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2015 Subaru BRZ tS First Drive [w/video]

The Subaru BRZ is a brilliant driver's car: lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, tactile, nimble and fluid at speed. In terms of qualities that allow for dazzling point-to-point performance, it lacks only power and intense mechanical grip. In the US, options for tuning the BRZ to amplify its strengths or diminish its weaknesses are mostly found in the aftermarket. In Japan, meanwhile, driving enthusiasts can start with the factory-tuned model you see above: the BRZ tS. Designed and built with the engineering prowess of Subaru Tecnica International, the limited-edition tS is tuned for track competence over and above that of the base model. The intent of the tS wasn't lost on me as I stared over the front fender towards Turn 1 at Japan's Suzuka Circuit. Not just a proper place to test STI's claims of increased handling brilliance for its BRZ tune, but a perfect one. Suzuka is challenging – fast and technical in equal measure – and a playground for sorting out the margin of improvement from the standard that BRZ I know so well. Wait, Why Am I Here? Of course, Subaru didn't invite me and a half-dozen other motoring journalists to Japan for an academic exercise in JDM hotness. We were there at the behest of STI, as a first step in what will undoubtedly be a deliciously drawn-out expansion of the performance brand in North America. STI started life as the motorsports division for Subaru-parent Fuji Heavy Industries. But chances are good that you, like me, first encountered the three-letter-logo as a Cherry Blossom Red punctuation mark at the end of a WRX road or rally car. The world came to know STI through Subaru's 1990s WRC dominance and prominence in the Gran Turismo franchise. But outside of Japan the significance of the initials was known more as the designation of the top-dog Impreza, rather than a motorsport and performance engineering unit. The company is set on changing that and building STI into a performance brand that's as easily recognizable in America as M and AMG are today. That message was delivered a body in the STI Concept car at the New York Auto Show earlier this week, but as I mentioned then, we don't expect Subaru to turn up with a production-ready BRZ STI next year. First STI will deploy its parts catalog to the US, removing the half-hearted Subaru Performance Tuning parts business in the process. Next, according to a vague timeline presented in Japan, Subaru will offer a car like the tS to US customers in approximately 18 months.

New Subaru Impreza coming for 2017, previewed by this concept

There's a new Subaru Impreza coming in late 2016, as a 2017 model. And while we don't know any specifics about Fuji Heavy's new compact, we know it'll look something like the concept seen here. Simply called the Impreza 5-Door Concept, this slick hatch makes its debut at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, and we're crossing our fingers that the next-generation production car shares a lot of this hatchback's design. Subaru says this concept hints at "the design direction not only of the new Impreza but of Subaru's future models as a whole." That's easy to see – the fascia wears an more heavily sculpted version of the brand's current design language. Slim taillights accent a petite rump, though we'll of course be interested to see how this design language translates to a four-door Impreza sedan, as well. That said, Subaru sort of has a habit of letting us down in the transition from showcar to production model. This is one company that creates gorgeous concepts, but then the final designs often leave us feeling a little flat. We'll have to wait until next year to know if that's the case with this slick new Impreza. For now, fingers crossed. Subaru "Impreza 5-Door Concept" Makes World Debut at Tokyo Motor Show 2015 Tokyo, October 28, 2015 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today unveiled the "Impreza 5-Door Concept" at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015. The Impreza 5-Door Concept is a design concept car previewing the next-generation Impreza which is to be the first one of Subaru's next-generation strategic vehicles envisioned in FHI's Mid-Term Management Vision "Prominence 2020? announced in May 2014. While positioned as an entry model in the Subaru lineup, its compact body features a blend of bold expressions of Subaru's Dynamic & Solid design elements and a quality feel beyond its class – hinting at the design direction not only of the new Impreza but of Subaru's future models as a whole. Main Features of Impreza 5-Door Concept The front, sides, and rear are seamlessly joined in the Dynamic & Solid surface structure, creating a three-dimensional and solid body that is a feature of Subaru styling. The dynamism is enhanced by well-placed character lines on the 5-door style compact body shape. The design expression of "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind", the value that Subaru provides to its customers, is fully pursued within the limits of the C-segment body size.

Subaru Levorg Concept has us dreaming about a WRX wagon

We're not sure what got in the water supply of Subaru's Tokyo Motor Show team, but we like the results. After checking out the Cross Sport Design Concept, which we would love to see as a BRZ shooting brake, Subaru took the wraps off its Levorg Concept. Naming convention aside, the idea of a sport-tuned wagon with a boxer engine is music to our ears.
The design language fits in with recent Subaru products, and the Levorg's face is very similar to the 2015 WRX that was just unveiled across the Pacific Ocean at the LA Auto Show. In terms of its size, though, this concept is roughly the same as the current Outback, only it sits about five inches lower. Power comes from either of a pair of boxer engines: a fuel-efficient 1.6-liter or a 296-horsepower, 2.0-liter. Both engines would be paired to Subaru's Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.
Subaru says that the Levorg is a thinly veiled version of the production sports tourer that will go on sale (likely in Japan and/or Europe) next spring. Could this mean we could soon see a sporty Legacy wagon in the US? We can only hope. More details about the Levorg are posted in the press release found below.