The TR trim is where the WRX stops being a compromise and becomes the point. This specific car comes with the short throw shifter package, which means the mechanical connection between your hand and the gearbox is tighter and more precise than the standard car, and the harman/kardon audio system with eleven speakers means the cabin holds its own at any volume when you are deep into a canyon run. Picture yourself threading a two-lane highway on-ramp, third gear, the shifter snapping into place with exactly the resistance you expected, and the whole car settling into the corner the way you already knew it would.

The TR was not designed to be subtle about what it is, and neither was the 11.6-inch navigation and multimedia system that anchors the interior, giving you route planning and audio control without taking your attention away from the road longer than a glance. Automatic dual-zone climate keeps the cabin exactly where you set it without revisiting it, and the full suite of disc brakes with ABS means that when you finally get to the straight section after a technical stretch, scrubbing speed is as confidence-inspiring as building it. Every piece of this car was chosen to make the driving the main event, and in the TR, it genuinely is.