I don't think I'm the only one who has been disappointed with the underwhelming aftermarket programs given to the Subaru BRZ->ke3973. I'm not expecting anywhere close to the level of a Nissan GT-R , but somewhere with equally impressive performance gains relative to its power wouldn't hurt. The same disappointing trend continues with the BRZ "Albino Rhino" by RallySport Direct.

To be fair, the BRZ Albino Rhino does have impressive aesthetic and aerodynamic upgrades. I have no issues on how the BRZ looks because it looks incredible. The blue alloy wheels, in particular, are a perfect combination of saucy and sexy.

The issue here is the engine upgrade, which isn't really much, if I'm being honest. RallySport Direct added a Vortech supercharger, which sounds really nice, but at the end of the day, even the supercharger upgrade wasn't enough to give the BRZ "Albino Rhino" the kind of power its animal namesake is famous for.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2013 Subaru BRZ "Albino Rhino".

Exterior

At first glance, it's hard not to be caught up with the BRZ Albino Rhino's race car->ke148 looks. The white body of the BRZ makes way for a multitude of graphics and decals to add a racier look to the sports coupe. Job well done on that end, RallySportDirect.

The tuner's intention of creating a subtle program that still stands out in a crowd was the motivation in the addition of carbon-fiber components from APR. The front air dam, the rear bumper skirts, the side rocker extensions, and the brake ducts are all new and made from the lightweight stuff. Likewise, RallySportDirect also installed a new rear spoiler from Five-Axis, as well as new headlight covers from Lamin-X and a powder-coated front and rear tow hook from Cusco.

A couple of components from Prova, specifically the front fender emblem and wide-view door mirrors, also add to the aesthetic and sporty touch of the BRZ Albino Rhino. All together, the cost of the exterior upgrades on this BRZ were $4,280.

Interior

The interior of the BRZ Albino Rhino makes use of a new set of Cusco Bride Stradia II seats that have been mounted on Bride bases. An Esssex harness bar and Takata belts were also included into the new seat configuration. A new steering wheel from Prova is another feature of the program.

Overall, the interior of this model comes with a number of upgrades that have done their part in bringing some style and substance to the Subaru BRZ. The total cost of all the components adds up to $6,613.

Drivetrain

It may look the part of a heavily customized race car, but the Albino Rhino is far from a rocket on four wheels. RallySportDirect did install a Vortech supercharger to increase the BRZ's output from 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque to 230 horsepower and 182 pound-feet of torque. I'd personally love a little more power, but that's not too bad for a supercharged four-pot, but the $6,010.99 price tag attached to the supercharger is a little shocking.

In addition to the supercharger, the BRZ Albino Rhino also features a Dimple Magnetic oil drain plug, a Prova oil filter, a Tomei ExpremeTi titanium catback exhaust, a Nameless Performance overpipe/downpipe with catalytic converter, a Kartboy lightweight crank pulley, a Perrin oil cap, GrimmSpeed battery tie down, a Perrin oil cooler kit, and Prova hood dampers. All together, this engine upgrade ran $8,892.91.

Prices

The Subaru BRZ "Albino Rhino" is priced at $45,000. The full list of upgrades, together with their corresponding prices, can be found below. RallySportDirect says that the BRZ will be sold in its current form with all the aftermarket parts installed.

The seller also said that 95 percent of the OEM parts that were removed will be returned to the buyer at no added cost.

Competition

Subaru BRZ Spec-S by Lichtfield

The Subaru BRZ suffers from a dearth of aftermarket programs that offer massive performance upgrades. It's an unfortunate fact that the car can't seem to escape from.

Last October, there was one tuner that had one, or at least tried to have one: Lichtfield.

The German tuner came out with a supercharger update for the sports car, improving its output to 280 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. That resulted in a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

Lichtfield also put in some work by adding revised springs, roll bars, and brakes to go with a set of new alloy wheels.

Relative to other kits I've seen, Lichtfield's program remains right up there with the best of them.

Subaru BRZ06 By Weapons Grade Performance

This program is arguably the most powerful aftermarket work done on the Subaru BRZ. But it also comes with a caveat.

Weapons Grade Performance was able to generate 500-horsepower worth of awesomeness under the hood of the BRZ. The only thing is that those 500 ponies all come out of a re-tooled and re-modeled LS2 V-8 engine as opposed to the standard, 2.0-liter boxer-four of the BRZ.

Some people might call it cheating, but I don't care. It remains one of the most impressive upgrades to the BRZ we've seen.

Conclusion

Aesthetically, the BRZ Albino Rhino looks like a million bucks. It's dressed to impress with all the decals and graphics. It's got a host of carbon-fiber components and a rear wing that invites attention. Oh, and don't forget those blue alloy wheels, too. It really is a work of art.

But all the good will ends there. The interior does its part to a certain extent, but the engine upgrade is still not where I think the BRZ needs to be. Maybe the folks who built this one just didn't feel like upgrading the engine internals to hold more power, but 30-horsepower upgrade with all of these extra components just seems low. But who am I to judge someone else's hard work.