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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #344 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #344 tonight, joined by Doug DeMuro, author of Plays With Cars, formerly of Porsche Cars North America, and all-around swell guy. You can drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module below, and we'll give them extra-diligent attention. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #344
BRZ STI?

Subaru limited-edition WRX STI Type RA and BRZ tS pricing revealed

Back in June, Subaru announced that it was going to produce a limited edition of 500 higher-performance WRX STIs and BRZs. Now we know what they'll cost. Let's take the WRX STI Type RA first. That's going to set you back $49,855, including destination and delivery. (As a frame of reference, a plain old STI lists for $36,995.) The BRZ tS, on the other hand, will cost $34,355. (A base BRZ sells for $26,315.) So the premiums for the limited-edition cars are $12,860 and $8,040, respectively. What you get for the WRX STI Type RA's higher price, aside from more letters, is a roster of handling and enhancements and weight reduction measures (how much less, Subaru didn't say): Carbon fiber wing. Carbon fiber roof panel. Spare tire delete. Lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels. Revised third-gear ratio and shorter throw on the six-speed manual. Upgraded suspension with special Bilstein dampers. Modified vehicle dynamics control (VDC). All WRX STIs for 2018 get upgraded brakes, and the Type RA shares in that, getting stronger Brembo monoblock six-piston calipers in front. Two-piston calipers are in the rear, and it gets larger, cross-drilled rotors at all four corners. Brake pads have more surface area. The one difference in the Type RA: The calipers are painted an "exclusive" silver finish. All STIs also get a new all-electronically controlled limited-slip center differential AWD system. Horsepower gets a nudge to 310, from the regular STI's 305. Doesn't look like much on paper, but Subaru says the car will get a new cold-air intake, high-flow exhaust, retuned ECU and stronger pistons. Inside, it gets special Recaro seats, an Ultrasuede steering wheel, and each car will be individually numbered, with a plaque in the cabin. Finally, the Type RA gets "Cherry Blossom Red" accenting, RA badging, a front underspoiler and paint choices of blue, black and white. In case you're wondering about the naming/numbering, the "RA" in WRX STI Type RA stands for "record attempt." In July, a WRX STI Type RA NBR Special — a specially built 600-horsepower racecar that is a far cry from the car going on sale — finished a lap of the Nurburgring in a blazing 6:57.5. That's just half a second behind the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar. The BRZ tS, meanwhile, gets: STI-tuned front and rear Sachs dampers and coil springs, and other steps to stiffen the suspension. Lightweight 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports. Four-piston Brembos up front, twofers in the back.

Subaru BRZ tS returning for 2020?

Last year Subaru rolled the special edition BRZ tS onto the market, the tS standing for "tuned by STI." Although the mad men at STI didn't inject more go into the 2.0-liter boxer-four with 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque, they did apply the whetstone to the BRZ to provide sharper edges for that power. Subaru only offered 500 examples for sale in the U.S., part of the coupe's regular cadence of special editions. CarsDirect discovered the model listed in the EPA's fuel economy listings for the 2020 model year, though, leading all to wonder if the tS will make a return next year.   If it does come back, we can expect STI to make this new take at least as good as before. Exclusive kit on the 2018 version included strut tower braces upgraded with pillow-ball joints, draw stiffeners for the front suspension, STI-tuned springs and Sachs dampers, Brembo brakes, and lightweight 18-inch wheels in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber. Aero-wise, front and rear underspoilers worked in tandem with a manually adjustable rear wing in raw carbon fiber. Drivers could keep up with the additional dynamic prowess via the multifunction performance display lifted from the BRZ Limited. The 2018 BRZ tS cost $34,355, about $2,000 more than the Limited trim at the time, in return for the extra tuning, larger wheels, and better tires.  According to the EPA, the 2020 BRZ tS and its six-speed manual will return 20 miles per gallon in the city, 27 on the highway, and 23 combined. That's a drop of one mpg in the city and on the highway, two mpg combined, compared to the standard coupe with a six-speed manual. When CarsDirect queried Subaru, the spokesperson made no denials, only attributing the difference in fuel economy to the larger wheels and stickier rubber. For anyone considering the 2020 Toyota 86 Hakone Special Edition available later this year, now you have a choice to make.