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Subaru rolls out BRZ Premium Sports Edition in Japan [w/poll]

The Subaru BRZ is many things: fun, affordable, communicative... but premium is not one of them. Yet that is precisely more of that upscale look and feel Subaru is going for with its new BRZ Premium Sports Edition.
Thus far exclusive to the Japanese Domestic Market, the BRZ Premium Sports Edition upgrades the standard model with unique 17-inch alloys and an interior spruced up with two-tone black and tan leather, along with contrast-stitched Alcantara trim for the instrument cluster, center console and door panels. There's also a set of aluminum pedals, metal and carbon trim, black mirror housings and more.
The luxed-up model wears a sticker price of 3,034,500 yen, which translates to about $31k. That would make it about $6k more expensive than a base BRZ in the United States, but to put it into more relevant context, the upgrades represent a 241,500 yen ($2,450) premium over the top-spec BRZ Type S in Japan. Assuming Subaru could keep that price premium intact, do you think it would be wise to offer the BRZ Premium Sports Edition in North America? Vote in our poll below, then have your say in Comments.

Subaru WRX STI Type RA-R has more power, less weight

Subaru is releasing yet another special high performance WRX STI that's only for its home, Japan. This time it's a variant of the WRX STI Type RA called the Type RA-R. Though it looks very similar to the version we get in the U.S., it has some key differences. Instead of the 310-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder in ours, the RA-R has a 324-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It also produces 318 pound-feet of torque, a fair bit more than the 290 of ours. The Type RA-R also boasts additional weight savings. The company says it's about 66 pounds lighter than the WRX STI S208, another special STI similar to our Type RA. That model was already lightened thanks to a carbon fiber roof among other additions. Interestingly, the Type RA-R doesn't appear to have the Bilstein suspension of the S208 or the U.S. Type RA. It does still have Brembo brakes front and rear, though, with six-piston calipers up front and two-piston calipers in the back. Visually the Type RA-R looks fairly similar to its other special edition siblings. It has the extra "Cherry Blossom" red accents in the grille and the rear diffuser. It does have the option to go without the giant rear wing, though, for people who want the performance without shouting about it. The wheels are also downsized from 19 inches on the S208 and U.S.-spec Type RA to 18 inches. Unsurprisingly, this is a very limited edition vehicle. Only 500 will be sold, just like the U.S. Type RA. That is 50 more than the S208, though. The price before taxes is, at current exchange rates, about $41,500. Interestingly, that's a lower price than the American model. Of course it doesn't really matter because, as we already said, this car is for Japan only. Related Video:

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Subaru SVX

Subaru is doing quite well these days with its formula of selling a combination of sensible pavement-optional commuters and rally-inspired performance cars, but go back a quarter-century or so and many of the cars with the Pleiades badges were known more for futuristic jet-fighter-style cockpits and weird gadgetry. This philosophy reached its peak with the brilliant, bizarre Subaru SVX, sold in North America for the 1992 through 1995 model years. Here's a well-preserved purple SVX I spotted a few days ago in a Denver self-service yard. Just look at the side glass! It's impossible to not love the way this car looks. The design of the SVX's exterior was the creation of Giorgetto Giugiaro. The SVX had a DOHC flat-six displacing 3.3 liters, the largest street engine Subaru had built up to that point. It made 231 horsepower, which was respectable for the era. Unfortunately, Subaru didn't have a manual transmission that could handle that kind of engine power, so every SVX came with a four-speed automatic... which (in addition to being way less fun than a manual) also couldn't handle the EG33's output. For this reason, you see SVXs in fairly decent condition at junkyards all the time; a good-running, clean example is worth good money, but one with a bad transmission is worth its weight in scrap. Related Video: