As Subaru of America released a teaser image of the upcoming all-new Subaru WRX STI, the timing was quite bittersweet.

Over on the other side of the world, Subaru Japan had announced that production of the outgoing WRX STI had ended and with it the end of the legendary EJ20 boxer engine.

The WRX STI is still listed for sale on Subaru Japan’s website, so there are still stocks available for diehard fans wanting a piece of history. The legendary boxer engine is only available on the Japanese-spec WRX STI.

The iconic 2.0-litre boxer engine which was first introduced in 1989 on the Legacy has become quite a legend and a favourite among fans. Its legacy (no pun intended), though, was etched on the Impreza WRX that eventually gave rise to the battle between it and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo at the World Rally Championship (WRC).

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Eventually, Subaru won the battle, winning three straight constructor titles between 1995 and 1997 with the late great Colin McRae at the wheel. The Subaru World Rally Team would also finish with three driver champions with McRae in 1995, the late Richard Burns in 2001, and Petter Solberg in 2003.

The WRX and the EJ20 are therefore inseparable in the hearts of Subaru fans in general. The engine was offered on all generations of the WRX up until late 2019 when Subaru unveiled the 555-unit WRX STI EJ20 Final Edition in Japan.

Meanwhile, the outgoing WRX STI was introduced in 2014 and this was the first model without the Impreza name. Though the EJ20 engine (308 PS/422 Nm) was offered, it was only available in Japan with international models receiving the bigger 2.5-litre EJ25 unit (310 PS/393 Nm).

Also read: Scoop: 2021 Subaru WRX could get up to 300 PS from 2.4-litre boxer engine!

With Subaru announcing the imminent arrival of the next-gen WRX STI, it remains part of a lost art of affordable high-performance cars. Its chief rival, the Lancer Evo, has been dead for nearly a decade and most car manufacturers favour fuel efficiency and electrified technology over power and old-school internal combustion.

Also read: No Lancer Evo, no problem: All-new 2022 Subaru WRX teased

Even without the legendary 2.0-litre boxer engine that gave rise to rally champs and Scooby fans, at least the WRX STI is soldiering on to introduce performance-enhanced passion to a new generation of fans.

Also read: Are boxer engines overrated? – Pros and cons of boxer engines