Subaru has introduced a new manual shifter for the BRZ in Japan, designed based on the company's participation in the Super Taikyu racing series, the biggest touring car series in Japan. The new shifter provides smoother shifting compared to the previous version, according to Subaru.
The upgraded shifter is not available on the US-spec 2027 Subaru BRZ, which retains its existing manual transmission. The US model instead gains a wide-angle monocular camera for the EyeSight driver assistance system, a feature also added to the Japanese BRZ. The US-spec 2027 BRZ starts at $37,385 including $1,245 delivery, while the Japanese model is priced from ¥3,377,000 (about $20,768) including 10% consumption tax.
Starting price for the 2027 US-spec Subaru BRZ including delivery
The Super Taikyu series is Japan's biggest touring car championship. Subaru competes in the ST-Q class alongside the Toyota hydrogen Corolla, Honda Civic Type R, and Nissan Z. The STI Sport Type RA, a previous Japanese-exclusive special edition, included Super Taikyu-related parts such as a balanced engine, Flat Shift function, and extra cooling for the rear differential.
Subaru first added EyeSight driver assistance to the manual transmission BRZ in 2024. The wide-angle monocular camera was introduced with the 2023 Subaru Outback. For 2027, the US-spec BRZ also adds rear parking sensors for the tS trim and a higher price, but no shifter update.
The related 2027 Toyota GR86 (mentioned as GT86) gets a widened chamfer for the shifter interlock, a new paint color, the wide-angle camera, and a revised throttle calibration for smoother response. Subaru also offers an STI-branded short throw shifter with an MSRP of under $400 for the BRZ as an accessory.