NZPC’s Japan correspondent checks out the recently opened STI Gallery and meets a blast from NZ’s past.

Subaru Tecnica International, Subaru’s tuning and motorsport division, recently opened the STI Gallery, a place to showcase the company’s racing and performance pedigree from the past two decades. Learning that a very special Subaru with a New Zealand connection was on show, and the fact that I’m a big rally fan from way back, I was on the first train.

Although it’s technically still in Tokyo, the STI Gallery is situated at the city’s outskirts inside Subaru’s Mitaka dealership. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and I have to admit that before arriving I had visions of an enormous shiny blue building with loads of space, but when you arrive you quickly wonder if you are at the right place. Considering it’s a new car dealership plus STI Gallery, it’s really tiny. However, despite the disappointing appearance from the outside, Subaru has taken the most important parts of its success and brought them all together in a way that left me pleased I had made the long train journey.

On the ground-level showroom you can get an eyeful of Subaru’s latest road-going vehicles, including the brand new Legacy STI along with other popular models in Japan such as the little R1 and R2, the B4 and the new-shape Impreza. If you happen to have a spare NZ$500, you can also pick up that Subaru WRC jacket you have always wanted, or STI go-fast bits for your Impreza.

But it’s what’s upstairs that I had really come to see. Here Subaru has decked out the second floor and turned it into a shrine to all things STI, which includes racing parts and paraphernalia, as well as video and static displays to remind you just how successful the brand has been on the world motorsport stage since its formation in 1988. A detailed timeline on the wall outlining all its competition wins makes for a proud showpiece.

Taking centre stage in the gallery, however, is the 1993 Rothmans Rally New Zealand-winning car. From an era that many of us now consider the good old days of rallying, this particular Subaru is special for two reasons. First, it’s the genuine Colin McRae 555 Prodrive machine; and second, it’s the very one that delivered Subaru its first World Rally Championship round win at the hands of the flying Scot.

The car is a rare example of Subaru’s earlier ventures into the world of international motorsport and especially world rallying. When it comes to motorsport, Subaru is predominantly known for its bright blue and yellow rally cars with gold wheels, and the McRae Legacy shows Group A rallying in its true form, without all the electronic gadgetry we have become so used to.

Despite the 555 machine being Prodrive built, when comparing the component specs on the ’93 rally winner and the gear the STI has in its product range today, it shows you just how far the tuning world has advanced in the past decade and a half.

It’s hard to sum up 20 years of international motorsport on one floor of a dealership, but Subaru Tecnica International seems to have done it nicely with its STI Gallery. As one staff member said as we were leaving, “It’s wonderful to be able to showcase all our success under one roof to the public; and to have the McRae rally car here is the icing on the cake for most of our guests.” It definitely was for me!

Words & Photos: Aaron Mai

This article is from NZ Performance Car issue 153. Click here to check it out.