Back in June, Subaru announced that it was going to produce a limited edition of 500 higher-performance WRX STIs and BRZs. Now we know what they’ll cost.
Let’s take the WRX STI Type RA first. That’s going to set you back $ 49,855, including destination and delivery. (As a frame of reference, a plain old STI lists for $ 36,995.)
The BRZ tA, on the other hand, will cost $ 34,355. (A base BRZ sells for $ 26,315.)
So the premiums for the limited-edition cars are $ 12,860 and $ 8,040, respectively.
What you get for the WRX STI Type RA’s higher price, aside from more letters, is a roster of handling and enhancements and weight reduction measures (how much less, Subaru didn’t say):
- Carbon fiber wing.
- Carbon fiber roof panel.
- Spare tire delete.
- Lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels.
- Revised third-gear ratio and shorter throw on the six-speed manual.
- Upgraded suspension with special Bilstein dampers.
- Modified vehicle dynamics control (VDC).
- All WRX STIs for 2018 get upgraded brakes, and the Type RA shares in that, getting stronger Brembo monoblock six-piston calipers in front. Two-piston calipers are in the rear, and it gets larger, cross-drilled rotors at all four corners. Brake pads have more surface area. The one difference in the Type RA: The calipers are painted an “exclusive” silver finish.
- All STIs also get a new all-electronically controlled limited-slip center differential AWD system.
- Horsepower gets a nudge to 310, from the regular STI’s 305. Doesn’t look like much on paper, but Subaru says the car will get a new cold-air intake, high-flow exhaust, retuned ECU and stronger pistons.
- Inside, it gets special Recaro seats, an Ultrasuede steering wheel, and each car will be individually numbered, with a plaque in the cabin.
- Finally, the Type RA gets “Cherry Blossom Red” accenting, RA badging, a front underspoiler and paint choices of blue, black and white.
In case you’re wondering about the naming/numbering, the “RA” in WRX STI Type RA stands for “record attempt.” In July, a WRX STI Type RA NBR Special — a specially built 600-horsepower racecar that is a far cry from the car going on sale — finished a lap of the Nurburgring in a blazing 6:57.5. That’s just half a second behind the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar.
The BRZ tA, meanwhile, gets:
- STI-tuned front and rear Sachs dampers and coil springs, and other steps to stiffen the suspension.
- Lightweight 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports.
- Four-piston Brembos up front, twofers in the back.
- A carbon-fiber adjustable rear spoiler
- Underspoilers all around the car.
- A 4.2-inch screen next to the tach that shows vehicle performance data.
- And the same Cherry Blossom Red accents as the STI Type RA. Ditto the paint choices. Oh, and black-and-red leather and Alcantara upholstery.
- Engine performance is unchanged from the garden-variety BRZ.
Expect them at Subaru dealers in spring 2018.
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