SAS Australia star Molly Taylor helps celebrate Subaru WRX STI milestone

The Rex has a huge cult following in Australia, and a star of SAS Australia has helped one lucky customer celebrate a huge milestone.

Molly Taylor was the 2016 Australian rally champion.

SAS Australia contestant, Molly Taylor, was on the wrong end of some rough treatment during her stint with SAS.

But the former rally champion’s turned tormentor for one Subaru buyer recently, taking them on a wild ride through the Canberra bush to mark the sale of the 10,000th Impreza WRX STI.

The lucky owner was Bradley McManus from NSW, and he also scored $5000 worth of parts and accessories as well as a five-year service plan.

Subaru has sold its 10,000th WRX STI in Australia.

Subaru Australia boss, Blair Read, said the current WRX STI had proved the most popular version of the Rex, selling more than 5000 examples.

The WRX STI has developed a cult following in Australia and around the globe. The performance car is best known for its rally success, boy-racer looks and the Colin McRae Rally video game.

Molly Taylor was a contestant on SAS Australia.

Now in its fourth-generation the STI is starting to show its age against newer and more hi-tech rivals. But a new high-powered version could be just around the corner.

Earlier this year a report by Japan-based automotive journalist Peter Lyon, published by Forbes, cited unnamed sources close to the project as saying the next WRX STI will be powered by a development of the “FA24” 2.4-litre engine found in the seven-seat Subaru Ascent.

The WRX STI has been a star of rally racing worldwide.

The new motor is tipped to make 300kW and 490Nm, enough to give Subaru an alternative to high-performance compact cars such as Audi’s RS3 and the Mercedes-AMG A45. And is a big jump from the current version’s 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder, which makes 221kW/407Nm.

Power will flow to all four wheels, but we don’t know what sort of transmission will be used.

But the bad news for Aussie fans is Subaru isn’t expected to reveal the next-gen WRX STI until at least mid-2022 – with the car to go on sale by the end of that year at the earliest.