Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 37

Attention, hardcore Subaru fans: There’s a new kind of Subaru
in town and it’s going to blow your mind. To identify this new
offering, you need to remember just three little words, “tuned by
STI,” and the corresponding acronym, “tS.”
Of course, by this point in your journey with Subaru, you
likely know all about STI. If you’re still in the dark, STI stands
for Subaru Tecnica International, the performance arm of
the company, which prepares cars for all sorts of motorsports
activities, such as the 24 Hours Nürburgring and the Super GT
Championship.
In Canada, up until this point, the only production Subaru
vehicle to be developed by the engineers at STI has been the
WRX STI. Now, there’s a new line of performance cars from STI
on our shores and the first of these is the limited-edition 2018
Subaru BRZ tS.
While the WRX STI is known for being the most powerful Subaru,
the quickest in a straight line and the fastest around any given
track, the BRZ tS represents a different approach to performance,
one that focuses more on driving dynamics. The “tuned by STI”
offering, then, will slot in between entry level versions of Subaru
performance vehicles and full-blown STI models.
This BRZ holds fast with the same naturally aspirated 2.0L
SUBARU BOXER 4-cylinder as other versions of this popular sport
coupe. But no corner has been cut in taking the inherent strength of
the BRZ, its intuitive handling, to stratospheric new levels.
been fitted with 215/40 R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires, world-
renowned for their superior grip under extreme conditions.
In order to fasten the BRZ tS to the ground even further, front-,
rear- and side underspoilers have been added. The icing on this tasty
cake is the massive STI carbon fibre rear spoiler, which features two
manually adjustable settings. As all of these enhancements combine
to create greatly increased cornering speed, front and rear Brembo
brakes have been added… just in case.
While common thinking dictates that more horsepower is
needed to achieve greater performance, the Subaru BRZ tS is the
exception to the rule. In testing, this special edition recorded
gains across the board: approximately 64% more front downforce,
87% more rear downforce, 36% improvement in steering
responsiveness and 6.8% increased lateral grip. In other numbers,
around Willow Springs Raceway in California, the BRZ tS was
close to 1.3 seconds per lap faster than a stock BRZ.
If you needed further evidence that the Subaru BRZ tS is a
true enthusiast car, it’s only offered with the 6-speed manual
transmission. The car also features slick visual cues, including the
exclusive Cherry Blossom Red exterior accents, tS trunk lid badge,
and a roof-mounted shark fin antenna, side mirrors, and BRZ
and Subaru badges, all clad in black. Inside, the passenger cabin
features red seatbelts, red leather side bolsters for the black leather
and Alcantara seats, and seatbacks emblazoned with the tS logo.
The work started with reinforcement to the chassis and sub-
frame in the form of draw stiffeners, which sharpen steering
response. Flexible V-bars have been added to the engine
compartment for further support. At all four corners of the
vehicle, SACHS dampers and coil springs, custom-tuned by the
engineers at STI, have been installed. But that’s not all. From behind the wheel, the BRZ tS is a revelation. The car clings
to the tarmac with a raw tenacity that leaves competitors costing
more than twice as much feeling ordinary. The precision of the
steering, the level of grip in the corners, and the connectedness of
the brakes and transmission create a level of balance and harmony
that is truly magical. For those who already love the BRZ, the tS
represents the ultimate expression of that love.
For the first time ever, a BRZ rides on 18-inch wheels—
specifically, lightweight alloy wheels from STI. These have The 2018 Subaru BRZ tS is limited to just 100 examples in Canada,
so if you haven’t acted fast by now, it may be too late already.
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