Subaru knows its audience. Today at Boxerfest 2026 in York, Pennsylvania, the brand revealed two limited-production anniversary editions that name themselves after the chassis codes the originals wore when they arrived in America: the 2027 WRX GD25 and the 2027 BRZ ZC15. Combined, there are 650 of them — 350 WRX GD25 units and 300 BRZ ZC15 units — and both are manual-only.
The WRX GD25 honors the first U.S.-market WRX, which debuted for 2002 wearing a GD chassis designation. The anniversary edition leans hard into that lineage: World Rally Blue paint, gold 19-inch alloys, Brembo brakes with gold-painted calipers, and Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires. The dry carbon fiber swan-neck rear wing is the same component Subaru Tecnica International fitted to Travis Pastrana’s ARA25L rally car. Under the hood, a strut tower bar stiffens the front end, and a revised suspension calibration — stiffer springs and updated damping — accompanies the Potenza rubber. Power comes from the 271-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged Subaru Boxer, paired with a 6-speed manual and STI short shifter. Inside, Recaro seats with black Ultrasuede and red stitching, plus an STI shift knob, take care of the occupants.
The BRZ ZC15 traces its name to the first-generation BRZ’s ZC chassis code from its 2012 U.S. arrival. Subaru painted this one in Ceramic White exclusive to the ZC15, set it on matte bronze wheels with red Brembo calipers, and added bronze side sill decals. The white-and-bronze combination is a deliberate callback to the 2020 BRZ tS, which wore the same pairing. A black decklid spoiler and underhood V-bar round out the visual and structural touches. The 2027 BRZ lineup’s naturally aspirated 2.4-liter Boxer produces 228 horsepower driving the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual. The ZC15 gets black leather-appointed upholstery with Bordeaux red inserts not shared with the rest of the BRZ range, plus an STI aluminum and leather short shifter and a numbered anniversary plaque.
Neither edition comes with a price tag yet. Subaru has not announced pricing for either the GD25 or ZC15, with that information expected closer to market launch. The standard 2026 WRX starts at $32,495, and the 2027 BRZ opens at $36,140 for the Limited trim, so buyers can calibrate their expectations accordingly. Reservations open in 2026, with the BRZ ZC15 arriving in early 2027 and the WRX GD25 following in summer 2027.
The GD25 and ZC15 are not the first time Subaru has paired heritage branding with factory performance parts to move small volumes of enthusiast hardware. The formula works because the base cars are already well-sorted: the WRX’s 271 hp and Symmetrical AWD give the GD25 a legitimate foundation, and the BRZ’s rear-drive 228 hp platform has drawn consistent comparisons favorably against the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Honda Civic Si on engagement, if not raw power. Building 350 and 300 units respectively keeps demand tight and secondary-market values high — Subaru understands collector psychology as well as it understands rally tires.
Six hundred and fifty cars between two nameplates, both manual-only, both Brembo-equipped, both wearing chassis codes their owners will actually recognize. Subaru is not chasing new customers with these. It’s rewarding the ones who already know what GD and ZC mean.
Source: Subaru. Images courtesy of Subaru.
