Praise be: the stick ain’t dead just yet. Subaru is giving driving enthusiasts a reason to celebrate by bringing back a manual transmission from the previous-generation WRX STI. The Japanese automaker has teased a new version of its sports sedan equipped with the heavy-duty TY85 six-speed gearbox, confirming that the three-pedal WRX will join the regular production lineup in Japan next month.

The announcement matters because Japanese buyers have largely been limited to the WRX S4 with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Subaru recently offered the limited-production WRX STI Sport♯ with a six-speed manual, but only 600 examples were available, and buyers had to win the lottery first to earn the right to buy one.

The upcoming model appears to make the manual transmission a permanent fixture of the Japanese WRX lineup rather than a limited-run special edition. Better yet, Subaru isn't simply bringing back the familiar gearbox found in other versions of the car. It's reviving the more robust TY85 transmission previously used in the old WRX STI.

The announcement is accompanied by a development documentary explaining how the company brought the transmission back into production. Interestingly, the TY85 was about to be retired as manufacturers phased out manual gearbox lines amid the industry's shift toward electrification.

The project gained momentum after Subaru discovered that a supplier from a partner factory still had an operational transmission production line. Subaru swiftly assembled a small engineering team in early 2025 and gave it an ambitious deadline: develop the new model in about one year.

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