If the Subaru BRZ STI becomes a reality, it could be equipped with an electric turbocharger.
According to a recent report from Motoring, Subaru plans on expanding its STI lineup with additional models, ideally two per year. Yoshio Hirakawa, head of Subaru’s STI division, has suggested that four STI models are under consideration, including the highly-anticipated BRZ STI. He confirmed that his team is working on potential “advanced technology” to bring the BRZ STI to market with enhanced performance coming from an electric turbocharger.
For the most part, the Japanese automaker has ruled out the possibility of a conventional turbocharged BRZ model but an electric turbocharger wouldn’t have the need of an intercooler and all the associated piping. Although it is a sensitive subject according to Hirakawa, electric turbocharging “is under study for the STI model.”
Subaru previewed what a BRZ STI could look like earlier this year at the 2015 New York Auto Show and confirmed that an STI variant of sorts would eventually make its way to the U.S. That model might not be a full-blown BRZ STI but rather a BRZ Tuned by STI, similar to the BRZ tS that’s available in Japan.
Source http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/11/subaru-brz-sti-considering-electric-turbocharger.html