Subaru BRZ Gets The STI Sport Treatment In Japan

The joint Toyota and Subaru-built GR86/BRZ are receiving unique special editions in Japan for the 2024 model year, but whereas the GR86 40th Anniversary Edition is an homage to the AE86, the Subaru BRZ STI Sport is a little more... ordinary.

Instead of the STI badge meaning some turbocharged rally-ready goodness as it once did, this time, it's more of a tuned-by-STI marker, which makes sense since it's almost identical to the US-spec BRZ tS, in which tS stands for "tuned by STI."

On sale since 2021, both models have delivered on their promise to offer lightweight performance on a budget. We've seen some incredible editions for both models here in America, but now the automakers are using the same formula and turning their attention to their home market.

The BRZ STI Sport has a special suspension tuned by STI and STI-tuned Hitcahi Astemo SFRD front dampers that give the vehicle a much more responsive and agile ride without sacrificing quality.

Aesthetically, the car now sits on 18-inch dark metallic aluminum wheels, which optionally house Brembo ventilated disc brakes with gold calipers at all four corners.

The door mirrors and rooftop antenna are both black and the BRZ logo color on the headlights is now cherry red. STI badges are now located on the front and rear of the vehicle too.

On the inside, you get another black and red interior with Ultra Suede genuine leather seats featuring the STI logo. Many dark-cast metallic accents have been added to switches and other tidbits as well.

Unlike the Toyota, which is limited to 200 units, Subaru isn't placing a cap on the BRZ STI Sport and estimates it will sell about 350 of these vehicles a month.

As if these upgrades weren't enough, both companies have made Subaru's Eyesight ADAS standard equipment for their coupes equipped with manual transmissions. It allows these vehicles to employ adaptive cruise control with vehicle-follow capability, pre-collision braking, lane-departure warnings, fatigue detection, and more. Previously, if you wanted these features, you had to opt for the $1,000 automatic transmission, so this is welcome news indeed and helps to make both vehicles an even better value. without diminishing their fun factor