2012 Subaru BRZ Concept STI

Subaru has already promised we would see the production version of their long rumored BRZ Concept in December at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show, but they’re soaking in as much publicity as they can get until then with the BRZ STI Concept unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The BRZ STI Concept’s exterior shines with a hexagonal front grille, hawk eye headlights, fin-shaped fog lamps, an aero-tuned lower front spoiler and unique rear fascia, a rear wing for added down-force, and a carbon-fiber roof to lower its already record setting center of gravity specification. At the rear, Subaru has affixed polished stainless-steel quad-tailpipes, bold rear fender flares, and a large rear-diffuser. The car is painted in a "WR Blue Pearl II" paint finish and sits on a new set of 18-inch wheels.

Under the hood, there’s a 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine which was designed with a square bore and stroke of 86 X 86 mm. Nothing has been said about the vehicle’s final output, but previous rumors suggested that the STI version would deliver up to 300 HP. It was also rumored that the BRZ would come with a very low center of gravity and optimal weight distribution. These rumors turned out to be 100% correct with the Subaru BRZ STI engine sitting lower than in any other Subaru model - 4.7 inches lower - and positioned 9.4 inches closer to the center of the chassis.

The Subaru BRZ will go into production in the spring of 2012.

UPDATE 11/16/2011: This review has been updated with new details and images on the Subaru BRZ Concept STI.

UPDATE 11/17/2011: After yesterday we have seen the BRZ STI Concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show, today Subaru has unveiled a pretty cool video of the concept. Enjoy!