A couple of months back, Subaru revealed the all-new 2022 WRX, and although the design of the car has not gone down well with everyone, the new sedan looks like it'll be a hit. It gets a new 2.4-liter boxer four that is turbocharged to produce 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, which can be harnessed with your choice of either a six-speed manual or the Subaru Performance Transmission, an automatic unit. It's not excessively powerful, but an STI version is sure to follow soon enough with more grunt. In preparation for that car, Subaru in Japan has just revealed the WRX S4, a slightly more exciting variant of the existing car.

The powertrain carries over from the regular Subaru WRX unchanged. Instead, the changes you get are more focused on the aesthetics of the car. A hexagonal grille angled forward gives the impression of speed even when stationary while the side view shows off the bulging fenders particularly well when the car is finished in this bold Solar Orange Pearl hue. The color is unique to this model, but you can also choose from Sapphire Blue Pearl, Ignition Red, or Ceramic White additions to the range if you want something a little less extreme. At the rear, the quad exhaust features once more along with gloss black trunk trim and an integrated spoiler.

Fortunately, there are some changes to the way the car drives thanks to the STI Sport R and STI Sport R EX trims that offer variable drive modes that change the parameters of the engine control unit, AWD system, electronic dampers, power steering, and more.

Inside the car, you get the same sort of features as the regular car, including an 11.6-inch infotainment display, a 12.3-inch driver cluster, and, on the aforementioned STI-based trims, Recaro front seats finished in Ultra Suede. Subaru is planning 500 units for the first month at a base price that equates to around $31,500. The top trim will set you back up to $41,400. Hopefully, the full-fat STI model won't be much dearer when it finally arrives.