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Two years ago, Subaru and STI chose to race their new BRZ in the Super GT series and replace its Legacy-bodied race car in the GT300 class. The BRZ was the likely candidate from the Subaru lineup and has been a success so far. The car is the BRZ GT300 and this BRZ goes far beyond its showroom namesake and it shows what Subaru Tecnica International Inc. (STI) is capable of producing.
The SUPER GT is Japan’s top series for motorsports racing and enjoys a strong following from race fans. Subaru fans have been treated to an extreme BRZ capable of capturing pole positions in qualifying and of winning many races. The last two years, the BRZ GT300 has seen improvements in its aerodynamics and received chassis tweaks that add to its competitiveness.
The BRZ GT300 races in the SUPER GT Series. R&D SPORT manages the team for STI and pits the #61 race car against other grand touring cars on Japanese, Malaysian, and South Korean road courses. The series is sanctioned by Japan Automobile Federation Grand Prix.
GT300 class cars are based on the road-going versions of their namesakes. Almost every aspect of the Subaru BRZ was taken to extremes in building the BRZ GT300. STI took the BRZ and made major modifications all in the name of producing higher speeds and improving the handling.
What are the specs in the new 2014 BRZ GT300? BRZ GT300 is the extreme BRZ with close to 300 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. It gets 12-inch wide racing tires, a 6-speed sequential gearbox, six piston brakes in the front and four pistons rear. STI designed an adjustable racing suspension.
The BRZ GT300 engine is the Rally-proven Subaru Boxer EJ20, which has been tuned for road racing using technologies developed for the STI World Rally Championship (WRC) cars since the 1990s. The EJ20 has been modified to use a dry sump system, which has an external reservoir for oil. This allows the engine to have an even lower profile to lower vehicle height.
The intercooler and air intake are both front-mounted which enhances the ram effect of incoming air, consequently increasing the airflow through the air restrictor to the turbo for greater power development at high speeds during the race. The crankshaft is the same as used in the WRC engines and has been specially designed for strength and reduced weight. The connecting rods are steel billet and the forged aluminum pistons have been specially designed for reduced size and weight. The BRZ GT300 races against cars with large-displacement, naturally aspirated engines, and STI uses a turbo unit to increase boost to remain competitive.
Outside, the BRZ GT300 gets extensive bodywork. It includes a huge splitter at the front, air intake and exhaust ducts across the hood and fenders, wheel arches extended above the hood, exhaust in front of the left door, lower aero body cladding, rear fenders full of vents, and two large rear spoilers.
Inside the cockpit, all unnecessary parts of the interior were removed, and replaced with a racing seat, roll cage, and other controls and parts installed by STI required for racing. The seat was moved back in the cabin to the B-pillar, improving driver safety and helping to balance weight.
The new 2014 Subaru BRZ GT300 is the extreme BRZ with close to 300 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. After last years eight rounds, #61 had two podium finishes, a 1st at Suzuka in August and a 3rd at Twin Ring Motegi in November. Drivers Tetsuya Yamano and Kota Sasaki finished 4th overall in the driver rankings. Next up for the BRZ GT300 in the SUPER GT Series will be May 3-4 at Fiji Speedway. Stay tuned to Torque News for the latest BRZ GT300 news.
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