The Subaru WRX TR performance edition adds handling and braking upgrades in the US – but it will also gain a WRX STI-inspired spoiler when it arrives in Australia in the coming months.
The 2024 Subaru WRX TR has been unveiled in the US – with sharper handling and larger brakes but no more power – ahead of a launch in North America early next year, and an Australian arrival at a later date.
Reprising a nameplate last used more than 15 years ago, the TR is the first high-performance edition of Subaru’s latest sports sedan – in lieu of a new WRX STI hero, which is not planned for the latest WRX range.
It is planned for Australia, government certification documents uncovered by Drive last week show.
However it will not be in the form seen here, instead adopting a towering WRX STI-inspired rear spoiler not available in the US – and it may not wear the TR (formerly short for Tuner Ready) badge.
MORE: 2024 Subaru WRX TR photos and specs leaked for Australia
The TR could form the basis of a special edition celebrating 30 years of the WRX in Australia next year, which arrived in local showrooms in 1994 after debuting in Japan in 1992.
As first reported by Drive, the WRX TR does not have any more power than the standard WRX, retaining 202kW and 350Nm outputs from a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine.
Power is sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission only – the CVT automatic is not available – and a carry-over symmetrical all-wheel-drive system from the standard WRX.
MORE: Subaru WRX 30th anniversary special edition in the works for next year
Upgrades are focused on unique 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S007 performance tyres – up from 18-inch wheels and 245/40 R18 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubber.
The TR gains six-piston front and two-piston rear Brembo brake calipers in red, clamping 340x30mm front and 326x30mm rear discs (up from 316x28mm front and 290x18mm rear on the standard model), and aided by a larger master cylinder and brake pads.
The suspension has been reworked with stiffer springs and “revised” damping rates, though it still goes without the adaptive functionality of the auto-only tS model.
Australian government data show it has the same suspension travel measurements as the standard manual model – so it does not sit any lower to the road – and Subaru promises “better body control and steering response while maintaining ride quality.”
The US model lacks the WRX STI-style spoiler planned for the Australian version, and instead has the same body-coloured rear lip spoiler as the regular WRX.
“In the USA, the rear wing has always been associated with the WRX STI and has only ever been offered on it. In other markets, the large wing has been offered on WRX models as well,” Subaru USA spokesperson Todd Hill told US website Motor1.
“We didn’t want to muddy the waters between the WRX and STI.” The spokesperson said some other markets outside of the US would get the STI-style spoiler – which are expected to include Australia.
Inside, the WRX TR gains Recaro front sports seats from Australia’s WRX tS (or the WRX GT in the US) with black and grey Ultrasuede upholstery, red stitching, Recaro embossing on the seatback, and on the driver’s side, eight-way power adjustment.
It lacks the sunroof on regular, high-specification models for what Subaru USA claims are “weight savings, a lower center of gravity and additional headroom for helmeted drivers.”
New for all manual WRXs in the US is autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control, which was previously exclusive to the automatic.
This is expected to come to Australia with a model-year update, at a similar time to manual versions of the BRZ sports car that are also planned to gain the technology.
The 2024 Subaru WRX TR is due in US showrooms early next year. Australian arrival timing is yet to be announced.
When asked about local plans for the WRX TR last week, a Subaru Australia spokesperson told Drive: “We cannot comment on product from other markets. Stay tuned for more information about MY24 Subaru WRX Australian specification which will be released in due course.”
The post 2024 Subaru WRX TR unveiled in the US, coming to Australia in different form appeared first on Drive.
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