Tuesday 25th July 2023

Subaru unveils new STI-tuned BRZ tS

Subaru has a go at improving on perfection...

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No, it doesn’t have a turbocharger. Doesn’t have any more power at all, in fact. And no, this latest Subaru BRZ is not coming to the UK. But the current pair of Toyobaru twins are so good - and so emphatically up our street - that no new variant can be ignored. Especially with STI bits among its freshened-up quota. 

The uprated BRZ tS was revealed to fans at Subiefest in California over the weekend, boasting new front and rear dampers from Hitachi with STI tuning. They are said to promise better control and stability for Subaru’s rear-drive sports car, along with the ability to ‘maximise its light weight, ultra low centre of gravity and precision handling’. Given how peerlessly well the current Toyobaru does that already, any improvement at all would be deeply impressive. 

Just as notable are the new Brembo brakes, which are more than just snazzy gold calipers: the upgrade earns the tS four-piston callipers at the front, two-piston at the back with larger pads and rotors, promising not just greater stopping power but also better pedal feel if its maker is to be believed. The tyres are unchanged, with 215-section Michelin Pilot Sport 4s on 18-inch wheels. 

It’s the new look that might be of most interest, mostly because the tS is not all that different from a standard BRZ. The model will become the range-topper in the US when it arrives, so it’s conceivable that Subaru might have chosen to push the addenda boat out - mercifully, the brand has resisted the temptation. Externally, you get tS badging in the front grille and on the bootlid, with the mirrors and shark fin antenna in Crystal Black Silica. But that's about it. 

Inside - presumably where buyers expect to see the extra premium at work - you get tS-only contrast blue stitching on the front seat bolsters, steering wheel and just about everything else the driver might touch. There’s also a blue leather accent down the centre of the sport seats and a ‘nubuck-like’ material on the instrument panel visor and door trim. For lovers of detail, the STI logo appears on the red starter button and the seven-inch digital instrument cluster, which also gets tS-exclusive red accents.

For lovers of safety, Subaru has added a raft of driver assistance tech that most BRZ buyers could probably live without, although they also get a decent amount of standard kit - primary among them the 228hp 2.4-litre in-house boxer unit, close-ratio six-speed manual and Torsen limited-slip diff that makes the car worth seeking out in the first place. Ultimately a fairly light fettling then - but shouldn’t stop anyone this side of the pond feeling jealous when the tS goes on sale later this year. 

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• 2022 Toyota GR86 | PH Review
• Toyota confirms additional GR86 stock for the UK

[Bob_Defly]

Looks great, but I still wish they'd do an all out STi turbo'd version.

[cerb4.5lee]

Bob_Defly said:

Looks great, but I still wish they'd do an all out STi turbo'd version.

Same.

[GreatScott2016]

cerb4.5lee said:

Bob_Defly said:

Looks great, but I still wish they'd do an all out STi turbo'd version.

Same.

Me too, plus we had it in the UK!

[Mafioso]

"Perfection". Not the word I was thinking of when I drove a GR86 a few months back...

[mario64]

Mafioso said:

"Perfection". Not the word I was thinking of when I drove a GR86 a few months back...

I was also underwhelmed when I tried one. It’s a nice car and I’m glad Toyota is still making a simple RWD coupe but I thought the improvements vs. the old car were a bit hit and miss. I don’t get why journos are so enthusiastic.

[Maxymillion]

Like all Subaru engines, if you're going to seriously track it you will need a dry sump.

What it needs is a 300 hp K20 or K24 in it.

Edited by Maxymillion on Tuesday 25th July 01:20

[Andy86GT]

mario64 said:

Mafioso said:

"Perfection". Not the word I was thinking of when I drove a GR86 a few months back...

I was also underwhelmed when I tried one. It’s a nice car and I’m glad Toyota is still making a simple RWD coupe but I thought the improvements vs. the old car were a bit hit and miss. I don’t get why journos are so enthusiastic.

I was talking to a chap with a new GR86 who had previously had a GT86. I could be wrong, but I got the impression he wasn't that impressed with it. He was looking at my GT86 and commenting how he missed his.

[Jon_S_Rally]

Love these, and it's such a crime that we aren't getting this version, and that the allocation of the GR86 is so small. The world has been turned on its head. The US is getting most of the interesting, manual cars, while the UK has become the home of the dull, automatic SUV/crossover.

PistonHeads said:

It’s the new look that might be of most interest, mostly because the tS is not all that different from a standard BRZ. The model will become the range-topper in the US when it arrives, so it’s conceivable that Subaru might have chosen to push the addenda boat out - mercifully, the brand has resisted the temptation. [/footnote]

Why is it "merciful"? Not all cars have to be restrained and grey.

[Volare]

Andy86GT said:

mario64 said:

Mafioso said:

"Perfection". Not the word I was thinking of when I drove a GR86 a few months back...

I was also underwhelmed when I tried one. It’s a nice car and I’m glad Toyota is still making a simple RWD coupe but I thought the improvements vs. the old car were a bit hit and miss. I don’t get why journos are so enthusiastic.

I was talking to a chap with a new GR86 who had previously had a GT86. I could be wrong, but I got the impression he wasn't that impressed with it. He was looking at my GT86 and commenting how he missed his.

I had my GT86 7 years before nabbing a GR86. Its an improvement on the old car in practically every regard, no doubt it.

[Wab1974uk]

Maxymillion said:

Like all Subaru engines, if you're going to seriously track it you will need a dry sump.

What it needs is a 300 hp K20 or K24 in it.

Edited by Maxymillion on Tuesday 25th July 01:20

I doubt your average buyer for this car has Track use in mind.

But would agree with posters above. Just a shame Subaru don't have an all out Turbo Charged STI version. Clearly they didn't like selling all those Turbo charged Impreza's and the profits they brought in.

Boring Granny cars is where the profit is at

[Frimley111R]

All you need to do is read the first sentence and then move on...

[ECG1000]

mario64 said:

I was also underwhelmed when I tried one. It’s a nice car and I’m glad Toyota is still making a simple RWD coupe but I thought the improvements vs. the old car were a bit hit and miss. I don’t get why journos are so enthusiastic.

Like the GT86, the GR86 doesn't reveal itself straight away. You need to spend a good amount time driving one properly for it to shine. Once you're used to it, it truly is a brilliant car.

[Mafioso]

ECG1000 said:

mario64 said:

I was also underwhelmed when I tried one. It’s a nice car and I’m glad Toyota is still making a simple RWD coupe but I thought the improvements vs. the old car were a bit hit and miss. I don’t get why journos are so enthusiastic.

Like the GT86, the GR86 doesn't reveal itself straight away. You need to spend a good amount time driving one properly for it to shine. Once you're used to it, it truly is a brilliant car.

I did the best part of 200 miles to the Welsh coast and back in a day and couldn't wait to get out of the thing. So disappointing.

[UnderSteerD]

Mafioso said:

I did the best part of 200 miles to the Welsh coast and back in a day and couldn't wait to get out of the thing. So disappointing.

What about it didn't you like?

[spikyone]

Wab1974uk said:

Maxymillion said:

Like all Subaru engines, if you're going to seriously track it you will need a dry sump.

What it needs is a 300 hp K20 or K24 in it.

Edited by Maxymillion on Tuesday 25th July 01:20

I doubt your average buyer for this car has Track use in mind.

But would agree with posters above. Just a shame Subaru don't have an all out Turbo Charged STI version. Clearly they didn't like selling all those Turbo charged Impreza's and the profits they brought in.

Boring Granny cars is where the profit is at

Your average buyer of any car doesn't have track use in mind. But you'll see a GT86 or BRZ on pretty much every track day that you go on - they handle well, are relatively affordable, can be driven to and from the track without much compromise (and are workable as a daily driver), and there's a wealth of aftermarket support for them.

I think it's a myth that they'd sell in any sort of numbers if there were a turbocharged version from the factory. It'd be nearer £40k than £30k, and people (mostly on PH) would be moaning that you can get lower monthlies on a Golf R. It would also pitch it towards lightly used Cayman territory, and even with the improvements on the latest GR86 and BRZ and 300bhp I don't think anyone would pretend that it could compete with those. MX5 aside, name a Japanese sports car that's actually sold better than the GT86/BRZ...

[Andy86GT]

Volare said:

Andy86GT said:

mario64 said:

Mafioso said:

"Perfection". Not the word I was thinking of when I drove a GR86 a few months back...

I was also underwhelmed when I tried one. It’s a nice car and I’m glad Toyota is still making a simple RWD coupe but I thought the improvements vs. the old car were a bit hit and miss. I don’t get why journos are so enthusiastic.

I was talking to a chap with a new GR86 who had previously had a GT86. I could be wrong, but I got the impression he wasn't that impressed with it. He was looking at my GT86 and commenting how he missed his.

I had my GT86 7 years before nabbing a GR86. Its an improvement on the old car in practically every regard, no doubt it.

That's good to hear, enjoy it!

[Konan]

Maxymillion said:

Like all Subaru engines, if you're going to seriously track it you will need a dry sump.

What it needs is a 300 hp K20 or K24 in it.

Edited by Maxymillion on Tuesday 25th July 01:20

Hang on - is this a youtube comments section cross post?

[Bloxxcreative]

spikyone said:

Wab1974uk said:

Maxymillion said:

Like all Subaru engines, if you're going to seriously track it you will need a dry sump.

What it needs is a 300 hp K20 or K24 in it.

Edited by Maxymillion on Tuesday 25th July 01:20

I doubt your average buyer for this car has Track use in mind.

But would agree with posters above. Just a shame Subaru don't have an all out Turbo Charged STI version. Clearly they didn't like selling all those Turbo charged Impreza's and the profits they brought in.

Boring Granny cars is where the profit is at

Your average buyer of any car doesn't have track use in mind. But you'll see a GT86 or BRZ on pretty much every track day that you go on - they handle well, are relatively affordable, can be driven to and from the track without much compromise (and are workable as a daily driver), and there's a wealth of aftermarket support for them.

I think it's a myth that they'd sell in any sort of numbers if there were a turbocharged version from the factory. It'd be nearer £40k than £30k, and people (mostly on PH) would be moaning that you can get lower monthlies on a Golf R. It would also pitch it towards lightly used Cayman territory, and even with the improvements on the latest GR86 and BRZ and 300bhp I don't think anyone would pretend that it could compete with those. MX5 aside, name a Japanese sports car that's actually sold better than the GT86/BRZ...

Im struggling to think of any other Japanese sports cars in the market? Even going back years you couldn't call Z cars true sports cars. Maybe the s2000 and Mr2...but they're a few generations old now.

[cerb4.5lee]

Bloxxcreative said:

spikyone said:

Wab1974uk said:

Maxymillion said:

Like all Subaru engines, if you're going to seriously track it you will need a dry sump.

What it needs is a 300 hp K20 or K24 in it.

Edited by Maxymillion on Tuesday 25th July 01:20

I doubt your average buyer for this car has Track use in mind.

But would agree with posters above. Just a shame Subaru don't have an all out Turbo Charged STI version. Clearly they didn't like selling all those Turbo charged Impreza's and the profits they brought in.

Boring Granny cars is where the profit is at

Your average buyer of any car doesn't have track use in mind. But you'll see a GT86 or BRZ on pretty much every track day that you go on - they handle well, are relatively affordable, can be driven to and from the track without much compromise (and are workable as a daily driver), and there's a wealth of aftermarket support for them.

I think it's a myth that they'd sell in any sort of numbers if there were a turbocharged version from the factory. It'd be nearer £40k than £30k, and people (mostly on PH) would be moaning that you can get lower monthlies on a Golf R. It would also pitch it towards lightly used Cayman territory, and even with the improvements on the latest GR86 and BRZ and 300bhp I don't think anyone would pretend that it could compete with those. MX5 aside, name a Japanese sports car that's actually sold better than the GT86/BRZ...

Im struggling to think of any other Japanese sports cars in the market? Even going back years you couldn't call Z cars true sports cars. Maybe the s2000 and Mr2...but they're a few generations old now.

I've always wanted it turbo charged because it would then be a bit like a Nissan 200SX successor in some ways for me. Whereas in its current form it is more like a hard top MX-5 really.

In terms of sales the GT86/BRZ have easily outsold stuff like the Toyota Supra/Nissan 370Z for example for sure.

[dbs2000]

mario64 said:

I was also underwhelmed when I tried one. It’s a nice car and I’m glad Toyota is still making a simple RWD coupe but I thought the improvements vs. the old car were a bit hit and miss. I don’t get why journos are so enthusiastic.

I've always felt this way about the MX5. I'd still take an S2000 over any MX, every day yet the MX is loved and if you say otherwise you're a heathen.