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Subaru details BRZ tS, stops short of full-on STI

Fans of the sweet-handling Subaru BRZ awaiting some performance enhancements got their hopes up earlier this month when parent Fuji Heavy Industries dropped some teasers hinting at an apparent STI version, but as was subsequently suspected, the model in question - now revealed in full - stops short of being a full-on STI model.
What we're looking at here is the new Subaru BRZ tS, which incorporates a series of enhancements but leaves the engine alone. Available exclusively in the Japanese Domestic Market, the BRZ tS package includes a thicker driveshaft, a front lip spoiler, Brembo ventilated brake discs packed inside 18-inch wheels and a smattering of STI logos inside and out. STI has also upgraded the suspension components, retuned the stability control and exhaust note and enhanced the interior with some carbon and Alcantara touches. An additional GT package includes further upgrades, most noticeably the giant rear wing (made of carbon fiber) shown above, black-painted alloys and Recaro bucket seats.
Only 500 examples of the BRZ tS will be offered in Japan, with no more than 250 of those outfitted with the supplementary GT package. Here's hoping Subaru gives us a taste on this side of the Pacific as well - or better yet, maybe they'll quit joking around and give us the full-on STI already.

Subaru announces 2019 BRZ pricing, new Series.Gray limited edition

Subaru has announced the pricing of the 2019 model year BRZ coupe, along with a new limited edition version. A 250-unit Series.Gray edition will be offered as the top version. The cheapest BRZ trim level, yet called Premium, starts at $25,795 for 2019. That is a $200 bump from 2018, and changes include a standard rear-view camera, welcome lighting for approaching or exiting the vehicle, and dual USB ports. Otherwise the equipment list largely reads like the 2018 BRZ's the $28,645 Limited trim gets an updated seven-inch multimedia system which now gets over-the-air WiFi updates. As for the $30,140 Series.Gray edition, it can be recognized from the edition-specific Cool Gray Khaki hue, which is the same color as on a limited edition of the Japan-only BRZ STI Sport unveiled at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. Essentially, the Series.Gray is based on the Limited trim level, with the $1,195 Performance Package on top that adds improved Brembo brakes front and rear, along with Sachs sports shocks. 17-inch black wheels are included, as well as different interior stitching and an improved rear-view mirror; outside mirrors have a different, crystal black finish. Meanwhile in Japan, the BRZ has also been updated slightly for 2019. While the exterior hasn't changed much, the car has gained small rear wheel arch fins to control aerodynamics more efficiently, and the shock absorbers have been changed to improve the car's handling further. Related Video:

Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.