The Formula One racing.
Subaru has revealed its latest BRZ built for the express purpose of racing. As its name implies, the BRZ Cup Car Basic was developed for the GR86/BRZ Cup, a grassroots motorsport series held in Japan, where the entire field is comprised of Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ sports cars.
Like its more familiar versions, the BRZ Cup Car Basic is nearly identical to an equivalent offering from Toyota, in this case the GR86 Cup Car Basic. Both come with a new six-point roll cage as well as a six-point harness for the driver's seat, which are required safety equipment for the series. Unique floor mats shaped to accommodate the roll cage are standard as well, while side and side curtain airbags have been deleted as the roll cage would interfere with their deployment.
Powertrain-wise, the the 2.4-liter boxer sees no modification, though in Japanese spec the output is 232 horsepower, a few more than our 228 (the torque rating of 184 pound-feet remains the same). However, the BRZ Cup Car Basic does include an oil cooler mounted behind the lower front intake, as well as a bespoke differential housing that has built-in cooling fins.
Best of all, it comes from the showroom with steel wheels, which are only meant for rudimentary rolling. Subaru knows that racers are likely to ditch the stock rims anyway for their own aftermarket wheels. It costs ¥3,700,400, which converts to $24,385. That sounds like a pretty slick deal, but it should be noted that it's more than a base BRZ in Japan, which costs ¥3,300,000, or $21,745 at the current conversion rate.
The GR86/BRZ Cup began in 2013 when the first-generation of the Toyobaru twins debuted. It's currently comprised of an eight-round season with fields divided into two classes. The Professional class might see some SuperGT drivers crossing over, while the Clubman class is for weekend racers.
Toyota and Subaru offer the series in order to promote grassroots racing, make motorsports accessible and support the aftermarket industry — an admirable mission when one consider's how few BRZ Cup Car Basics Subaru expects to sell. The company says its target is just 30 per year.
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