Finally! The long wait is over! Subaru finally showed, in the metal, the BRZ in its final produc -- wait, what? No, scratch that, this is the concept version of Subaru's long-awaited 2+2 sports car. Of course, this concept is really the production BRZ with a few bits and baubs tacked on.
Semantics aside, the BRZ looks terrific in three dimensions. The proportions, the level of aggression, all of it. I see hints of WRX STI in the flares, some MkIV Supra in the nose, and the car's compactness and tidiness recall the FD RX-7. Hell, even the tacked-on wing works, though that's surely an affectation only for the concept car. Same goes for the carbon-fiber roof and sideview cameras -- not going to find their way onto the production BRZ.
Look past that stuff and there's still a right-size car underneath, one whose power flows to the correct end of the vehicle. Also of note is that this car has a slightly staggered tire fitment -- 18s with 215/45 in front and 225/45 out back.
You know the rest already. Normally aspirated 2.0-liter flat-4, Toyota's D-4S direct injection, a limited-slip diff. More info on the BRZ Concept STI and studio photos here.
The production BRZ will be shown at the Tokyo auto show in a few weeks, and it'll reach the U.S. next spring. In the meantime, please enjoy the fresh and frisky photos of the BRZ Concept STI taken from the show floor. They're after the jump.
canuckrs says:
04:14 PM, 11/16/11
Drop the wing and I think I'm in love... Cant wait to see the production BRZ @ TAS.
ms3hothatch says:
04:22 PM, 11/16/11
Yes. Drop the spoiler or don't make it standard and you get my money.
kyolml says:
04:39 PM, 11/16/11
No door handle s yeah
huyracing says:
04:50 PM, 11/16/11
i dont like it. if i were still interested in this car after waiting so long and being teased constantly, then i'd wait for the FR-S... better looking (hopefully) and better dealership experience.
moparbad says:
07:08 PM, 11/16/11
Where is it?
I only see a Toyota with Subaru badges!
planegeek614 says:
07:35 PM, 11/16/11
I want this car badly. I've seen some teaser nose shots of the production BRZ, as well as some no-camo shots of the Toyota FT-86, and the BRZ just looks better. There's no cheesy grin, it just looks like it's a no-nonsense performance car. Yes, the 2.0 NA flat-4 won't make it fast, but if the handling is as good as people says it is, I won't care.
5lv8 says:
08:40 PM, 11/16/11
How much extra will I have to pay to buy the model without the extra, hideous and nonfunctional spoiler?
yesistreetrace says:
09:22 PM, 11/16/11
@zr1man
How does this look anything like a GTR?
kyolml says:
09:47 PM, 11/16/11
don't blame them for the wing! you guys wanted the wing! remember the GR sti hatch has no wing, and you guys cried about it has no wing and no sedan, so that's why they bring it back. just saying
flwind says:
10:44 PM, 11/16/11
"Be Proud. Buy American."
Funny, being that Subaru, Toyota, Nissan, Honda all probably make more vehicles in the US than the so called American brands.
rod_stewart says:
01:01 AM, 11/17/11
Awkward rear fender swoosh is awkward. Kills the car, makes it look exactly like the sub-30k thing it is. Theres something wrong with the whole rear half really.
Too bad, front looks nice.
-Rod
carl0ver says:
01:26 AM, 11/17/11
cut the roof off either the brz or fr-s and youll have the next 'honda s2000'
lostboyz says:
03:59 AM, 11/17/11
@flwind, link to such information?
The car looks fine, well it would if it had a more typical subaru wing, but it doesn't look like a subaru. It doesn't match any current design language. Not sure how I feel about that.
clerk1892 says:
05:53 AM, 11/17/11
I like the look of it, but hearing that Subaru would be charging a base price of 28k for the normally aspirated version leads me to believe that no iteration of this car will truly be "affordable" to the masses... Isn't the base price for the BMW 1 series right around there?
@ZR1man
Why not just cut and paste your comments? You always say the same thing about Japanese cars anyway... it would save you a lot of time.
igo1 says:
06:20 AM, 11/17/11
@zr1man
Yeah Buy American built in Mexico and Canada.
madfast says:
08:35 AM, 11/17/11
@zr1man
the ultimate irony here is that the next ZR1 is going to look like a GT-R
http://jalopnik.com/5858683/exclusive-this-is-the-2014-chevy-corvette
greedyamerican says:
08:55 AM, 11/17/11
Doesn't look nice, ugly rear and overall lines, just like the ZR1.
perrito says:
09:37 AM, 11/17/11
Ok minus the wing; I take it you're not allowed to share interior shots yet?
deagle13 says:
10:18 AM, 11/17/11
"I take it you're not allowed to share interior shots yet?"
Judging by the blacked out windows, I'm guessing there isn't an interior on this car...
huyracing says:
10:50 AM, 11/17/11
ZR1 man better own an Accord or Camry because those are more American than anything out there...
joedriver8 says:
11:15 AM, 11/17/11
All hail, zr1man! King of the comments trolls!
stovt001 says:
11:47 AM, 11/17/11
Hopefully this car will be on sale by the time I'm 45 and need a mid-life crisis coupe. Unfortunately I'm 24 now so at the rate they're going, probably not. I wonder what concept version will be at the 2033 LA Auto Show.
cr_driver says:
12:19 PM, 11/17/11
Another concept, thank goodness! :)
graspthefact says:
12:54 PM, 11/17/11
I like it even with the spoiler. Looks better than toyota's iteration.
phontsolo says:
01:56 PM, 11/17/11
@huyracing says:
04:50 PM, 11/16/11
i dont like it. if i were still interested in this car after waiting so long and being teased constantly, then i'd wait for the FR-S... better looking (hopefully) and better dealership experience.
That has GOT TO BE the dumbest excuse to not buy the car. Most cars have this exact same planning cycle. The only difference is that they don't show it to you until the production version is done.
It's just such a lame way of thinking on your part. You suggest that you don't like it any longer because they made you wait so long and teased you so much..... Are you serious? That is LAME.
powderhound says:
03:45 PM, 11/17/11
I like the wing, if only for the fact that it probably might balance out the front lip spoiler. Don't make a convertible, think Honda should've made an S2k coupe!
carguysc says:
08:12 PM, 11/17/11
Fingers crossed that the Toyota (Scion) will have the 2GR-FSE crammed in at some point... Cayman, Z, Genesis.....everything slayer
z_rocks says:
02:20 AM, 11/19/11
To Subaru;
Please make the rear spoiler optional. Also, can you give us an estimated time line when the STI would be in the market?
Thanks!