It isn’t the BRZ STI fans were hoping for but at least it looks like one.
Subaru has never made a real-deal BRZ STI, much to the dismay of fans. And while Subaru doesn’t plan on making one anytime soon—at least as far as it’s mentioned publically—Italian customers will get something that at least looks one. The Subaru BRZ Touge Edition is what you’d expect a BRZ STI to look like, just without any of the mechanical upgrades that typically come with the badge.
The BRZ Touge Edition’s blue paint, lower front lip, rear spoiler, side skirts, and gold 18-inch O.Z. Ultraleggera wheels are plucked right from the STI playbook. Customers can also opt for a set of dark gray 18-inch wheels but they add weight and ditch the O.Z.’s Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires for Yokohama BluEarth Winter tires. However, that’s where its STI DNA ends, as mechaically it’s the same as every other BRZ. It still has the same 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, with 228 horsepower and 182 lb-ft of torque, a six-speed manual, and a limited-slip differential.
The Touge Edition isn’t the only special edition to debut, recently. In the U.S., Subaru recently released the BRZ tS, which comes with upgraded suspension and Brembo brakes. The BRZ tS isn’t as fantastic looking as the Touge Edition but at least it comes with some mechanical upgrades. Subaru also recently launched the BRZ STI Sport, which is a Japanese-market-only model that also gets new suspension and brakes.
Oddly, the cosmetic-only BRZ Touge Edition is by far the most expensive of the three new special editions. Only 60 will be made and each one will cost Italians just over $52,000 (€49,500), which seems steep considering the BRZ STI Sport costs the equivalent of around $25,370 and the BRZ tS should be in the mid-$30,000 range. However, the Touge is a limited-edition model and Subaru Italy’s website doesn’t show a standard BRZ for sale, so it’s possible customers might see the Touge Edition as a unique opportunity to get one of the most fun rear-drive cars on the market, even if it’s expensive.
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