2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA is sharper than your average STI

Built to celebrate Subaru's record-setting lap at the famed German track, this limited-edition sport sedan takes everything we love about the standard STI and amplifies it with a few key changes.

In order to ditch 68 pounds off its curb weight, the STI Type RA is outfitted with a roof made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, a carbon fiber adjustable rear wing and lightweight BBS wheels.

Combined with new rear fender cutouts, a restyled rear bumper and a few red accents, the resulting look is more racer than daily driver.

You'll have to dig that kind of aesthetic to not feel like a weirdo behind the wheel.

Subaru's venerable 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-four engine now puts out 310 horsepower, a 5-horsepower bump made possible by a retuned ECU, a new intake, new pistons, sodium-filled valves and a beefier exhaust system.

That familiar flat-four engine note drags some turbo whoosh along for the ride towards the top of the rev range, feeling just a bit more sprightly than the average STI.

The lighter, stiffer Type RA feels more rewarding to toss around, partially thanks to a new set of Bilstein dampers. 

Dive into a corner, smash the gas, wait half a tick for the turbocharger to catch up and off you go.

The STI Type RA is an easy one to spec, because it's only available in a single $49,855 specification.

Keep on scrolling to check out even more pictures of the limited-edition WRX STI Type RA.