A Subaru BRZ STI in the Cards?
The Subaru BRZ is a sports car blessed with exceptional handling and perfect balance, but its major shortcoming is a cruel lack of midrange torque from its naturally aspirated, 2.0-litre engine. In the last few years, Subaru often mentioned the possibility of eventually giving the BRZ a turbocharged engine upgrade.
The BRZ STI Performance concept, unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April 2015, is a good example. With a more affirmative look, a stiffer suspension and, especially, the 350-horsepower turbocharged four that propels the BRZ GT300 race car in Japan. This concept caused quite a stir, and at the show, the brand’s representatives in the United States even confirmed the arrival of a BRZ STI model in North America within a few years.
During the launch of the 2017 Subaru BRZ in British Columbia, the people from Subaru talked about the modifications they’ve done to the car’s chassis. It was notably question of reinforcements linking the strut tower braces to the firewall as well as in the rear wheel housings. The transmission’s anchor points were also beefed up.
Since the manual-transmission 2017 BRZ’s engine gained only five horsepower and five pound-feet of torque, and that the engine in the BRZ equipped with the automatic gearbox is identical to last year, it’s possible that the chassis enhancements will only benefit the row-it-yourself BRZ version. But also to eventually accommodate a more powerful engine.
In addition, Subaru Tecnica International, the small Japanese manufacturer’s performance division, has announced that in August 2018, a WRX STI will appear, powered by a new version of the FA20 engine that includes direct injection and turbocharging, and should produce 315 hp at 5600 rpm along with 325 lb.-ft. of torque. This leads us to think that a BRZ STI with a similar output could be a reality in the near future, and that the WRX STI won’t be the only car to inherit this engine.
The current Subaru BRZ is a sports car with near-irreproachable dynamic driving characteristics. With a turbocharged engine that brings more horsepower and torque, this model could evolve and become an even more accomplished car. To be continued.