Japan is getting a manual WRX again, and it uses the heavy-duty TY85 six-speed from the last WRX STI. Subaru will reveal the car in November 2026, about seven years after Japanese buyers last had a regular manual WRX to order.
Subaru opened a teaser site for it on 22 October. The working name is “WRX with TY85 Transmission”, and it will be a normal catalogue model that anyone can order. The last manual WRX sold in Japan was a limited run of 600 cars.
Quick facts
- Reveal in Japan in November 2026, announced on Subaru’s teaser site on 22 October
- Working name: WRX with TY85 Transmission
- Gearbox: the TY85 six-speed manual from the previous-generation WRX STI
- The TY85 can take more torque than the TY75 six-speed used in overseas WRX models and in the limited WRX STI Sport#
- A regular catalogue model for Japan, where today’s WRX S4 comes only with a CVT
- No price or power figure yet. Subaru says the specs come later
- First of three new manual Subarus planned for Japan by 2027
The gearbox that almost went away
When the last WRX STI left the Japanese range, the TY85 went with it. Nikkei reports that Japanese orders for that car ended in 2019, and emissions rules were one of the reasons the manual was dropped.
The production line was never torn out. According to Nikkei, Subaru checked in February 2025 and found the TY85 line still in place, so it can build the gearbox again. Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun adds that a Subaru group company had thought about ending TY85 production, and the revival was approved partly to keep that know-how alive. Subaru then set up a special team for the car and pushed the work through fast.
Subaru’s CTO Tetsuro Fujinuki said back in June that the TY85 leaves room for more engine power in the future. He also said Subaru will keep offering manual cars for as long as people want them.
9,000 people wanted 600 cars
Subaru had a good reason to come back. In January 2026 it showed the WRX STI Sport# at Tokyo Auto Salon, a manual special edition for Japan. Only 600 were sold, and buyers were picked by lottery. Nikkei says more than 9,000 people applied.
That car used the lighter TY75 gearbox. The new WRX gets the stronger TY85, and it will stay in the range, so you will not need luck in a lottery to buy one.
Nikkei also explains why the numbers work now. Subaru sells more electric and hybrid cars than before, and that makes it easier to meet the fuel economy and CO2 rules across its whole range.
A real STI gearbox, but not an STI
For fans, the TY85 is the STI gearbox. You will find it in the VAB WRX STI, the car in photo 4 of our gallery. Owners and tuners trust it because it was built for big torque.
The current WRX uses the 2.4-litre FA24 turbo boxer. Subaru has not said how much power the manual car will have. It has not said if the car gets the old STI’s driver-controlled centre diff (DCCD) either, or any styling or chassis changes. CarExpert and Carscoops both list these as open questions.
The teaser film on Subaru’s site tells the story of the project. Goo-net reports that it shows Subaru president Atsushi Osaki handing appointment papers to each member of the team.
Three manual Subarus by 2027
The WRX is the first of three. Next is a BRZ “complete car” based on the BRZ STI Sport Type RA, which Subaru announced in November 2025. The third is a five-door hatchback, the road version of the Performance-B STI concept from the Japan Mobility Show 2025.
All three are planned for Japan. Subaru has announced nothing for other markets. Australia and the USA already sell a manual WRX, but with the lighter TY75 gearbox.
What tuners will think
Tuners will like this part. A factory gearbox made for more torque means owners can turn up the FA24 without worrying about the transmission first. Fujinuki’s comment about more power in the future points the same way.
The rivals in Japan are the Toyota GR Corolla and the Honda Civic Type R, both with six-speed manuals. Until now Subaru had no regular manual sedan to put next to them.
Our take
This is our opinion. Subaru listened to its fans, and it went for the STI’s own gearbox. A manual WRX you can simply order at a dealer is great news, and the TY85 gives tuners a strong base.
The bad side: Subaru has not given a price or a power figure yet, and nobody knows about DCCD. The current WRX body has been on sale for five years. It is also Japan only for now, so fans outside Japan can only watch. November will tell us if this is a proper driver’s car or just a new gearbox in an old package.
Your turn
Would you buy a TY85 manual WRX without the STI name, or wait for a full STI to come back? Tell us in the comments.
Sources: Subaru Japan (WRX teaser site), Car Watch (WRX teaser and the three manual models), Nikkei (Subaru revives the manual WRX), Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun via carview! (TY85 back after seven years), CarExpert (WRX with STI manual teased), Carscoops (TY85 manual teaser).
Photos: Tokumeigakarinoaoshima (CC0 and CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons. Photos 1 to 3 show the 2026 WRX STI Sport#, the limited manual edition with the TY75 gearbox. Photo 4 shows a WRX STI EJ20 Final Edition (VAB), a TY85 car. They do not show the new manual WRX.
