Something about the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ inspires special editions. Maybe it’s that the sports cars are cute and relatively small, so people want to collect ’em all like they’re Tamagotchis. Or, maybe it’s that they wear so many different hues so well. Whether it’s Toyota’s Hakone Green, the classic AE86-inspired white-and-black Trueno getup, or Subaru’s WRC-inspired Touge Edition just for Italy, the coupe seems to be able to pull off any look imaginable. And now, Subaru is throwing a new shade the BRZ’s way that it just revealed on the WRX: Galaxy Purple Pearl. Meet the BRZ Series.Purple Special Edition.
Normally I might not write about a well-known car getting a new paint color—especially a color that will be limited to just 500 vehicles—but I happened to see Galaxy Purple Pearl up close just last week, when I flew out to Sonoma to drive the 2025 WRX tS. Because of that, I feel relatively qualified to weigh in here. And I have to say that while I sincerely appreciate a good purple, I’m a little surprised that Subaru’s using this one as a launching pad for a grape-flavored BRZ limited edition, because it’s not really that purple!
Let’s put it this way: On the spectrum of purples, from the mildest of lavenders to the most searing of magentas, Galaxy Purple Pearl is like a dark metallic plum…sometimes. When it catches the light just right—and at the right time of day—it’s indeed purple. But when it doesn’t, it almost comes off like you got a bit of Prussian Blue in your Midnight Black. To (poorly) illustrate what I mean, I’ve tossed in photos I took of the Galaxy Purple Pearl WRX tS I tested, as well as some that Subaru provided to the media.
I know—they look like two completely different cars. Feel free to chalk some of that up to me not being a professional photographer, but I think the gap here also speaks to how subtle this shade is. It’s pretty complex in person, and it doesn’t tend to reveal itself in the same way twice. I’ll take purple in all its forms, but I’d prefer something a little brighter and bolder. Then again, I think the fact Galaxy Purple Pearl can so effortlessly slip back and forth from murky blue to capital-P Purple might be part of its appeal for many buyers. It won’t always be that shouty.
Color aside, the Series.Purple BRZ is built on the Limited trim of the sports coupe. The 18-inch wheels it normally comes with have been refinished in a satin silver finish that Subaru tells us is new (gold or bronze would have set this off), and the interior is clad in black with “exclusive” gray stitching on leather-wrapped surfaces like the steering wheel, as well as the BRZ’s Ultrasuede seats. This is mostly a cosmetic package, of course, though Subaru does equip the STI short throw shifter and flexible V-Bar on these cars. The STI V-Bar is a popular low-cost upgrade for BRZ owners, as it improves steering responsiveness under horizontal load as well as noise, vibration, and harshness over uneven asphalt.
All 500 BRZ Series.Purple cars will also be fitted with the six-speed manual—no auto on this special edition. MSRP plus shipping will set you back $36,565. For reference, a typical BRZ Limited costs $33,815 out the door, and that would be the middle spec between the confusingly named Premium (which is actually the base trim) and the range-topping tS. It’ll debut in the flesh at Subiefest in Dallas, Texas this weekend.
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