After eight years, there is a second generation Subaru BRZ. This second generation BRZ is completely new according to Subaru, but that is not entirely true. However, that doesn’t make it any less interesting.
Highlights
- Second generation BRZ based on previous
- New 2.4 boxer engine, 231 hp
- New interior and exterior
- Not coming to Europe
Introduced in 2012, the BRZ was a fruit of the collaboration with Toyota that resulted in not only the nearly identical GT86, but also the Scion FR-S. The FR-S no longer exists since Toyota’s sub-brand Scion was discontinued, but the BRZ and GT86 are still there. The Subaru BRZ is the first to receive a new generation. However, there are two caveats.
Subaru BRZ
The first adder is the most poisonous: the new Subaru BRZ is not coming to Europe. The second adder causes some disappointment at first. This second generation BRZ is not completely new either. The car is based on the original presented in 2012, but is so different that it becomes interesting. The BRZ, an abbreviation that stands for B.oxer, R.ear-wheel-drive and Zenith, answers the eternal demand from the buyer group for more power.
Stronger
The 200 hp atmospheric 2.0 is replaced by a more powerful machine. The new BRZ will have a 2.4-liter boxer engine that is 231 hp and 250 Nm strong. This means it delivers 15 percent more torque than its predecessor. It is the turbo-free version of the 2.4 that Subaru in the United States also has in the Outback, Legacy and Ascent. In those cars, however, the 2.4 is 260 hp and 376 Nm strong thanks to supercharging. The wheelbase is identical to that of the previous BRZ.
Subaru BRZ
The 231 treading horses find their way to the rear axle via a manual six-speed gearbox. A version with a six-speed automatic transmission is also available again, although it was never delivered in the Netherlands. With that relatively modest capacity, the BRZ remains faithful to the original recipe. Even now, the power is released on a relatively narrow set of tires in the size 215/45. The wheels are 17-inch as standard, 18-inch wheels of the same width are available as an option. A loose bottom will therefore not be strange for the new BRZ.
Interior
The new body of the BRZ, in which at the rear with some fantasy influences of the Honda NSX can be seen, is according to Subaru a lot stiffer than that of the previous model. The roof is made of aluminum, the same goes for the front fenders and the hood. Also completely new: the workplace. The whole looks a lot tighter and with its straight lines it is fairly simple and sturdy in design. Behind the wheel a new digital instrument cluster. A new display on the center console that is part of the also new infotainment system.
The updated BRZ will go on sale in the United States in the fall of next year. As said, unfortunately he is not coming to the Netherlands.