Having previously spent meaningful time behind the wheel of both sides of this Toyota-Subaru sports car coin, the Subaru BRZ tS and the Toyota GR86 Auto, I’ve had a front-row seat to the evolution of this modern lightweight RWD formula. In 2025, the BRZ tS made me fall for Subaru’s new interpretation of the package; the GR86 Auto later reminded me that even without a clutch, the chassis magic endured, in a more friendly package. Now, in 2026, I’m driving the ultra-limited Subaru BRZ tS Kiiro, and it might have been the best one yet.
What’s Kiiro, you might ask? The word literally means yellow in Japanese, and I bet I don’t have to explain why this was the name they picked for it. With only 10 units destined for New Zealand, this BRZ stands out not just visually but as a deliberately rare expression of Subaru’s boxer powered, rear-drive ethos. The package builds on the tS specification with unique styling touches: exclusive Sunrise Yellow paint with yellow contrast stitching inside, special badging, and a numbered key box for each car.
From afar, the Kiiro’s bright Sunshine Yellow finish pairs beautifully with its clean, organic bodywork, and inspired me to photograph the car during the Golden Hour. This new, ZD8 generation, has a much more mature and well-resolved design, and Subaru didn’t overcomplicate it. That simplicity is exactly what allows a bold colour like this to look so purposeful rather than garish, and suits a limited-edition car, also being a massive talking point at every enthusiast-centric I drove it to.
The blacked-out alloys are almost impossible to properly photograph in the conditions I chose for these pics, but they compliment the bumblebee look and work well with the Pilot Sport 4S tyres to fill the wheel wells. To help drive the fact this is indeed a special model, and not just someone’s colour choice, you get the applied Kiiro badge on the boot lid, that brings both kanji and English lettering.
Inside, I almost could reuse the pictures I had from the previous reviews, with just a little of colour editing magic. The Kiiro retains the supportive seating and driver-centric cockpit you will find in top specs of the BRZ and GR86. What’s changed are just small Kiiro details, like the yellow contrast stitching and the yellow elements on the seats. We’ve seen this formula being used in other limited editions, a subtle approach that does just enough to make it feel special. Rear seats are essentially territory for people that have been grounded, but the boot is serviceable for a car of this size, especially when the seats fold flat.
Two big parts of the experience, however, remain unchanged: the tech and the powertrain, and they are both as old school as it gets. For the former, you get essentials like (wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, inbuilt navigation, and Subaru’s Eyesight assistances, which include the welcome adaptive cruise control even in a manual sports car. These features enhance everyday usability but never intrude on the core experience, with only the emergency braking system being the one that needs some tailoring. And, as I said previously, those after a better centre screen or wireless connectivity are a pair of removed screws away from retrofitting a new system, something rarer each passing day.
On the latter topic, this might be a Kiiro, but it is still a tS too. Standing for “tuned by STi”, this package includes some performance upgrades in the form of brakes, suspension and calibration that are very welcome, and help solidify the focus of the BRZ. I didn’t mention the engine, and that’s deliberate: the FA24 naturally aspirated 2.4 litre Boxer stays unchanged, so those looking for more power might be disappointed. It’s as they say: if it ain’t broke…
It makes adequate power, and has a very characteristic torque band, but I wouldn’t call this engine particularly inspiring. It doesn’t sound all that great, and its lack of musical crescendo makes you rely on the shift light while working around the flat midrange torque. For my skill level and driving regimen, however, it has the perfect amount of power, where you are never too far from where you want it to be, while still being able to enjoy full, fat, flat out runs through gears before having to ease off thinking you’re being a menace.
The GR86 I had was an Auto and, while it confirmed it is not a bad gearbox, I’m still old fashioned enough to think this car needs to have three pedals. The throws are long and satisfying, with a very tall and definitive clutch take up. The gears might not be as snickety as an MX-5 or a Civic Type R, but it has character and engagement in spades, and allows you to ring the boxer out while adding that extra dimension of connection to the machine.
And if the engine and gearbox are not gold medals, how can I still adore this car so much? Oh, my friend, there is so much more to it, and it comes down to eagerness, and vibes. The BRZ manages the balance of always being ready, and never overwhelming you: the direct steering combined with the suspension calibration and the low centre of gravity lead to an extremely agile platform. And the limited slip differential fitted to the back is an absolute delight to use, always ready to kick the inside wheel out and providing you with the most controllable oversteer I’ve ever experienced – just ask Matthew.
Subaru’s philosophy that a lightweight chassis and thoughtful balance matter more than raw horsepower remains a winning one. It’s tempting to put the Kiiro in a box of “limited edition collector car,” but that would undersell the driving experience; this is not supposed to be a garage queen. It’s another press car that I found myself driving around even when I had other things I should be doing. All that driving and the subpar efficiency of ~10.5L/100km made me stop for petrol more often, but it was just another excuse to drive it to my recurrent Friday Night car meet and have people drool over the yellow hue.
The Subaru BRZ tS Kiiro doesn’t do anything new to the model, and if you read all my reviews on these cars, you will know it didn’t have to. And still it managed to endear this car even more to me (who doesn’t love a very limited edition?) It refines and amplifies everything that made both my previous experiences with the BRZ tS and the GR86 Auto rewarding. It’s a reminder that lightweight, balanced sports cars can still feel relevant and exciting in a world chasing power figures and semiautonomous convenience.
Limited to 10 units and screaming for attention in Sunrise Yellow, the 10/10 Kiiro is my favourite modern Hachiroku yet. I said this before, and I’ll say it again: the new-gen Subaru BRZ is one of the best driving, most engaging, better resolved sports cars that you can still enjoy without getting in trouble with the law and with polite society. If you’re lucky enough to be behind its wheel, you’ll see the BRZ is a compelling answer to the question: Can driving still be this much fun? Yes. Yes, it can. Just buy one already.
