by Subaru appears to be actively working on a new sports car that could receive an STI version. Recent trademark applications for ACX and ACX STI indicate that this could be an electric vehicle. At the same time, the possibility of a gasoline model based on the Toyota GR Celica is not ruled out.
Trademarks and their meaning
According to CarSales, Subaru has registered the names ACX and ACX STI with the Australian patent office. This is a reference to the ACX-II concept car from 1985. The Australian publication leans towards the opinion that these names refer to a car with a gasoline engine, citing separate applications for “Flat Shift” and “Rev Sync.” However, trademarks filed in other countries suggest otherwise.
The names ACX, VPX, and ZPX have already been registered in the USA, Canada, and the UK along with their corresponding STI versions. Each of these applications contains a specific description: “Automobiles and their structural parts for electric vehicles.” This wording leaves little room for speculation.
Possible models and design
Of the three new names, only VPX has been combined with the Wilderness designation, indicating a taller and more utilitarian vehicle: a pickup truck, crossover, or SUV. ACX and ZPX have no such context, so only previous rumors and reports remain. One likely candidate for these names is the long-awaited successor to the BRZ.
Independent digital artist Theophilus Chin imagined this successor as a fully electric sports car, borrowing design elements from the Performance-E STI concept. The result is a modern two-door silhouette that still resembles the BRZ.
Will there be a gasoline version?
The ACX documentation leans heavily towards a zero-emission powertrain, but the ongoing partnership between Subaru and Toyota leaves room for a gasoline sports car to exist alongside an electric one.
Recently, Subaru introduced a wide rally car based on the BRZ with a turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, built for participation in the JRC. Meanwhile, Toyota is testing an as-yet-unidentified WRC contender with a two-door coupe body, believed to be a racing version of the future GR Celica.
Joint projects and the future
These two rally cars have nothing in common mechanically, but there is still a path for Subaru to create a “brother” to the production Toyota GR Celica once it arrives. The question of whether Toyota will choose a front-engine or mid-engine layout for the road version remains open.
Toyota has confirmed that the next generation of the GR 86 will be released, but Subaru’s side of the partnership may take a different path. The next BRZ will likely be fully electric and feature a raised ride height, as demonstrated by the Sport Mobility Concept.
Thus, Subaru stands at a crossroads: on one hand, electric vehicle ambitions backed by patents, and on the other, a long history of gasoline sports cars and close cooperation with Toyota. It is quite possible that the company could pursue a diversification strategy, releasing both an electric ACX and a gasoline-powered BRZ successor on the GR Celica platform. Such a move would allow it to meet environmental regulations while satisfying fans who seek to preserve the traditional “Subaru spirit” of a boxer engine and all-wheel drive. The final decision will likely depend on market demand and the success of Toyota’s new models.
