Based on what it learned from the Super Taikyu series, Subaru is putting out another limited edition BRZ, this time calling it an STI. The BRZ STI Sport Type RA (Record Attempt) features improved suspension, Brembo brakes, and new dampers. Production will be very limited and available only in Japan. People who want to buy the one-of-a-kind BRZ must first enter a draw. It is very different from thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side to accepting that other people have access to things you do not. In the United States, we have a lot of motor toys, but we always want cars that won’t be made for another 25 years. The newest thing on our mind is the Subaru BRZ STI Sport Type RA, a brand-new, limited-edition car available only in Japan. Subaru’s most similar car to the STI format on the BRZ frame is the Type RA (Record Attempt), though it’s not quite a full-fledged STI like the STI S209. Subaru says the Type RA was developed using lessons learned from the Super Taikyu endurance racing series in Japan. This includes better Brembo brakes, unique ZF dampers at each corner, and a rear joint with more cooling fins to improve strength. A new aero kit was created for the underbody; the wheels are lightweight STI BBS aluminum; the V-bands are flexible; the sway bar was changed; and the suspension was made firmer. Of course, the Type RA gets a new muffler layout, since Subaru wouldn’t use the STI name without a better exhaust system. Subaru put just as much work into improving the engine as they did into the frame, which is great. The FA24 2.4-liter naturally aspirated boxer four-cylinder engine, which is still in the engine bay, has undergone many changes by Subaru. Subaru didn’t try to get more power out of the engine; instead, they lowered the weight limits of the different parts to make the engine flow more easily across the rpm range. The crankshaft’s tolerance for rotational balance is cut in half, and the weight limits for the pistons and connecting rods are cut in half as well. The clutch weighs 50% less, and the flywheel weighs 67% less. Aside from the power plant itself, other things have changed as well. Subaru also added flat-foot moving and rev-matching to the Type RA, which made the car feel more like a race car. The Type RA will also only be made in very small numbers, just like the S209. Subaru will make 200 cars with back spoilers and another 100 without them. Based on the current exchange rate, they cost between $32,000 and $35,400, but you’ll need more than cash to buy one. Japanese shoppers have to join a lottery between now and the end of November to get the rarest BRZ yet.
