“I want to refine the response of the steering wheel at STI”

“Recently, there have been fewer high-performance models in many ways. For me, I want to pursue responsiveness and ease of driving, and I think this is important for all cars, not just high-performance models. That’s why we are pursuing a response with STI, and I hope it will expand to Subaru as well. However, it is an important issue for STI whether to retain high-performance models in the future, and we would like to discuss this with Subaru.”

One trend in the world is BEVs. Subaru already has a Solterra in its line-up.

“After all, it’s a car, so I think it’s the same even if it’s an EV-how will STI be involved in that? We will think about it from now on. But because it’s electric, it’s very responsive. It doesn’t need to suck in air like an engine does, so the accelerator response can be more responsive. I think this is the appeal of electric vehicles. In that sense, I think there are a lot of dreams.”

In terms of electric power, hybrids will also proliferate among Subaru vehicles in the future.

“Nothing has been decided in that area yet, but you can look forward to it. I think STI’s mission as a company is to produce sharp things, things that Subaru can’t do. However, if you look at our feet, there are still areas where we are lacking, so we cannot do what we want to do unless we firmly establish those areas.

What exactly is it that is lacking?

“Wisdom and strength, I guess.”

Motorsport activities are also important for STI.

“I haven’t thought about specifics yet, but motorsport is a very important activity for the STI brand, so I’d like to think carefully about what form it should take in the medium to long term. After all, it’s all about competition, isn’t it? Competition is good, isn’t it? I think competition is a human instinct. As an engineer, I often feel frustrated, but that is important. It leads to the next step. If you don’t have a passionate heart, you can’t put any effort into your work.”

<Hiromi Tamou: Profile>

Joined Fuji Heavy Industries (now Subaru) in 1982. Worked in the Car Body Design Department of the Engineering Division, where he was in charge of the Leone, Alcyone SVX, Legacy, Impreza and BRZ. In April 2024, he was appointed President and Representative Director of Subaru Tecnica International Ltd.

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