerative and friction—comes via the wonderfully communicative brake pedal. Ultimately, a chunk of the electrical energy expended during an acceleration run returned to the battery under braking, such that the battery charge percentage dropped quite slowly. It’s almost as if Ferrari has experience with racing cars built to harvest and deploy energy within the context of a single lap.This regenerative system here only works off the rear drive tires to which the motor is connected, of course, so ultimate braking power still relies heavily on the massive 15.7-inch ventilated and drilled carbon-ceramic rotors, 10-piston front calipers, and the grip of the 245/35ZR-20 Cup 2R front tires. The 269GTB also has an active aerodynamic device that rises up from between the taillights to generate drag and downforce, but its deployment timing didn’t seem to be optimized to act strictly as an air brake, so I’m not going to call it one.Still, the friction brakes aren’t going it entirely alone on this car, which weighs 3532 pounds on our scales. Perhaps that’s why the Ferrari was able to stop from 70 mph in a scant 130 feet and wrest away the stopping distance title from the Porsche Cayman GT4 RS despite weighing 290 pounds more. Then again, the extra weight and momentum may be why the Porsche retains the 100 mph stopping distance advantage, with a score of 242 feet to the Ferrari’s 245 ft.More on the 296 and RivalsFun fact: The Ferrari SF90 Stradale holds the overall crown of 2.0 seconds to 60 mph on account of all-wheel drive and 986 combined horsepower. That initial 0.4-second 60 mph advantage over the 296GTB shrinks to two-tenths of a second at the quarter mile, at which point the SF90’s trap speed has sagged to 148 mph, which is 2 mph slower. In the end we saw 190 mph in 17.8 seconds in the 296 before we ran out of room and called it a day.Technical EditorDan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department. More

The first 2024 Tesla Cybertruck has reportedly been sold at auction at the Petersen Auto Museum, according to posts on X.The angular truck sold for $400,000, with attendees paying at least $1750 for access to the event.Tesla has yet to confirm production specifications for the Cybertruck, and it’s unclear how many motors this early-VIN example packs.At long last, production of the Tesla Cybertruck finally appears to be underway. Over the weekend, social media posts claimed that a 2024 Cybertruck was auctioned at an event at the Petersen Auto Museum. The truck allegedly sold for a whopping $400,000, as reported by InsideEVs.com. The auction occurred during the Petersen’s 29th gala event, hosted by Jay Leno. Tickets to the festivities cost $1750, with a table reservation coming in at $17,500 and a “premier” table ringing in at $30,000. Clearly, the attendees have cash to spare, and posts on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, state that the truck sold at auction for $400,000. We reached out to the museum for confirmation of this figure, but a representative told us that they couldn’t confirm winning bid amounts “due to internal fundraising policies.”If the sale goes through, this would become the first Cybertruck to be officially sold. The unorthodox pickup, first revealed back in 2019, was originally slated for production in 2021 before consistent delays pushed it back. The museum had advertised that attendees of the gala could bid on a “low-VIN” 2024 Cybertruck, and the museum representative told us that the winning bidder will receive a low-VIN Cybertruck “when Tesla completes production,” effectively making this an auction for a build slot and not a car.More Tesla NewsIn recent months, there have been increased sightings of Cybertrucks testing and being hauled on flatbeds. Tesla had previously said that full-scale production wouldn’t begin until 2024, but that early units would start rolling off the line this year. On July 15, Tesla posted on X claiming that the first Cybertruck had been built at the automaker’s Giga Texas factory. This isn’t the first time a high-interest EV truck has been auctioned off. The first 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV sold for $500,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in January, while the first Hummer EV SUT truck was auctioned for $2.5 million at a Barrett Jackson auction in 2021. Delivery When?Tesla, however, still hasn’t announced an official delivery start date for the Cybertruck. The automaker also hasn’t confirmed specifications for the production-spec pickup, which was originally claimed to start around $40,000. Several variants were planned, from a single-motor rear-wheel-drive base model to a high-performance Tri-Motor version, but it’s unclear which of these will be produced for 2024, or at all. The Cybertruck definitely exists now—Tesla recently posted video of the Cybertruck driving over dirt trails in Baja, Mexico—and it is only a matter of time until, we presume, it officially launches. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

Millions of airbag inflators could be deemed defective as early as next year as NHTSA calls for a massive recall of as many as 52 million of the safety items. At least nine ruptures and two deaths have occurred, and the safety agency has been investigating the issue since 2015.The maker, ARC, denies manufacturing defects, while three automakers have issued recalls.The U.S. government safety agency NHTSA has said it is preparing for a recall next year of 52 million airbag inflators that can rupture during deployment. This opens the door to the prospect of what could become another complicated, decade-long repair of defective airbags in tens of millions of vehicles.In a public meeting held Thursday in Washington, D.C., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) discussed its decision that two airbag inflator manufacturers, ARC Automotive and Delphi Automotive Systems, should recall inflators that explode with excess pressure and shoot shrapnel into the frontal occupants. NHTSA has investigated ARC inflators since July 2015 after receiving reports of ruptures on two vehicles shortly after the Takata airbag recall began unfolding in 2014. The Takata recall repairs, which are still not fully complete, began with isolated, small recalls on early-2000s Hondas and grew to 100 million inflators across the world, two-thirds of which resided in U.S.-market cars. At least 27 people in the U.S. were killed and 400 injured, according to NHTSA.The Earlier Recall, in DetailAccording to the agency’s initial decision in September, which is the first step in starting a recall, there have been seven inflator ruptures in U.S. crashes since 2014. One driver was killed after a crash in a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse in which metal shards flew out. All other drivers, including one passenger, were injured primarily in the face. A second driver was killed in a 2009 Hyundai Elantra during a 2016 crash in Canada, while a passenger-side airbag inflator ruptured in Turkey a year later on a 2015 Volkswagen Golf that used an ARC inflator built in Tennessee.Four of the incidents involved a Traverse, the latest of which occurred on March 22, 2023. General Motors in May recalled nearly one million vehicles, some of which were the Traverse, for this defect. A 2002 Chrysler Town & Country, 2004 Kia Optima, and 2016 Audi A3 e-tron were also cited for ruptures in crashes. BMW began a recall for this defect in 2017, while Volkswagen initiated a recall in 2022.1-in-370,000 Chance of Rupture”Ruptures will continue to happen,” said Bruce York, a division chief at the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, at the public hearing. The agency estimates, based on 2.6 million reported deployments of ARC inflators, that the risk of ruptures during future crashes would be 1 in 370,000.Steve Gold, vice-president of product integrity for ARC, said the seven U.S. ruptures were “isolated incidents and not indicative of a systemic defect.” He called the agency’s comparison of ARC inflators to Takata inflators as “inaccurate and misleading” because those inflators were largely affected by humidity and age and that seven known defects in 23 years of production “does not represent increased risk over time.”The alleged defects, according to NHTSA, involve a manufacturing defect where “excess weld slag” on the metal seam caused by joining parts of the inflator together can block the gas flow to the bag, building excess pressure and causing the entire inflator to rupture. This can result in “metal fragments being forcefully propelled into the passenger compartment,” according to NHTSA. The agency issued a standing order to ARC in 2016 so the company would report ruptures during manufacturing and in 2018, ARC began using borescopes to “detect the occurrence of excess weld slag or other debris in its inflators.” While ARC ran tests in 2018 of more than 900 inflators taken from 2001-2005 model year cars in salvage yards and found no ruptures, automakers reported ruptures in 2021 and 2023, according to NHTSA. The 52 million number, according to NHTSA, was calculated for all airbag inflators ARC and Delphi made before using the borescopes.Gold said ARC is a Tier 2 supplier and not legally responsible for initiating recalls like an automaker. But NHTSA said in its September initial decision letter that ARC is not exempt from complying with federal safety regulations. Class-Action Lawsuits in ProgressSix class-action lawsuits alleging economic harm were filed in 2022 against ARC, various automakers, and two airbag manufacturers that used ARC inflators (Joyson Safety Systems, formerly known as Key Safety Systems which bought out Takata, and Toyoda Gosei). They have been combined under federal judicial review. One lawsuit filed in Northern California alleged that because the inflators used ammonium nitrate, a low-cost propellent found to be highly unstable and a root cause of the Takata failures, that ARC was inherently at fault. But NHTSA has not cited ammonium nitrate as a failure point or a root cause in its investigations.NHTSA is accepting written responses to its hearing by December 4, after which it will likely release a final decision to issue a recall. Contributing EditorClifford Atiyeh is a reporter and photographer for Car and Driver, specializing in business, government, and litigation news. He is president of the New England Motor Press Association and committed to saving both manuals and old Volvos. More

The Volkswagen Beetle convertible is a great bang-for-your-buck classic.This one tosses the air-cooled flat-four in favor of an electric motor.The conversion uses parts by EV West, and it gives the car a range of about 100 miles.With 21.5 million of them built, the Volkswagen Beetle is an ideal candidate for electric conversion. No one can accuse you of taking the combustion-engined soul out of a rare classic, you get everyday turn-key reliability, and if you miss the clattery soundtrack of an air-cooled engine the cyclist following in your hydrocarbon-free wake won’t. The only thing that could make the experience better is dropping the top for some fall motoring. Well, here you go.Car and DriverUp for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a lovely orange slice of 1970s nostalgia, blended with 2023 technology. It’s a 1978 Volkswagen Super Beetle convertible (the Beetle purists’ least favorite Beetle, but who asked them?) converted to battery-electric power thanks to some parts from San Marcos–based EV West.Bring a TrailerEV West has built EV swaps for many Hollywood high-rollers, including Ewan McGregor’s 1954 Beetle sedan. In this case, the build was completed on British Columbia’s west coast, by Canadian Electric Vehicles of Parksville.Related StoriesThe 1585cc air-cooled flat-four is gone, replaced with an 88-kW electric motor. At 120 or so horsepower, this is roughly twice as much power as you got in the original Super Beetle, though this EV restomod won’t be nearly as quick as a modern EV (the seats, at least, do go Plaid). The 23-kWh battery pack consists of 36 lithium-ion batteries and is good for a claimed 100-mile range.Bring a TrailerEven more fun is the presence of an old-fashioned manual gearbox. Granted, you only get two gears, reminiscent of the tortoise or rabbit selectors of an old lawn tractor, but at least there’s some shifting to be done.Bring a TrailerAnd how much fun would a little runabout like this be on a sunny fall day? The real benefit of EV conversion isn’t so much added power, it’s the more reliable on-demand performance. No fiddling with carburetors, no worrying about fuel stabilizers over the winter—just jump in and go for a ride, any time the weather’s fine.This BaT auction runs through October 11.Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

The Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance was originally slated for 2023, but Mercedes confirmed that the model will now hit U.S. dealerships for the 2024 model year.Mercedes just revealed a refreshed version of the hybrid sports sedan for Europe, and we expect the same bodywork to make its way here when the E Performance finally arrives.The updated grille draws upon the newest AMG GT Coupe, with a black intake beneath the main grille element.Lost in the horde of online commenters lamenting the replacement of the V-8 with a four-cylinder engine in the latest Mercedes-AMG C63 was a new nameplate, E Performance—and some of these new hybrid models do in fact still use V-8 engines. In the U.S., we’ve gotten the S63 super-limo so far, and this hybrid setup actually first appeared two years ago on the GT63 S E Performance. Originally slated to debut in the United States for 2023, the hybrid four-door has been delayed. When it finally does arrive stateside, however, it will sport a sharp new face, with Mercedes revealing a refreshed version for Europe.When asked about the E Performance’s absence, Mercedes told us that it would reach the United States for the 2024 model year with more details to come as part of a future announcement. We have a strong feeling that the U.S.-bound E Performance will include the revised bodywork from the new European model.Mercedes-BenzThe most obvious change is the grille, which now sits within a larger opening with a black intake below the chrome vertical strakes, drawing inspiration from the new Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe. The bumper looks cleaner, with thin air vents on the outside and a subtler lower grille opening. Mercedes also updated the features list, although its unclear how Mercedes will package U.S.-market models. There is now a standard electric sunroof and wireless phone charger for the rear seats, and the standard Burmester surround sound system incorporates Dolby Atmos spacial audio, like the new E-class and other updated Mercedes-Benz models. The hybrid powertrain is unchanged, with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 paired to an electric motor on the rear axle for a total of 831 horsepower and 1082 pound-feet of torque. That thrust is sent through a nine-speed automatic gearbox to all four wheels, with the electric motor powered by a 4.8-kWh battery. The E Performance also has air suspension as standard, and a new color, Opalite White Metallic, joins the lineup. Mercedes should reveal information about the U.S.-spec GT63 S E Performance in the coming months.More Hybrid AMGsThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

Subaru has revealed the 2024 WRX TR, and it’s different from the last WRX to carry the TR (“Tuner Ready”) nameplate back in 2006.This new TR comes well equipped, with standard features including a Brembo braking system, a stiffer suspension, retuned steering, and Recaro seats. The model makes its official debut at a fan event, the Florida Subiefest, on October 7. Pricing for the TR is set to come out later this year. When Subaru announced that the current-generation WRX would not receive an STI version, many fans were upset, unsurprisingly. Now, the company is reusing an old name, and the company has gone a little upmarket with this one. The automaker is reaching back to 2006 to resurrect the TR moniker, which last time around stood for “Tuner Ready.” Back then, it was a stripped-down model intended for customers to modify. It cost $1000 less than the standard WRX and came with unpainted mirror caps, basic seats, and a non-leather steering wheel. SubaruThe 2024 WRX TR takes a different approach. The standard brakes have been replaced by Brembo six-piston front calipers, two-piston rear calipers, larger pads and rotors, and a larger brake master cylinder. According to Subaru, the springs on the TR are stiffer than before, and the damping rates have been retuned. Subaru says that between the new suspension setup and a retuned steering rack, the TR has better body control and steering response than lower trims, while also maintaining ride quality. Looking BackwardWhere the inside of the last TR was spartan and ready for racing buckets, the new version comes standard with Recaro buckets in front, and the driver’s seat even features eight-way power adjustments. The racing seats are finished in black and gray Ultrasuede with contrasting red stitching and the Recaro logo embossed on the seatbacks. Subaru did take one comfort away, though, removing the power moonroof in the name of weight savings.SubaruThe potent but run-of-the-mill powertrain from lesser trims is back for the TR, though this time around it features manual transmissions only. The turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four engine makes 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The new trim comes with exclusive 19-inch multi-spoke wheels with a satin gray finish, complete with a set of 245/35 R19 Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires for extra grip. The car also gets Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assist technology. More on the WRXAccording to Subaru, pricing for the TR will be revealed later this year. We expect it cost in the ballpark of $48,000, placing it a few thousand dollars above the current GT trim. The new trim should begin arriving in dealerships in the first quarter of 2024. Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

The quickest Subaru Car and Driver has ever tested, the S209 was a no-compromises track special.The price when new was $63,995, making this the most expensive Subaru ever. With only 209 examples built, this is a rare opportunity. Car and DriverWith the new WRX TR, Subaru is looking to placate some of its more hardcore performance fans—but the car is not quite an STI replacement. The lack of a new STI in showrooms makes the rarer versions of the previous generation even more appealing. Here’s your opportunity to snap up a special one: the S209 version, which is the quickest Subaru Car and Driver has ever tested.Up for auction on Bring A Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a 2019 Subaru WRX STI S209. Yes, that’s a lot of letters and numbers, but no, we didn’t just fall asleep on our keyboard. Across the Pacific in Japan, it’s long been the case that the more suffixes attached to the name of a WRX, the faster it is. With the S209, that’s certainly the case. Bring a TrailerThe S209 was the first S-series WRX that Subaru brought to the U.S., but it was part of a long tradition of track-focused Subies. The special edition that laid the groundwork was the 1998 22B, built as a celebration of Subaru’s World Rally Championship success. Never officially sold here, these are now importable and can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.Related StoriesThe rest of the S-cars—S201 and up—are not quite that crazily expensive, but they are in demand. Subaru only brought 209 examples of the S209 to the U.S., and at $63,995, it was the most expensive Subaru ever sold here.Bring a TrailerIt was also Subaru’s most hardcore factory track rat. The 2.5-liter flat-four had a larger turbine, higher boost pressure, a high-flow fuel pump, larger fuel injectors, and a reworked intake. Output was 341 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. Sent, of course, to all four wheels, that grunt was good for a 4.4-second sprint to 60 mph in C/D testing and a quarter-mile of 13.0 seconds at 107 mph.Bring a TrailerBeyond the added boost, the fenders were even more flared than usual to fit 265-mm-wide Dunlop high-performance tires at all four corners. Extra aerodynamic add-ons delivered real downforce at speed, the chassis was reinforced with added bracing, and the suspension and brakes were reworked to stand up to the rigors of high-speed lapping. Bring a TrailerWith 7000 miles on the odometer, you don’t need to treat this S209 like a garage queen either. Drive it whenever you want, and it should still hold its value because of its rarity. If and when a new STI hits the market, it might be quicker, but likely won’t be as raw.Pop on your blue-and-gold WRC jacket, and head on over to Bring A Trailer to make your bid (perhaps in increments of $555). Subaru won’t sell you a brand-new STI these days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on one of the best ones it made.Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More