Subaru has denied plans to build a turbocharged STI version of its BRZ sports coupe in the past, but may be planning to up the performance ante on the BRZ after all.
For the uninitiated, Subaru’s STI models are the top-of-the-line sports cars the company sells. Based loosely on the company’s rally race cars, the latest STI has 305-horsepower and does 0-60-mpg in around 4.5 seconds. The STI actually the top-of-the-line WRX model, which in turn is the top-of-the-line Impreza model, so its full name is the Impreza WRX STI. A Subaru BRZ STI would have a lot to live up to, and its 200-hp engine would need a lot of help to justify its name and its inevitable price (here’s an easy way to get under a BRZ driver’s skin: ask them why they didn’t buy the WRX for the same price with 65 more horsepower and all-wheel drive).
According to Motor Authority, Subaru is beginning to develop a turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter engine found in the BRZ and the Scion FR-S. Horsepower would be increased from 200 to 280 and torque from 15 lb-ft to 250 lb-ft. That would give it enough power to outrun the WRX, if not the STI, but without AWD, it would still be playing catch up until the speeds reached extralegal levels. It remains to be seen whether Toyota will get a chance to sell this new turbocharged BRZ engine as well. Hopefully they create their own supercharged for the 2.0-liter engine and the two companies end up in a horsepower war.
