Subaru’s Japanese Arm Teases BRZ STI, We Drool

Subaru's Japanese website has posted the first teaser shots of the upcoming BRZ STI, and accompanying it has been endless speculation over how wild (or mild) the upgrades will be. Normally, STI badges mean extreme performance, but the rear-wheel-drive BRZ is neither a rally car nor particularly fast to begin with. Everyone, us included, has praised the BRZ and sister Scion FR-S as near-perfect sports cars desperately in need of more power, and tuner shops across the country have been grafting turbochargers that double the output of the naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter 200-hp flat-four. Auto Express is reporting that Subaru could up power to 250 horsepower by tweaking the engine's rev limit and fitting a new intake and valve timing system. If the STI treatment does result in a power bump, such upgrades jive with what we've been told from a number of sources at Toyota and has been reported from Subaru's camp: turbocharging the BRZ simply would cost too much money. At worst, the STI is simply a handling upgrade (as evidenced by the boldface, all-caps treatment of the phrase "Purity of HANDLING" featured prominently on STI's Japanese website). One enthusiast site based out of Japan, posting photos of what appears to be a production-spec BRZ STI at Fuji Speedway, says the car's tS nameplate means "Tuned by STI," and that the package does not include a power pack. That website also says that the STI will be sold exclusively in Japan. Long-Term Road Test Update: 2013 Subaru BRZ Premium Feature: 2013 Subaru BRZ and 2013 Scion FR-S—A Study in Comparison and Contrast Auto Shows: Subaru WRX Concept But while we can debate rumor all day long, figure a U.S.-spec BRZ STI—if it is, indeed, sold outside of Japan—will include stiffer springs and a short shifter, similar to the BRZ S sold in Australia. Upgraded Brembo brakes and a new aero kit—possibly with a rear wing as seen on the BRZ Concept STI at the 2011 L.A. auto show—should also surface. We hope the BRZ STI really gets a boost, because the BRZ's performance accessories (custom valve stem caps?) aren't cutting it. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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