People have had mixed feelings about the Subaru BRZ ever since it was introduced back in 2012. The BRZ is certainly different from the rest of the vehicles in the Subaru line up. It's the only model that doesn’t offer Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, and its sporty coupe styling leaves it sticking out like a sore thumb on a Subaru lot.
There's a good reason the BRZ seems so different from other Subaru vehicles: it's the result of a collaboration between Subaru and Toyota. In fact, the BRZ is a car with a bit of an identity crisis. It has five different names under three different manufacturers. It also goes by as the Toyota 86, Toyota GT86, Toyota FT86, and the Scion FR-S. No matter the name, however, they are all manufactured by Subaru.
Considering just how different the vehicle is from the rest of the Subaru family, it's understandable why some loyalists may have their reservations.
However, the announcement of a new BRZ STI has worked Subaru fans into a tizzy. The WRX STI has been integral to Subaru's recent success in the United States, and mention of an STI-tuned anything gets rally fans salivating. Adding three letters is enough to make people look past the differences that two-doors, two-wheel drive, and a collaboration make.
Subaru Tecnica International, more commonly known as just STI, specializes in high-performance Subaru tuning. STI is in charge of putting together the beefed up super vehicles used by the Subaru World Rally Team.
The BRZ STI was announced at the 2015 New York Auto Show. Although what was introduced was merely a concept car, there is strong indication that it will be available on the U.S. market in the future. In an interview with Automotive News, STI president Yoshio Hirakawa said the United States is the company's highest priority.
The super BRZ boasted a number of upgrades including STI-suspension, 18” alloy wheels, custom disc brakes, a pterodactyl-sized rear wing, a carbon fiber kit, and a 345 bhp engine.
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