2027 Subaru WRX GD25 and BRZ ZC15 Take the Heritage Route
Subaru is marking two U.S. anniversaries with limited editions that favor chassis hardware, manual transmissions, and familiar color combinations over additional horsepower. Shown at Boxerfest 2026 in York, Pennsylvania, the 2027 Subaru WRX GD25 and 2027 Subaru BRZ ZC15 celebrate 25 years of the American-market WRX and 15 years of the BRZ. Both borrow their names from earlier chassis codes, but their approaches differ: the sedan leans heavily into rally styling, while the coupe takes a quieter route.
Old Chassis Codes, Familiar Engines
The GD25 designation references the GD-generation WRX that reached the U.S. for 2002. ZC15 follows the same naming logic, recalling the original BRZ’s ZC chassis and its 2012 arrival. Neither name denotes a new platform.
For the 2027 WRX GD25, Subaru retains a turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer four-cylinder producing 271 horsepower. A six-speed manual sends that output through Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. The 2027 BRZ ZC15 uses a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter boxer four with 228 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, and its own six-speed manual. Neither anniversary model offers an automatic transmission.
The WRX GD25 Goes Beyond Gold Wheels
World Rally Blue is the WRX GD25’s only exterior color, and Subaru pairs it with gold-finished 19-inch alloy wheels. Gold Brembo calipers continue the theme behind the spokes. It is an immediately recognizable combination, although the broad black wheel-arch cladding gives this modern sedan a chunkier appearance than the early WRX its colors recall.
The rear wing makes the stronger motorsport connection. Subaru Tecnica International supplies a dry-carbon-fiber wing with swan-neck supports, using the same component fitted to Travis Pastrana’s WRX ARA25L rally car. That link to Subaru’s ARA championship-winning machinery gives the part some substance beyond its conspicuous shape. Visually, though, it dominates the sedan’s rear rather than blending into it.
Subaru also gives the GD25 meaningful changes beneath the bodywork. Stiffer springs work with revised damper settings, while Bridgestone Potenza S007 performance tires provide the contact patches. Upgraded Brembo brakes and a flexible strut-tower bar round out the chassis equipment; Subaru intends the underhood brace to improve rigidity. The focus here is handling and braking rather than a higher engine-output figure.
Inside, Recaro front seats feature black Ultrasuede inserts and red stitching. An STI shift knob and STI short-throw shifter distinguish the manual controls. These additions put some of the anniversary treatment directly under the driver’s hands and body, rather than leaving it entirely outside.
The BRZ ZC15 Keeps Its Changes Lower-Key
The 2027 Subaru BRZ ZC15 combines Ceramic White paint with matte bronze wheels, referencing the white-and-bronze treatment of the 2020 Subaru BRZ tS. Subaru reserves this white finish for the ZC15 within the BRZ range. Bronze graphics near the side sills extend the wheel color along the lower body, while red Brembo calipers add a separate accent.
I prefer the coupe’s restraint here. Its low hood, narrow headlights, and rising lower-body lines already give the BRZ a distinct shape, and the bronze details complement it without demanding much attention. A black decklid spoiler adds contrast at the rear without the visual bulk of the WRX’s wing.
A flexible V-bar beneath the hood joins the ZC15’s equipment list. Subaru also fits an STI short-throw shifter with aluminum-and-leather detailing. Nearby, a ZC15 anniversary plaque identifies the edition, while black leather-appointed upholstery incorporates Bordeaux red inserts unavailable elsewhere in the BRZ lineup. The cabin changes are more specific than a commemorative badge alone, even if they leave the basic interior layout familiar.
Reservations Start Before Deliveries
There’s only 650 cars in the combined production run: 350 WRX GD25 sedans and 300 BRZ ZC15 coupes. Subaru plans to begin reservations during 2026. The BRZ arrives first, with winter deliveries scheduled for early 2027; the WRX follows in summer 2027.
Subaru has not announced prices, torque ratings, 0-to-60-mph times, or top-speed figures for these anniversary editions. The company plans to provide pricing and fuller specifications closer to launch. For now, the confirmed performance numbers remain 271 horsepower for the all-wheel-drive sedan and 228 horsepower for the rear-drive coupe.
More Than a Commemorative Name
The WRX GD25 makes the more assertive statement through its suspension changes, gold hardware, and rally-derived wing. The BRZ ZC15 puts greater emphasis on a coordinated exterior and distinctive cabin, backed by Brembo brakes and a manual-only drivetrain. Both offer equipment beyond anniversary decoration, but neither represents a powertrain overhaul. Their limited numbers establish rarity; the specific hardware gives enthusiasts something more useful to consider.
