Subaru BRZ STI Performance Concept debut

Subaru has unveiled its BRZ STI Performance Concept overnight, amid the glitz and glamour of the 2015 New York motor show, providing a tantalising taste of what could be around the corner for the Japanese car maker.

Powered by a 225kW race car engine, fitted with race-spec suspension and aggressive aero bodywork, the aggressive two-door coupe represents the first step in a new strategy to see STI launch as a stand-alone brand in the US – and potentially Australia.

Although the beefed-up BRZ is a concept at this stage it foreshadows what the company could offer customers in the very near future – particularly if the feedback is positive.

Fitted with the GT300 EJ20 engine from the BRZ Super GT race car fielded in Japan, the turbocharged engine is estimated to generate around 225kW and 450Nm, which would give the rear-drive coupe a significant performance boost over the current 147kW/205Nm.

The road-racer's 0-100km/h dash could easily drop below 5.0 seconds with that sort of pepper under the bonnet.

Other changes include race-spec suspension, more powerful brakes, structural reinforcements to improve body rigidity and striking new body work, including a massive rear spoiler and deep rear diffuser plus new LED driving lights integrated into a new front wing.

"Going forward we to intend to bring complete [STI production] cars to the US," said Yoshio Hirakawa, president of Subaru Tecnica International, highlighting STI's new strategy to expand stand-alone models beyond Japan.

"Our goal is produce cars and accessories that drivers can really enjoy not just through power but with balance too," he added.

Fans have been crying out for a more powerful STI version of the BRZ since the car launched here in July 2012 and although some Subaru executives privately acknowledged the lack of power issue, Hirakawa was coy when asked about production realities.

"We cannot say," he said of a production version of the latest BRZ STI concept but motoring.com.au understands that testing of the vehicle will be ongoing – in particular the 225kW race engine – which is likely to lead to a production version in future.

Whether that engine makes its way into the current BRZ as a special STI edition or in the next generation model from around 2018 is not yet clear.

Other changes to the BRZ STI Performance Concept include a race car-inspired interior design with deep bucket seats, a vehicle telemetry system for measuring G-forces and lap times, and one of the coolest steering wheels yet. The latter features the engine start button, a mode selector and even an LED shift indicator built into the rim.

New centre console switchgear gives the car an exotic look and feel too, evidence of the lengths STI will extend to stamp its authority on bespoke models.

Hirakawa stated that "we will introduce another STI concept for the Japanese customer" during the 2015 Tokyo motor show, proof that Subaru is investing heavily in its new strategy to emulate the likes of AMG, HSV and others.

Although a production version of the striking 225kW BRZ STI has not been publicly confirmed for any markets, motoring.com.au can reveal that STI is looking to bring its standalone performance models to Australia in due course.

Hiroshi Mori, director of product planning at Subaru Tecnica International, reiterated that Japan and the USA are currently the primary focus of STI in terms of new product but that Australia is likely to benefit from the company's renewed focus on high-performance vehicle development.

"STI thinks the Australian market is one of the most important markets in the world, so they would like to expand to Australia in the future," said Mori via an interpreter.

"I think Australian people understand what STI is," he said, noting the existence of the previous generation Subaru Forester S Edition which benefited from a handful of STI components.