TJ Hunt: Building His 2020 STi Dream Car - To Give It Away

We've all got that perfect dream car example in our heads. What enthusiast doesn't think about the vehicle they would choose to modify, the parts they would upgrade, the look they would want to achieve, and the level of performance they would love to hit to make it the most satisfying drive the could ever imagine. Many in the car culture are familiar with one individual who has become a celebrity through his influence on YouTube and other entrepreneurial ventures during the past decade. TJ Hunt took the media platform by storm soon after launching his channel in 2009 where he creatively presented all the things he followed passionately - car building, modifying, automotive culture, performance, and drifting. As a well-rounded, entertaining, and genuine aficionado of everything automotive, Hunt has also carved an impressive niche and established himself as a driven business success with a popular clothing line branded "The Hunt and Company" and, most notably to the car community, an automotive aero parts company called Street Hunter Designs. His personal passions often come full circle as many of his viral videos fully capture his personal modification projects which take viewers through the exciting and inspiring process of building and modifying an array of car brands and platforms. With almost 700 million views and counting, TJ's influence as an inspiring enthusiast and celebrity is making a global impact.

To the joy of the masses in our corner of the car world, Hunt recently acquired a 2020 Subaru WRX STi, a car that he (and many individuals in the Subie universe) have admired for it's look, style, and overall performance potential. Staying on course with his reputation for doing big things, documenting the journey, and unveiling the results, TJ brought the beloved STi into the spotlight and, with a childlike excitement, stated another thrilling project for he and his team to launch. In conjunction and with the partnership, expertise, and support of the team at Subimods, Hunt and his band of brothers sketch out a plan, determined the goal, picked the components, and began to hammer out the details to transform this stock 2020 STi into a vehicle which would spread envy and want throughout the massive Subaru enthusiast community. An hour long video called "Building My DREAM Subaru STi in One Episode!" which documents the vehicle's modification project and highlights the brands and parts used, was launched on the TJ Hunt YouTube channel in November. Hunt and his team both showcase and demonstrate a tempting slice of the process with humor and excitement which will prove to be inspiring for anyone who loves the iconic Subaru platform and lives for the DIY spirit. By the conclusion, after the first startup, highly anticipated run on the Dyno at Delicious Tuning, and underestimated test drive by TJ and his team had been completed, even the most unfamiliar viewer will want to follow in his footsteps - OR try to WIN THIS CAR for themselves...

Now, many of you may ask, "Is it the amazing recipe of parts, knowledge, technology, and pure chemistry between passion, vision, and enthusiast spirit the answer to overwhelming happiness inside the heart of the performance driver?" We may never really know, but we can break down the list of components that went into this build, give a brief overview of the amazing brands and makers who contributed to this obvious and engineered level of satisfaction, and let the inspired look for themselves. As Hunt explains during the video, Subimods has curated special product list on the website called "TJ Hunt - STI Collection" which lays out an exhibit of many of the components, parts, and accessories featured in their documented build. While not all the components included in Hunt's modification project are outlined here, lets help familiarize you with their choices, take a look below at a small selection of some premiere brands and products that TJ and his team outlined in their video:

COBB Tuning is an iconic brand burned into the view of most enthusiasts who have dreamed of modifying their cherished Subaru or other brand used for the weekend track or pro motorsport. This Texas-based automotive performance team of enthusiasts has been dedicated to the modification community for the past 25 years while providing premium tuning solutions for drivers of turbocharged performance vehicles around the globe. TJ Hunt and his team installed a number of components from the COBB product line that will definitely bring this vehicle to impressive heights which will rattle joy from whomever is chosen to hop behind the wheel. Take a look below at what was included on Hunt's STi build:

GrimmSpeed has an experienced team who proves itself again and again to be a reliable and competitive force in the industry. They provide quality aftermarket products to a wide range of dedicated automotive consumers. Their staff of true enthusiasts deliver an innovative, highly engineered selection of performance components to solidify dream builds around the world. Since 2006, GrimmSpeed has offered a broad scope of aftermarket products which include exhaust systems, intakes, intercoolers, boost controllers, and other engine components which have helped them evolve into a premium source of quality solutions. Lets see how this build incorporated a number of their quality components to prove this icon's potential:

Perrin Performance decided to slowly concentrate on supplying aftermarket parts for the Subaru brand over 20 years ago. They quickly built a solid, premiere name through their engineering, performance testing, and manufacturing. One of the most familiar companies in the eyes of the veteran modifier, Perrin has become an industry leader and a company that has undoubtedly become an iconic symbol of quality performance solutions to those haunting the weekend tracks to others who have made motorsports their profession. An impressive collection of components were included in the TJ Hunt build, showing that their influence and proven quality continually injects itself in a wide range of projects. Here is what has been applied to this build:

Öhlins Racing, Swedish performance icons, have been suspension system innovators since the late 1970's. By the early 1980s, they steadily directed their vision and efforts on the development of suspension systems becoming a major innovator within the world of motorsports for the coming decades. Their engineering, development, and innovations have helped many of their performance partners cross the finish line at prestigious events around the globe. Öhlins coilover systems are truly a premium set-up that reflects their origins of provenance, quality, and spirit making them a great option for the investigating enthusiast. For this build, there was no doubt that something from their product line would be included. Let's take a closer look below:

MagnaFlow is a Southern California based company who has become one of the most recognizable brands in the automotive exhaust space. As a manufacturing leader and iconic standard for performance and replacement automotive exhaust systems, this brand has been fused into the foundation of this marketplace with the words "Quality. Power. Sound" highlighted as both a slogan of prestige and excellence for 45 years. MagnaFlow takes pride in manufacturing their products in the USA and maintaining their illustrious reputation with car enthusiasts and motorsports professionals for bringing extreme performance, their unique sound, and for always delivering a high-quality product. Their addition to this build seemed more than appropriate to raise the performance profile to new heights. Check out the product TJ and his team selected for the STi:

Gram Lights wheels, manufactured by the Japanese company Rays, has been a provider of aftermarket excellence in motorsports circles for years. A perfect mix of performance, sleek appearance, and aggressive looks, these wheels are suitable for the driver who demands their vehicle handle the stresses of the weekend track while giving a stable sense of strength during the daily commute. Its overall strength comes from an intelligent design which includes six curved and rigid spokes making it an incredibly lightweight product that provides great brake clearance for big brake configurations. TJ Hunt and his team needed a beautiful, unique wheel design and color to enhance the footing and the iconic STi style. Read the details about what product they included on this list:

Advanced Clutch Technology (ACT) is a leader in advanced engineering, performance design, and known globally as one of the automotive industry's premiere developers and providers of automotive clutch products. Their talented team have collaborated with a wide bandwidth of industry innovators and leaders, professional drivers, mechanics, and renowned enthusiasts to produce high quality clutch products to conquer the most extreme performance conditions and challenges. They are renowned for their commitment to quality, innovation, and safety, but most importantly, their team has never been willing to compromise on any of these standards. TJ Hunt included ACT products in the STi build knowing they would serve the car beautifully. Check out their choices:

Disk Brakes Australia (DBA) is a premiere Australian manufacturer that offers an array of remarkable brake rotor categories that cater perfectly to different markets, providing an excellent upgrade for those in our world seeking superior braking performance. Their drilled and dimpled brake rotors continually prove to be quality products that look great, exhibit exceptional performance, while also having amazing technology behind the curtain to maintain deserved place at the top of the market. DBA is renowned globally for their unmatched experience in manufacturing, their impressive designs and engineering, along with their commitment to those who live for high-performance vehicles. Check out what products were included in this STi build:

Hawk Performance is huge in the motorsports world, existing as an official brake product for premiere organizations including the National Auto Sport Association, the SCCA, and many others. Hawk Performance covers all areas between the daily driver and the professional racer, but always keeps pushing the advances of braking technology as they bring concepts to completion each year. Their products feature the benefits of ultra-low dust, improved stopping power, extended pad life, and stable friction output. Their innovative engineering and design offers the driver a complete range of desired braking power and ensures even application throughout the entire braking system. The Hawk products below were the obvious choice for Hunt and his team:

There were many more brands and products included in the TJ Hunt build that have not been mentioned here, but this does not mean any were less important in the overall enhancement of this amazing project. Additional brands including Radium, CSF, DeatschWerks, GetaDomTune, ISC, and Killer B Motorsports, were intricate in bringing this vehicle through the transformation into a well-tuned, Subaru stunner. TJ and his team invested a lot of sweat and hours making sure this beautiful 2020 Subaru WRX STi landed as both a memorable experience, journey, and reward for their collective efforts, and a mark in time for those dedicated viewers of the YouTube channel, fans of TJ as an influencer, and followers of their brand. By the conclusion of the video, the viewer can walk away saying that they have truly caught a glimpse of something inspirational. Comparing the stock, empty canvas with the imagined and realized object of creativity and ingenuity could get anyone inspired. The ultimate goal, not yet reached, is something that by the end of the video will definitely have the community buzzing for weeks as Hunt prepares to unwrap the final reward which confirms the purpose of not only his work as a spirited influencer, but the joy that has kept him moving forward for all these years.

Although the premise itself - taking a car you've love for years on the ultimate modification journey - would be exciting enough for most of us who live the life of a dedicated enthusiast, taking this 2020 STi from concept to completion is far from the best part of the story. In little more than a month, TJ Hunt will be awarding this vehicle to a very fortunate winner of the "STi Giveaway" contest promoted through "The Hunt and Company" website. The contest officially began at 10:00 AM, November 1st and will conclude at the final minute of 2025 on December 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST.Those who are interested in a chance to win this vehicle (who wouldn't be?) only need to visit the site, enter some basic specifics including their name and contact information to start the entry process. As their website rules state, every dollar spent on The Hunt and Company website equals one entry into the contest which is confirmed upon completing checkout. Hunt and his team will select a winner around January 12, 2026 and contact this very fortunate individual by phone and email. They will then post a story on Instagram to officially announcing the winner to the public within a week of that first phone call. As Hunt exclaims during his solo test drive at the ending segment during the video, "Alright... it's not like I wasn't expecting this car not to be fun, but I wasn't expecting this car to have so much top end." As true thrills and excitement light up his face he continues by saying, "My god this car is so fun...I get it. I freaking get it, man. Why do people love these engines so much? This is why!", he says with a pure adrenaline fueled smile. "Dare I say this? This is my favorite giveaway car we've ever done."

Check out the TJ Hunt Video "Building My DREAM Subaru STi in One Episode!" and learn more about how to win his fully modified 2020 Subaru WRX STi!

What have you got to lose?

The level of inspiration one gains from a story like this is unimaginable. The possibilities are endless when you move forward to make your dreams come into reality. We hope this article has inspired you to try for a chance to win this amazing car, but also to step on the path to your own modification project.

Dreaming about your ultimate Subaru? 

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Subimods continues to concentrate on providing aftermarket innovations and products that take the Subaru platform of your choice to new levels in the present and the future, no matter if you choose a more exciting, dynamic daily drive, a more exhilarating weekend on the track, or a more aggressive adventure overland and in the wild.

For more information regarding aftermarket parts for your Subaru, please visit our website and explore the section dedicated to your platform.

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