Even if the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86 twins weren’t as good as they are–and they are, indeed, exactly as good as they are–they’d still be popular cars in our orbit. They’re some of the last of a dying breed of rear-drive, performance-oriented, stick-shifted sports cars that still manage to be relatively affordable and accessible to a large segment of our market. …
Let’s tS It Up
Until things changed with the tS, that is (and, to be fair, Toyota’s mostly equivalent Trueno Edition GR86). The tS addresses and mostly solves the BRZ’s most glaring issue–the comically under-capacity 11.6-inch front brakes–as well as tweaks a host of other systems for optimal function.
Those brakes make up the bulk of our glowing praise for the tS package. Four-piston front Brembo calipers squeeze 12.8-inch vented discs, while dual-piston Brembo rears pinch 12.4-inch solid rotors. Enough can’t be said about the upgrades in confidence and drivability they bring to the table.
Indeed, the base brakes weren’t horrible–once. They have decent feel and decent bite on initial application, but only in the most mild sort of applications and only the first time you hit them. To get a fast lap with the base brakes on our test track at the Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park, for example, we basically had to sell out a couple cooldown laps before a single flyer of the relatively short 1.6-mile circuit.
Even then, the hardest braking application at the FIRM is entering the final corner right before the timing stripe, so it wasn’t unusual to take a slightly less aggressive braking approach to the next-to-last corner to ensure we had brake capacity for the last application.
The big story on the tS is the brakes: Brembo calipers and larger rotors give the car a serious boost right where it needed it.
With the tS, no such gamesmanship is necessary. Brakes are confidence-inspiring even over multiple back-to-back hot laps, with exceptional application and release and excellent trail-braking characteristics. Remember that we’re talking about as-delivered brakes, down to the factory fluid fill and OEM pads. A set of more track-focused pads and a proper high-temp fluid fill would create even more capacity to augment that great base feel and performance.
Chassis-wise, the BRZ continues to be one of our favorites, with great feel and feedback and exceptional balance. A set of Michelin PS4 tires wrapped around 18×7.5-inch wheels delivers a definite upgrade from the 17-inch rubber fitted on the base-trim twins, and a proper alignment and some 200tw tires would up the ante even further. Front struts and rear wishbones support each corner, and while we’d love to see A-arms all around like on the Miata, the front camber curve doesn’t seem to be particularly negatively affected by the MacPherson struts.
Speaking of struts, all those dampers have been upgraded to new Hitachi units for the 2024 tS model. (The Toyota cousin gets Sachs units.) In our testing, we noticed no unusual reactions from the damping, which is usually the highest praise we can heap upon OEM shocks. Particularly in the FIRM’s esses section–basically a straight with a series of curbs that can be heavily consumed if running good shocks–we noticed minimal speed loss over the bumps, which is typically an indicator of a set of compliant but well-controlled dampers.
Inside, the tS is our favorite BRZ/GR86 to date, even though the changes over previous models are small and subtle.
Inside, the tS–MSRP of $35,345–gets a few specific touches, like the blue trim on the leather wheel, seats and shift knob. Overall, though, the interior is functionally the same as with the $32,695 Limited trim.
Although the media materials don’t list any significant changes for the seats, the ones in our test car definitely felt better and slightly lower than in the recent twins we’ve sampled, creating some much-needed space between the steering wheel and seat bottom. Whether this is due to undocumented production changes or simply break-in time on our tester, we don’t know for sure, but we do know this is our favorite stock twin we’ve sampled for seating and ergonomics.
Unlike much of its competition, the BRZ also features back seats. They’re about as roomy and comfortable as an Allegiant flight to Minot, but they do exist, which is more than can be said for most of the market mates of the car.
Data Dive
We lined up the data from our VBox HD Lite with the fastest current-generation twin we’d tested to this point, which was a 2022 Subaru BRZ equipped with an automatic transmission. Yes, really, the automatic BRZ outran the six-speed-equipped Toyota GR86 by nearly a full second, with a 1:23.16 versus a 1:24.02. The discrepancy was mostly grip-related, but the acceleration curves are nearly identical; the automatic gives up nothing to the manual at the FIRM.
The new BRZ tS? It turns a 1:22.85.
Where does it pull away?
1. We’re still impressed with the acceleration of the automatic-equipped BRZ (red trace), as it’s basically the equal of the six-speed-equipped BRZ tS (blue trace). 2. This area is the FIRM’s esses, where taking lots of curb is the name of the game. The tS’s Hitachi dampers seem to be showing up here, as their superior compliance and reaction speed allows a bit more pace over some of the big curb hops. 3. The tS shows a marginally faster entry into the FIRM’s Turn 8, and we attribute a lot of that to superior brake feel for more aggressive trail braking and corner entry. 4. The brake upgrade is really apparent in the final braking zone, where the tS’s Brembos facilitate later and harder braking than the smaller base brakes, which get a bit tired after just a single flyer lap.
First, we can see that the acceleration curves between the automatic BRZ and the manually shifted tS look nearly identical, separating only momentarily each time the driveline is decoupled to manually shift gears. Not particularly relevant to this story, but a fascinating data point all the same.
While both cars nearly match each other through most of the lap, the hard braking into that final, high-speed corner clearly shows the superiority of the tS setup: The tS can simply stay on the gas longer and decelerate at a quicker and more consistent rate. The smaller, overheated brakes on the standard car can’t do that.
While both cars post similar lateral grip numbers, the Hitachi shocks fitted to the tS also seem to pay off in the esses with higher speeds over the first couple of curbs. (Oddly, the standard BRZ posted a faster speed through the FIRM’s fast kink, although we’ve found this turn to be easily affected by dust, grit and even weather–rain can wash away any collected rubber and its associated grip.)
What’s It All Mean?
At $35,345, the tS commands a $2650 premium over the Limited model, with the brakes being the most notable upgrade. The other big upgrade: the specifically tuned Hitachi dampers, which subjectively feel and seem to objectively perform better than the base shocks.
So, is it worth it? Just based on numbers, it’s close. You could probably duplicate the performance with aftermarket parts, but we think it would still be close. What you wouldn’t be able to do, however, is roll those purchases into your original vehicle loan if financing the car–or have them covered under the standard three-year, 36,000-mile warranty.
We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention one of the other common questions that accompanies any conversation we have about these cars: “Aren’t they all blowing engines?”
The 228-horsepower, 2.4-liter flat-four seems underrated based on our acceleration charts.
Yes, based on internet chatter, early deliveries of the new-for-2022 BRZ seemed to have higher-than-usual failure rates, and that same chatter seems to have placed blame on improperly installed sealant clogging oil passages in the pickup tube. But the frequency of those reports seems to have largely curtailed with the post-2022 models.
Now, does that mean the issue is solved? Well, anecdotes are not evidence, so it might not mean much. But also consider that these cars are used far harder than most consumer-based products by an audience that is online and engaged and can easily amplify voices when it comes to issues.
Another issue we’ve heard that can cause oiling problems and the resulting engine failures: aftermarket oil coolers paired with undersized lines and ports that can cause unintended pressure drops.
Despite owner reports of engine failures shortly after introduction, BRZs and GR86s are still among the most popular cars at your local track.
Bottom line here: If we were plunking down the $36K+ for a new Subaru BRZ tS, we wouldn’t panic, but we’d also have a conversation with the dealer service department about coverage for any engine failures and possibly base a final buying decision on the answer.
And hopefully it’s a good answer, because the BRZ tS is an absolute joy on track. It’s got all the spirit of the twins we’ve come to love, but with the additional dose of confidence and competence afforded by a brake kit finally up to the rest of the car’s capability.
