Last week marked the 30th birthday of Subaru Tecnica International. You probably know it better as STI, the division that’s churned out some of the very greatest performance cars in recent history.

Most of its wares are Imprezas or WRXs, but there’s been the odd exception, with Legacys and Foresters getting a powertrain tickle and some bigger spoilers. Which is probably what’s inspired this render by X-Tomi Design. They’ve taken a look at the all-new Forester – revealed at the recent New York Motor Show – and waved their electronic crayons over it to imagine an STI version.

The likelihood of this car actually being made – at least in a form that’s more than just a styling pack – is slim. Subarus are more about an arsenal of safety tech these days, and the WRX STI saloon has been culled in Europe. But we can live in hope, especially when performance SUVs appear to be the thing at the moment. And Subaru was one of the very first to make one, after all…

Want to see this car become real?