The last WRX TR was a stripped-to-the-bones variant cheaper than the base WRX, but the new version is nearly as expensive as the top-spec WRX GT trim.
- Subaru has revealed the 2024 WRX TR, and it's different from the last WRX to carry the TR ("Tuner Ready") nameplate back in 2006.
- This new TR comes well equipped, with standard features including a Brembo braking system, a stiffer suspension, retuned steering, and Recaro seats.
- The model makes its official debut at a fan event, the Florida Subiefest, on October 7. Pricing for the TR is set to come out later this year.
UPDATE 12/21/23: Subaru has revealed pricing for the 2024 WRX lineup. The base model comes in at $33,855, while the new TR trim carries a much higher sticker price of $42,775 putting it in the same ballpark as the CVT-only top-trim GT. The high sticker price also puts it in direct competition with favorites like the Toyota GR Corolla or Volkswagen Golf R.
When Subaru announced that the current-generation WRX would not receive an STI version, many fans were upset, unsurprisingly. Now, the company is reusing an old name, and the company has gone a little upmarket with this one.
The automaker is reaching back to 2006 to resurrect the TR moniker, which last time around stood for "Tuner Ready." Back then, it was a stripped-down model intended for customers to modify. It cost $1000 less than the standard WRX and came with unpainted mirror caps, basic seats, and a non-leather steering wheel.
The 2024 WRX TR takes a different approach. The standard brakes have been replaced by Brembo six-piston front calipers, two-piston rear calipers, larger pads and rotors, and a larger brake master cylinder. According to Subaru, the springs on the TR are stiffer than before, and the damping rates have been retuned. Subaru says that between the new suspension setup and a retuned steering rack, the TR has better body control and steering response than lower trims, while also maintaining ride quality.
Where the inside of the last TR was spartan and ready for racing buckets, the new version comes standard with Recaro buckets in front, and the driver's seat even features eight-way power adjustments. The racing seats are finished in black and gray Ultrasuede with contrasting red stitching and the Recaro logo embossed on the seatbacks. Subaru did take one comfort away, though, removing the power moonroof in the name of weight savings.
The potent but run-of-the-mill powertrain from lesser trims is back for the TR, though this time around it features manual transmissions only. The turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four engine makes 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The new trim comes with exclusive 19-inch multi-spoke wheels with a satin gray finish, complete with a set of 245/35 R19 Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires for extra grip. The car also gets Subaru's EyeSight driver-assist technology.
According to Subaru, pricing for the TR will be revealed later this year. We expect it cost in the ballpark of $48,000, placing it a few thousand dollars above the current GT trim. The new trim should begin arriving in dealerships in the first quarter of 2024.
This story was originally published October 6, 2023.
Jack Fitzgerald
Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
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