The tS badge, which adorned both generations of Subaru’s BRZ 2+2, will arrive on the WRX next year. It stands for “Tuned by STI” and, like the 2024 WRX TR, it borrows some of the benefits of the automatic-only WRX GT and combines them with something you can’t get on the touring-oriented model: a manual transmission. Ancient. . But if you’re hoping for STI power (or fancy differential upgrades, for that matter), unfortunately, there’s no news on that front.
The formula is pretty simple: take a standard WRX and add a few extra goodies. The big deal here is the new adaptive suspension, which was lifted from the automatic-only GT and upgraded with STI-tuned dampers. And this new suspension system comes with Subaru’s enhanced driving modes, something the base stick-shift WRX lacks. The rest of the upgrades are similar to the WRX TR: steering tweaks, larger Brembo brakes (six-piston front; two-piston rear) with an upgraded master cylinder, and new wheels. 19-inch tires and Bridgestone Potenza S007 performance summer tires. The tS also benefits from the sophisticated Recaro seats available in the TR and GT. Like the TR, the tS is only offered without a sunroof. Hooray for the helmet room!
Aesthetically, the tS makes a greater effort to differentiate itself. You’ll find STI and tS badges on this one (the TR offers no indication of its place in the pecking order), what appears to be a cherry blossom-tinted “WRX” badge on the front and, of course, a prominent “Recaro” embroidery. on the front bucket seats, which feature blue accents that are repeated on the door panels, steering wheel and shifter trim.
If all of this makes it sound like Subaru turned up the fuse on the TR and just changed the second letter, you’re not that far from the truth. A Subaru spokesperson said Autoblog that the tS will “essentially replace the TR” when it arrives in 2025. The same spokesperson did not rule out the possibility of the TR’s fixed suspension making its way under other WRX models, but noted that it would require a set including the TR suspensions. set of tires and wheels, because they have been designed holistically.
The tS will slot between the existing WRX Limited and GT. That’s a gap of about $5,000, so there’s a fair amount of runway for Subaru to possibly land it on. We can’t completely rule out the possibility that it ends up sharing the spotlight – and price – with the top-of-the-line GT. At this rate, Subaru is on the verge of giving us a new STI, one part at a time. Stay tuned for the latest news.
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