2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 20th Anniversary

The 2008 Impreza WRX STI 20th Anniversary celebrated STI’s founding through a 300-car Japanese hatchback programme. Dedicated chassis tuning, flexible components and interior details supported STI’s stated focus on turning response and everyday refinement.

It commemorates STI rather than Subaru of America

STI’s heritage entry dates the model to 2008 and explicitly connects it with the twentieth anniversary of STI’s establishment. That is a different event from the later American fiftieth-anniversary editions. The name, hatchback generation and market should therefore remain explicit. Anniversary wording alone cannot identify the programme, especially where several Subaru commemorative editions share related badges, colours or numbers in different years.

STI: 2008 STI 20th Anniversary heritage

The engine reference belongs to the Japanese hatchback

The factory table specifies a 1,994 cc EJ20, 227 kW or 308 PS and 422 Nm, with a six-speed manual. These references distinguish the original Japanese complete car without borrowing a later US STI’s larger engine specification. They describe the historical factory model, not the measured power of a present example after maintenance or tuning. A vehicle file should keep original specification and subsequent mechanical work as separate, connected records.

Chassis balance is the development theme

STI describes dedicated dampers and springs, pillow-ball rear links, a flexible lower-arm bar and a flexible tower bar. Its stated aim combines response to steering with comfort and quietness. Those are manufacturer development intentions rather than an independent comparative road test here. The breadth of the equipment matters: a single aftermarket brace does not recreate the complete package, and current suspension specification should be checked against the original documents and service history.

STI: 2008 STI 20th Anniversary heritage

Exterior and cabin details support identification

The heritage account lists STI 18-inch wheels with 245/40 R18 tyres, a front underspoiler and a larger matte-black roof spoiler. Black RECARO seating with cherry-red stitching and anniversary markings continue the treatment inside. The stated body colours are Pure White, WR Blue Mica and Obsidian Black Pearl. Those details offer a useful checklist, while paint, seats and badges remain supporting evidence rather than a substitute for original chassis-linked edition documentation.

Subaru: contemporary October 2008 anniversary launch

A matched factory asset permits the first import

The supplied front-view image comes from Subaru’s October 2008 collection explicitly named for the STI 20th Anniversary model. SUB-115 was previously held because a correctly matched reusable image had not been secured. It has not been imported before. The image illustrates the factory programme and retains its editorial-use terms, while the 300-car reference comes from STI’s heritage record and the contemporary factory announcement rather than from the photograph.

Specifications and identity reference

Rarity and production scope

STI records a 300-car Japanese 2008 twentieth-anniversary programme. It is separate from the US fiftieth-anniversary editions and from later STI anniversary cars. The original Verified row was held rather than imported in the earlier batch; matched factory imagery now resolves that gap. The manufacturer number remains an attributed programme reference, with exact completed production and survivor totals left blank rather than claimed as a new chassis census.

What the photograph represents

Factory-supplied front view from Subaru’s October 2008 collection explicitly labelled STI 20th ANNIVERSARY. It depicts the correct Japanese hatchback programme, separate from the US 2018 fiftieth-anniversary editions. The original image size is retained.

Related Subaru profiles

• 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI S204
• 2018 Subaru WRX STI 50th Anniversary Edition
• 2020 Subaru WRX STI Series.White

Frequently asked questions

Which anniversary does this model celebrate?

It marks twenty years since STI’s founding, as described by STI’s heritage account.

Is every late-2000s STI hatchback part of the 300?

No. The complete anniversary identity needs original documentation, supported by the correct equipment and vehicle history.

What is the production-count boundary for this profile?

STI records a 300-car Japanese 2008 twentieth-anniversary programme. It is separate from the US fiftieth-anniversary editions and from later STI anniversary cars. The original Verified row was held rather than imported in the earlier batch; matched factory imagery now resolves that gap. The manufacturer number remains an attributed programme reference, with exact completed production and survivor totals left blank rather than claimed as a new chassis census.

Sources and further reading

1. STI: 2008 STI 20th Anniversary heritage
2. Subaru: contemporary October 2008 anniversary launch

Research checked 19 October 2026. Linked manufacturer heritage pages, factory announcements, official distributor publications and labelled contemporary coverage support the specifically identified claims. Photographic descriptions identify the illustrated subject. Design analysis and suggested authentication steps are editorial interpretation.