Subaru reveals the best BRZ you can’t have with STI Sport Type RA

Subaru gives BRZ the Type RA name

Sometimes, we don’t get why Japanese manufacturers like to keep their best products to themselves, especially if we’re talking about enthusiast cars. The world is constantly yearning for a great-performing, affordable sports car, yet most of those examples are destined only for the Japanese market.

One of the latest to do so is Subaru. And yes, we’re reading the spec sheet as our hearts are breaking with the limited-production BRZ STI Sport Type RA, which has all the performance upgrades that an enthusiast dreams about for a trackday car.

It’s still not quite a bespoke Subaru STI model, but given the coveted Type RA name, which stands for Record Attempt, the limited-edition model is about 90% there. The automaker took the lessons it learned from the Super Taikyu Series and applied them to the BRZ STI Sport Type RA.

Subaru added ZF front and rear dampers, STI-branded V-bar and rear stabilizer, lightweight forged BBS aluminum wheels, and even added a diffuser to channel the airflow underneath and keep the car stable at high speeds. Of course, as an STI Sport, it gets upgrades for both form and function, like the Super Taikyu-derived dry carbon rear spoiler, plus the standard front and rear chin spoiler.

The best upgrade bits, however, are found on the mechanical side. While Subaru did not reveal if there was an increase in power output on the BRZ’s 2.4-liter boxer engine, the engine has been meticulously balanced, resulting in a 50% reduction in weight tolerance for the pistons and connecting rods, 80% less rotational balance tolerance for the crankshaft, while the flywheel and clutch cover are both 67 and 50% lighter. 

Quite simply, the engine balancing work results in a much smoother boxer engine, bringing it closer to the Super Taikyu unit. If you’re wondering which other production cars get this kind of work, it’s Porsche with the 911 GT3.

The special edition even comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, where you can do flat foot power shifts and has a rev-matching feature for downshifting.

But wait, here’s the best part. With all those upgrades included in the package, the Subaru BRZ STI Sport Type RA’s prices start at JPY 4,972,000 to JPY 5,478,000 (PHP 1.8 to 2 million in today’s exchange rates). And yes, it's still much cheaper than a Prelude in Japan which retails for JPY 6,179,800.

Sadly, though, Subaru will only make 300 examples of these. That’s 200 units without the rear spoiler added, and 100 units for the winged version. What’s even more sad is that you have to be picked at the lottery to be eligible to purchase one, making it an even more forbidden fruit.

Come on, Subaru. Give the world what it wants.