Subaru BRZ earns its stripes

SUBARU Australia has dipped into its STI accessories bin to rev up sales of its BRZ boxer coupe with a special edition that the company says adds up to $9000 in extra for an extra $3500 in price.

And in a move that any 1970s car designer would be proud of, the company has given the BRZ Special Edition a pair of GT stripes, in the Ford style – over the middle of the bonnet, roof and boot – in black or white.

The company plans to sell about 150 of the cars in a limited run, with the first deliveries starting in November.

Priced at $40,650 driveaway in manual form, the special model commands a $3500 price premium over the standard BRZ.

For the extra dosh, the buyer gets STI-branded parts such as 17-inch alloy wheels, body-colour boot-lip spoiler, front, side and rear skirts, rear diffuser, push-button start, short-shift gear shift on manual models, and STI shift knob. Not to mention those stripes.

Some of the extras are having their second outing on a BRZ special edition, following on from BRZ S sports pack released in the middle of last year.

The locally developed kit is available with all current BRZ colours, as well as with an optional six-speed automatic transmission. However, the power and torque of the normally aspirated 2.0-litre boxer engine remains the same as it was at launch, at 147kW and 205Nm.

Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior said the special edition represented tremendous value as it combined the recently announced Model Year 15 enhancements, including suspension tweaks, with “some fantastic kit that only adds to its outstanding on-road presence and reputation.” The new BRZ can be order from Subaru dealers or – like the 2012 original – online at https://buyonline.subaru.com.au.

Launched in July 2012, the BRZ was a sell-out success in its first year, but in typical sportscar fashion, sales started to slow after the initial rush.

This year, Subaru has sold 661 BRZs, a decline of 31.4 per cent over the same period of 2013.

Toyota’s version, the 86, has achieved 2949 sales, down 38.6 per cent.

Subaru BRZ pricing*

BRZ	$37,150
BRZ (a)	$39,730
BRZ Special Edition	$40,650
BRZ Special Edition (a)	$43,230

*Driveaway