The air, crisp and thin at the private proving grounds nestled deep in the Rockies, felt alive. It wasn’t the thin air of Ehra-Lessien, no, but it carried the same electric anticipation. A low, guttural thrum vibrated the ground beneath my feet, a sound I’ve learned to recognize over decades of chasing speed: the distinct, purposeful beat of a turbocharged Subaru flat-four. I watched it flash past, a blur of sculpted aerodynamics and aggressive intent, a crimson streak against the faded tarmac. This wasn’t just another BRZ. This was the one we’d whispered about, dreamed of, doubted would ever arrive. The 2027 Subaru BRZ STI tS. And now, its moment had come.
First impressions, even before the key fob finds my pocket, are everything. A car speaks volumes standing still. The 2027 BRZ STI tS, parked under the stark Colorado sun, isn’t shouting for attention; it’s commanding it with a quiet, confident snarl. Gone are any vestiges of the polite, almost apologetic lines of its predecessors. This is a car that has spent time in the wind tunnel, on the test rig, and, crucially, on the Nürburgring.
The stance alone tells a story. Lower, wider, with an aggressive set of 18-inch forged BBS wheels barely containing massive Brembo calipers. The front fascia is a masterclass in functional aggression. Larger, angular air intakes feed the intercooler and brakes, while a deeper splitter, edged in the signature STI cherry blossom red, anchors the car visually. Those small, almost imperceptible aerodynamic flicks at the corners of the bumper? They aren’t for show. They’re channeling air, creating pressure, generating grip.
Move along the profile, and the purposeful details continue. Subtly flared arches house wider, stickier rubber. The side skirts aren’t merely decorative; they’re designed to manage airflow along the car’s flanks. And then, the rear. That enormous, swan-neck carbon fiber wing isn’t just a styling flourish – it’s a fully functional piece of motorsport-derived equipment, perched high to catch clean air and press the rear axle into the tarmac. Below it, a redesigned diffuser frames a pair of substantial exhaust tips. Every line, every crease, every vent, speaks of intent. It’s a track car, thinly disguised for the road. The BRZ STI tS doesn’t just look fast; it looks like it means business. It makes you feel a prickle of nervous excitement, a hint of respect, even before you thumb the starter. This machine, you realize, holds secrets it’s eager to share.
Lifting the hood of the STI tS reveals the heart of this transformation, and it is a thing of boosted beauty. Nestled deep in the bay, closer to the firewall for optimal weight distribution, is the familiar 2.4-liter Flat-4, but now with a single, twin-scroll turbocharger. This isn’t just an off-the-shelf WRX engine swap; it’s been thoroughly re-engineered by the STI division. Forged internals, revised cylinder heads, a beefier cooling system, and a bespoke ECU tune conspire to produce a formidable 310 horsepower. More critically, the torque curve is flatter, wider, and instantly gratifying, peaking at an estimated 295 lb-ft.
The engine note at idle is a deep, resonant thrum, a purposeful beat hinting at suppressed aggression. Prod the throttle, and it awakens with a raspy snarl, the turbo spooling with a distinct, metallic whistle before unleashing a torrent of thrust. This car absolutely flies. Subaru quotes a 0-60 mph sprint in a blistering 4.6 seconds, and having felt the launch, I have no doubt. The quarter mile flashes past in an estimated 13.0 seconds flat, trapping just over 108 mph. These numbers put it squarely in the territory of far more expensive machinery. The power delivery is linear, relentless, and addictive. No longer do you have to wring the neck of the naturally aspirated FA24 for every ounce of performance; here, the boost arrives with a confident surge, propelling you forward with conviction. It’s the engine the BRZ always deserved, now finally uncaged.
Slipping into the heavily bolstered, Alcantara-trimmed Recaro seat, the cockpit immediately feels like a serious tool. The small-diameter steering wheel is thick-rimmed, wrapped in the same grippy material, and the short-throw shifter for the six-speed manual falls perfectly to hand. No automatic here. This is a driver’s car, pure and unadulterated.
The first few laps of the circuit are a delicate dance of discovery. The steering, electric but imbued with a clarity I haven’t felt in an EPS system in years, is simply sublime. It’s weighted perfectly, not artificially heavy, but with a resistance that builds progressively, feeding back a rich tapestry of information from the road surface. Every ripple, every aggregate change, every subtle shift in grip is telegraphed directly to my fingertips.
Push harder. The chassis, reinforced and stiffened with additional bracing and a unique STI-tuned suspension, is utterly unflappable. Body roll is virtually nonexistent, replaced by an immediate, almost telepathic response to steering inputs. Turn-in is razor-sharp, the nose biting hard and true into apexes. The grip from the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires is immense, allowing incredible cornering speeds. I found myself pushing for an estimated 1.08g on the skidpad, the car rotating predictably and controllably at the limit, never snapping or punishing.
Mid-corner, a delicate throttle application lights up the rear tires, but not in a hooliganistic way. It’s a precise adjustment of your line, a subtle rotation that tightens the corner, aided by the finely tuned Torsen limited-slip differential. The brakes, those massive Brembo units, are phenomenal. They offer incredible stopping power, hauling the car down from speed with an estimated 60-0 mph distance of just 102 feet. Crucially, they’re progressive, easy to modulate at the limit, and showed absolutely no fade after multiple hot laps. The scent of hot pads and rubber filled the air, a primal perfume that speaks of serious work being done.
This car talks to you. It whispers through the steering, vibrates through the seat (that slight, insistent tremor in the lower back during hard cornering, a reminder of the chassis’s rigidity and the forces at play), and roars through the exhaust. It’s a symphony of feedback, making you feel intimately connected to every revolution of the engine, every scrub of the tire, every millimeter of suspension travel. On the brief road sections, the ride is firm, bordering on harsh, but never crashy. It’s the kind of firmness you expect from a track special, a constant reminder of its true purpose. This isn’t a touring car. This is a precision instrument, designed to dissect a track with surgical intent.
Inside the cabin, the BRZ STI tS maintains its driver-centric philosophy, but with a welcome dose of elevated purpose. The design remains familiar, minimalist, and focused on the task of driving, but the materials have seen a significant upgrade. Alcantara abounds – on the seats, the steering wheel, the door cards, even adorning the dashboard in strategic places to reduce glare. Red contrast stitching, an STI hallmark, is everywhere, a subtle yet constant reminder of the car’s pedigree.
The 7-inch digital gauge cluster is clear and reconfigurable, with a prominent central tachometer that changes display modes when Track mode is engaged. The 8-inch infotainment screen is tucked neatly into the dash, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a suite of performance metrics specific to the tS. Lap times, G-forces, oil temperatures – it’s all there, presented cleanly without overwhelming the driver. The climate controls remain physical knobs and buttons, a welcome tactile reassurance in a world increasingly reliant on touchscreens.
Ergonomics are excellent. The driving position is low-slung, perfectly aligned with the pedals and steering wheel. The Recaro seats, while firm, provide exceptional lateral support, gripping you firmly during high-G maneuvers without feeling restrictive. Rear passenger space, as expected, is virtually non-existent – more of a parcel shelf for helmets and track bags than for actual humans. But that’s not why you buy this car. You buy it for the focused, engaging experience in the front two seats. It’s a cabin built for speed, for concentration, and for the sheer joy of driving. Even the smell, a blend of new leather, Alcantara, and that faint, almost metallic tang of a hard-working engine permeating the air, speaks to its purpose.
Who should buy the 2027 Subaru BRZ STI tS? This isn’t a car for those seeking plush luxury or effortless cruising. This is for the purist. The enthusiast who lives for the weekend track day, who relishes the art of driving, the precision of a perfectly executed corner. It’s for the driver who understands that a car’s true value isn’t measured solely in raw horsepower, but in the breadth and depth of its engagement. It’s for someone who appreciates a machine that demands skill and rewards commitment.
Compared to a base Toyota GR Supra 2.0, which offers a similar layout and a turbo four-cylinder, the BRZ STI tS feels significantly more focused, more urgent. Where the Supra might b