Before the Subaru BRZ->ke3973 even went on sale, enthusiasts were clamoring for an STI variant. Well, it sounds like the wait is almost over. Yoshio Hirakawa, the president of Subaru->ke86’s performance division, recently said the U.S. market is the “highest priority for STI,” and this comes just weeks after Subaru unveiled the 2015 STI Performance Concept (shown above) at the New York Auto Show.->ke226

The article says that the U.S. will get a performance-tuned variant of the BRZ in “a couple years,” but it goes on to report that rather than being called the BRZ STI, it will most likely be named the “BRZ tuned by STI.” There is no word yet on what Subaru has in store for a sport-tuned BRZ, but along with the introduction of the STI Performance Concept, Subaru suggested that future STI-tuned models in the U.S. would get extensive upgrades to all aspects of the car, including the suspension, braking, performance, aerodynamics and chassis.

Currently, the only STI model offered in the U.S. is the amazing-to-drive WRX STI. If and when Subaru performs its STI magic on the BRZ, expect the same level of styling and engine upgrades, as well as a similar price premium (which is about $8,000 stepping up from the WRX->ke4657 to the WRX STI).

Continue reading to learn more about the Subaru BRZ STI.

Why it matters

The Subaru BRZ is probably one of the most exciting cars priced under $30,000, but an STI model would definitely give it some of the performance enhancements that it has so badly needed since it was first introduced.

Subaru STI Performance Concept

Read our full review of the Subaru STI Performance Concept here.