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Subaru has been selling a track-ready BRZ in Japan since 2013 when the BRZ RA came out with steel wheels and a roll cage. Then the BRZ Cup Car Basic came along in 2022, based on the second-generation model. For 2024, the enthusiast-focused sports coupe gets some updates while being refreshingly cheap.
You still get the 16-inch steelies with 205/55 R16 tires since Subaru knows you’ll want to swap the wheels anyway. For 2024, the shape of the six-point roll cage and its sidebar has been modified. More importantly, Subaru is now fitting the BRZ Cup Car Basic with standard EyeSight, which is unexpected to find on a track-only machine. Subie has been selling the road-going, manual gearbox BRZ with EyeSight since last year.
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As before, the hardcore version does away with the side and curtain airbags while most of the sound insulation is gone as well. The driver’s seat has eye bolts for a six-point harness and the floor mats are different following the roll cage’s installation. Subaru installs an extra engine oil cooler and mounts fins to channel air to the rear differential.
At 2,843 pounds, the BRZ Cup Car Basic isn’t actually any lighter than the street-legal model. It still has passenger seats and even air conditioning, although the roll cage blocks the side vents. The Japanese translation of the specs sheet shows the side airbags are actually still there but won’t deploy in case of a crash. They’ve been deactivated after adding the roll cage.
Subaru warns the Cup Car Basic “may have some disadvantages in terms of ride, comfort, maneuverability, ease of entry and exit, and quietness” compared to the standard BRZ. Instead of a spare tire, the track car comes with a tire puncture repair kit.
It costs the equivalent of $24,373, which sounds like a steal considering the cheapest 2024 BRZ retails from $30,195 in the United States. The two were almost identically priced in 2022 but the value of the Japanese yen compared to the American dollar has dropped by around 18 percent in the last couple of years. In addition, the BRZ keeps getting more expensive in the US, with the 2024MY being $1,700 pricier than the 2023MY.
The Subaru BRZ Cup Car Basic has an equivalent Toyota GR86 version, with the two competing in Japan’s GR86/BRZ Cup.
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