It’s hard to believe Subaru’s BRZ has been around since 2012. Often the more overlooked twin of the Toyota/Subaru partnership (affectionately called ‘Toyobaru’), the BRZ has been slowly selling in the background whilst Subaru’s more traditional all-wheel-drive offerings have been selling up a storm.
So when news broke that the BRZ and Toyota GR86 were getting a second-generation reboot, it was met with surprise – especially as today’s COVID climate is putting the brakes on many new car programs. And even more so the ones that don’t provide substantial revenue.
Also See: Here’s What We Think The 2022 Toyota 86 Should Have Looked Like
Nonetheless, Fuji Heavy Industries has been putting the final touches on its redesigned sports car, with test mules snapped wearing some rather revealing camouflage. So let’s digitally peel off the covers and investigate what else we can expect.
Finessed Appearances
At first glance, you could swear that it’s just a major facelift of the current car. Sure, the proportions are similar yet every body panel is all-new. The front end has an elegant simplicity about it, with an oblique grille, vertical side intakes and subdued front fenders.
There’s more than a whiff of Lexus RC in profile, with angular rear quarter glass and sculptured rocker panels that merge into the front fender vents. The rear haunches are less pronounced than the out-going car; here the sheet metal cascades over the rear wheels and it sports an oddly-shaped fuel flap.
Changes to the rear consist of a glass that now tapers in towards the duck-tailed trunk and C-clamp LED taillights feature a full-width horizontal strip to emphasize width. A large W-shaped diffuser contrasts with the body and encompasses a pair of large exhausts.
A Nicer Place To Be
As functional as the 86/BRZ twins are, interior presentation is certainly not their strong point, although they don’t get to Nissan 370Z levels of tiredness. Nonetheless, we can expect a similar amount of occupant space coupled with better quality materials, infotainment & connectivity and Subaru’s latest EyeSight driver-assist system.
See Also: 2023 Mazda 6 Goes BMW Hunting With RWD Aspirations
Underpinning its fresh new appearance is an updated version of the current BRZ platform. Although moving to Toyota’s TNGA architecture had been mooted, such an action would be too costly for the limited volumes that the BRZ and 86 generate. Expect to see a similar suspension setup aided by a stiffer body and lighter materials.
Will It Be Turbocharged?
Conflicting conjecture surrounds the implementation of forced induction; Subaru’s fans are asking for it, however, some media outlets are reporting that it’ll stay normally aspirated. Either way, the most likely candidate will be Subaru’s 2.4-litre FA24 – a turbocharged four-cylinder boxer making 260 hp (194 kW) and 277 lb-ft (376 Nm) of torque. Rumors suggest this could be tweaked as high as 300 hp in STi versions.
Other candidates could include the normally-aspirated FA20 2.0-litre boxer four from the current BRZ, or Subaru’s new CB18 1.8-litre turbocharged four that debuted in the all-new Levorg wagon. The latter produces 175 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque and would serve as an ideal entry point into the new BRZ range, especially if tweaked – which shouldn’t prove that difficult. Like before, power will be fed to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic.
Rivals & Reveal
Subaru’s second-generation BRZ will naturally go up against its Toyota GR86 twin and other worthy sports coupes such as Hyundai’s Veloster, Ford’s Ecoboost Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro 2.0L Turbo, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Toyota Supra 2.0L, Nissan’s 370Z and, eventually, the upcoming 400Z.
We could see the production model making its debut as soon as the end of this year, though early 2021 sounds more plausible at this point. Either way, both the BRZ and 86 will likely be marketed as 2022MYs, with potent STi variants tipped to launch at a later date.
Read: 2021 Nissan Z Teased For The First Time, Shows 240Z Styling Influences
Do you think Subaru and Toyota have done enough to redesign the BRZ and 86? Share your views in the comments below.
Note: The predictive illustration was made by CarScoops’ artist Josh Byrnes and is in no way related to or endorsed by Subaru
