The new STI-prepped Subaru BRZ tS comes with lots of goodies, but no power upgrade.
Still, the amount of treats available on the model is enough to make any car aficionado drool uncontrollably. Mind you, this is an STI-configured car and not an STI-spec BRZ, that’s why the 2.0-litre boxer 4-banger still develops a “measly” 197 HP and 200 Nm of torque. Everything else was pumped-up to eleven, though.
The car comes with several improvements over the 2014 model, as Subaru Tecnica International focused on “agile handling” and a “high quality ride”, keeping the it true to a lightweight, perfectly-balanced sports automobile.
Leaving aside the STI body-kit, complete with revised front and rear bumpers and sakura-red accents, the tS seems tuned like a Japanese touge racer. A set of 17-inch ventilated Brebmo disc brakes were installed by STI (front and back), covered by 18-inch STI-designed, black colored alloys.
Suspension-wise, the BRZ comes with a STI-tuned, inverted-strut front suspension and modified rear damper – mated with STI coils and STI-designed lateral links. A flexible V-shaped bar and a draw stiffener strut at the front make sure that the already stiff chassis doesn’t twist and flex.
A custom tuned Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and an exclusive filter for the interior Sound Creator is also available on the car.
The interior is garnished with STI logos, which attest the automobile’s exclusivity and special-made, bespoke elements – from the custom STI push button ignition to the sakura-red ventilation grills and everything in between. It even comes with a “tS Limited Edition 300” ornament.
Yup, the model’s production will be limited to 300 units and it will come in three color choices: Sunrise Yellow, WR Blue Pearl and Crystal Black Silica.
Oh, and at $30,192 for the manual variant and $30,800 for the automatic, the new BRZ tS by STI is a steal. Too bad it’s Japan exclusive.