Subaru has offered performance fans a welcome surprise by revealing plans for three manual-transmission vehicles, one of which is a hatchback positioned as separate from its existing performance offerings.

Displayed during the recent Super Taikyu Fuji 24-Hour race alongside Toyota GR's unusual twin-engine Camry, the trio of upcoming Subarus will draw on motorsport experience and reach showrooms ahead of 2027.

The company notes that each model will draw on know-how gained from competition, a detail sure to excite followers of the brand's former STI performance hatches.

Particular attention falls on a five-door hatch described as the production form of the Performance-B STI concept from last year's Tokyo motor show, an Impreza-based car fitted with WRX power and now competing in the Super Taikyu series.

The concept displayed flared wheel arches, a vented bonnet with the familiar scoop, and a large rear wing together with 18-inch wheels, big ventilated discs, and STI-branded calipers.

While official power figures remain undisclosed, the racing version uses the WRX FA24 2.4-litre turbo flat-four retuned for emissions compliance and output balance.

Subaru has shared little else about the hatch yet states it will deliver a fresh character distinct from both the WRX and BRZ, and it may carry an entirely new nameplate.

The other two models are manual versions of the current WRX and BRZ. The WRX will gain the durable TY85 six-speed manual previously reserved for the VA-generation STI.

Praised for strength and dependability, the TY85 has not appeared since the prior STI and has never been paired with the FA24 engine.

Although a driver-controlled centre differential is unlikely, Subaru aims to refresh the WRX spirit even without full STI specification and will offer the car as a regular catalogue model.

The BRZ draws from last year's limited STI Sport Type RA. No major mechanical changes are confirmed, but the brand promises a lighter and more engaging drive.

All three cars are expected to remain Japan-market exclusives, consistent with prior limited-edition releases such as the WRX STI Sport#.

Elsewhere the current VB WRX has offered a manual option in Australia since 2022, though without the STI-derived gearbox, while the BRZ continues with its standard six-speed manual.

The announcements signal Subaru's renewed focus on driver engagement after a long absence of new STI models and performance hatches.

Australia last received a Subaru performance hatch in 2013 when the third-generation Impreza WRX STI was sold in both body styles before the hatch was discontinued.

The manual plans form part of Subaru's broader model expansion that also includes a full electric range due by 2028.