The Subaru BRZ STI is coming. Hashtag yes

Two words, one wing and a hashtag is all the confirmation we need to be happy: it looks like Subaru will finally build a BRZ STI. Yes.

Subaru USA’s Twitter account simply posted a picture of a rear wing with ‘STI’ badging on the side, and a simple note to “stay tuned” and the hashtag 'STI'. Apparently, the full reveal is scheduled for 8 June, so not long to go before we see what Subaru has cooked up.

Plenty of time then, to speculate as wildly as you wish. A couple of years ago at the New York Motor Show, Subaru showcased a concept BRZ STI; a car that was essentially a very fancy, bewinged and modified marketing tool to better acquaint the USA with Japan’s fabled tuning company.

That car – in the image gallery above – was treated to lower, STI-spec suspension, 18in alloys, custom Brembo brakes, a new aero pack, chassis fasteners to pin down that body and some power.

Actually, not just some power, but a lot of power. Out went the BRZ’s 2.0-litre boxer unit, and in came the EJ20 single-turbo boxer from Subaru’s GT300 car. Officially, the power output on that BRZ STI concept was quoted at 345bhp (but secretly TG discovered the car on the stand packed around 450bhp), matched to a stronger six-speed gearbox and rear wheel drive.

Now, we don’t expect the production version to debut with 450bhp (but oh how we wish it would), but anything over the 200bhp of the regular car would be a boon. Also, it’s got a wing, so we’re halfway to STI fandom.

Back in 2015, Subaru stated should an STI-badged BRZ ever see the light of day, "[we] would assume it would come to the UK, it would be easier because it’s already right-hand-drive".

As Subaru states, ‘stay tuned’, and we’ll bring you more as we have it...