2027 Subaru WRX GD25 And BRZ ZC15 Are Manual-Only
Subaru just did something almost no other automaker would dare in 2026: it built two anniversary special editions and refused to offer either one with anything but a stick shift. Revealed at Boxerfest in York, Pennsylvania on September 28, the 2027 WRX GD25 and 2027 BRZ ZC15 celebrate 25 and 15 years of their respective nameplates in the U.S., and both are locked to a six-speed manual transmission with no automatic option whatsoever.
That’s the news here, not the gold wheels or the carbon wing. While most of the industry treats manual transmissions as a rounding error on a spec sheet, Subaru just made the stick shift the entire point of two of its most enthusiast-relevant cars at the same time.
No Power Bump, Just A Statement On The Third Pedal
Neither special edition gets more horsepower than the standard car. The WRX GD25 sticks with the same turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer four making 271 hp and 258 lb-ft, and the BRZ ZC15 keeps its naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four at 228 hp and 184 lb-ft. Subaru isn’t chasing bigger numbers here. It’s making a values statement: the manual isn’t a checkbox, it’s the headline feature.
The WRX GD25 gets an STI short shifter along with the six-speed manual, while the BRZ ZC15’s six-speed carries its own STI short shifter and a numbered anniversary plaque mounted right next to it. Production is capped at 350 units for the WRX and 300 for the BRZ, so this isn’t a volume play either. It’s a limited-run love letter to buyers who still want to row their own gears.
The WRX GD25 Wears Its Rally Roots Loud
The GD25 name honors the bugeye-era WRX that landed stateside in 2002 on the GD chassis. It comes exclusively in World Rally Blue, riding on gold-painted 19-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber, with uprated Brembo brakes behind them. The standout piece is a carbon-fiber swan-neck rear wing, the same design used on Travis Pastrana’s WRX ARA25L rally car, so it’s more homage than pure styling exercise.
Subaru also stiffened the suspension with new springs and revised damping, and added a flexible strut tower brace up front for extra chassis rigidity. Inside, black Ultrasuede Recaro seats with red stitching round out the cabin. The WRX GD25 launches in summer 2027.
The BRZ ZC15 Leans Into Its First-Gen Roots
The ZC15 nods to the original 2012 BRZ built on the ZC chassis. It’s finished exclusively in Ceramic White paired with matte bronze wheels and gold-painted Brembo calipers, a color scheme that echoes the 2020 BRZ tS. A black decklid spoiler and bronze side-sill decals finish the exterior, while a flexible V-bar under the hood adds rigidity without touching the drivetrain.
Inside, black leather upholstery with Bordeaux red inserts is exclusive to the ZC15, along with its own anniversary plaque near the shifter. The BRZ ZC15 arrives in early 2027, ahead of the WRX, and both cars will get pricing closer to their on-sale dates.
Right now, the WRX and BRZ are already the only new Subarus sold with a clutch pedal, and this move doubles down on that lane rather than hedging it. Subaru’s car line planning manager, William Stokes, framed the GD25 as a tribute to the WRX’s rally pedigree and the ZC15 as a celebration of the BRZ’s rear-wheel-drive engagement, and the manual-only mandate backs that framing with an actual buying decision, not just marketing language.
For anyone cross-shopping performance cars and worried the stick shift is on its way out, this is Subaru telling you otherwise on two of its most important nameplates at once.
Reservations for both cars are expected to open later this year, and with just 350 WRX GD25 units and 300 BRZ ZC15 units on the table, anyone who wants one probably shouldn’t wait around to decide.
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