STI-Tweaked Subaru BRZ Type RA Arrives In Japan

Of the many, many combinations of letters and numbers that have adorned countless special edition Subaru Imprezas, Type RA sits somewhere near the top of the tree. Standing for Record Attempt, it traditionally signalled a WRX STI that had been stripped back to basics in order to make it easier to convert for motorsport, and tended to be limited to the Japanese market.

The name has just made a return, though, and while the part about it being Japan-exclusive still rings true, it’s otherwise very different to any Type RAs that have come before. The latest car to wear the badge is the Subaru BRZ STI Sport Type RA, a racing-honed version of the second-gen rear-drive sports car co-developed with Toyota.

It uses a development of the 2.4-litre FA24 boxer four used by the standard car, borrowed from a race-prepped BRZ that competes in Japan’s Super Taikyu series. That, apparently, sees the weight and balance tolerances of the pistons, conrods, crankshaft, flywheel and clutch cover reduced, which Subaru says creates “a racecar-like engine feel with minimal vibration and smooth acceleration.” No word on whether it makes any difference to the 228bhp and 184lb ft developed by the standard car, though.

The engine’s not the only thing borrowed from the race car. It also uses the same uprated differential casing, complete with cooling fins, and a shift assist function that brings both auto rev matching on downshifts and a flatshift function, allowing drivers to keep the throttle buried on upshifts. Finally, a set of dedicated ZF dampers, also honed in Super Taikyu, are fitted.

A bunch of bits have been pulled out of the STI parts bin, too. That includes a performance exhaust, a host of suspension bits and an aero package topped off by that (optional) sizeable rear spoiler.

Obviously, we’ve never been able to buy the second-gen BRZ in Britain, and its identical twin, the Toyota GR86, was only ever sold here in tiny numbers. There’s no chance of the Type RA coming here officially, then, nor to any other market outside of Japan. Even there, it’s limited to just 300 units, costing ¥4.972 million (around £24,500), or ¥5.478 million (around £27,000) if you want the big ol’ wing. Prospective buyers will have to enter a lottery to be in with a shot at owning one, opening today and closing at the end of November.