The Subaru Motor Company Japan has announced the introduction of its very new Sport Coupe “BRZ” which will be available for sales in Japanese domestic market of new Japanese cars in spring 2012. Every so often in this business, you drive a car that lets you know in the first hundred yards or so that it’s special — that it’s somehow greater than the sum of the numbers on its spec chart. The new Subaru BRZ is one of those cars. It’s not the fastest, the most powerful, nor even the sexiest two-door coupe in the business. But if you love driving, you’re going to love this Subaru.
Unlike most cities, Japan’s capital city plays host to two major automotive exhibitions: the Tokyo Motor Show and the Tokyo Auto Salon. While these terms may be interchangeable when it comes to European expos, in Tokyo, they connote two different shows altogether. The first is the Motor Show, where new concepts and production models are unveiled by the world’s automakers. The Auto Salon is more of a tuner expo along the lines of the SEMA show in Las Vegas. So after Subaru made its long-anticipated splash at the Tokyo Motor Show with its new BRZ, now it’s heading to the Salon with some modified versions.
First of all, let’s solve the mystery of the name. BRZ stands for Boxer, Rear-wheel drive, Zenith. That’s pretty clear isn’t it? Well, the first two parts are, and as for Zenith, that’s just Subaru’s way of saying this is the best it can do. Personally I think Subaru Zenith has more of a ring to it than Subaru BRZ which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly a dynamic name. At about the same price, would you buy a rear-wheel-drive 2013 Subaru BRZ sports coupe or an all-wheel-drive Subaru WRX? With both cars ringing in at approximately the same price, you might think that the new BRZ might divert customers from the legendary rally hatchback. But as we saw at the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday, as Subaru officially pulled the wraps off its production BRZ, this all-new coupe will appeal to a very different crowd.
The Subaru BRZ is the result of one of the auto industry’s oddest joint ventures since Alfa Romeo and Nissan hooked up in the 1980s to produce the ARNA, a car that spectacularly combined the worst features of both: It had Alfa Romeo’s suspect reliability and Nissan’s boring styling and sloppy handling. This time, though, everyone looks like a winner. Subaru gets a great sports car it couldn’t afford to build, and Toyota gets a great sports car, to be badged as a Scion here in the United States, that it couldn’t find room to build. So where to start? As suspected, both Subaru and Toyota have had specific tasks within this joint project. Toyota has been responsible for the design (certainly not the most dynamic aspect of the BRZ), and has lent its direct injection technology to the engine. Subaru has done pretty much everything else. Talking to the engineers you get the sense this is very much Subaru’s car – the first development prototype was a cut n’ shut Legacy, the next an Impreza. This is good news, as we know Subaru Japan can build great cars. The BRZ clearly has potential.
Elaborating a bit on how the BRZ matches up with Scion’s FR-S, which is closely related, Subaru said that its customers for BRZ will be more mature and affluent than those looking at the Scion; and thus, Subaru’s model will sell for several thousand dollars more but include considerably more equipment, such as HID headlamps, keyless start, and automatic climate control. Additionally, the BRZ’s front grille and airdam appear somewhat more aggressive than that of the Scion FR-S—although we might not be getting the uniquely chiseled rear valance in the BRZ shown at Tokyo. First up is a version of the BRZ Concept STI, packing some prototype carbon-fiber components, suspension upgrades, Brembo brakes and more. Subaru has also teamed up again with aftermarket tuner Prova (which shares its name with the traditional license plates carried by prototypes in italy) for a BRZ Black Edition. And you can bet there will be a handful or two of other tuners eager to show what they can do with the new rear-drive sports coupe, as well.
Toyota did the planning and design. Subaru did the engineering, and will build both versions at its Gunma plant in Japan. Both cars will initially be identical, apart from front and rear bumper fascias, badging, and detail equipment levels. We haven’t sat in the Scion yet, but we’ve driven the BRZ, albeit a heavily camouflaged prototype. First impressions are good. Very good. It’s a brand new car from scratch – a rare thing these days. The engine is mounted so low, Subaru believes it has a lower centre of gravity than a Ferrari 458. And a low engine is not only good for handling, but also means the driver can be sat low, yet still see over the bonnet. It’s snug inside, the design largely functional, the colour scheme mostly grey. It’s no Audi TT, but the impression is good because you’ve dropped so low into a wrap-around seat and your hands are clasping a small, feelsome wheel. The BRZ’s curb weight of under 2,800 pounds isn’t high by today’s standards, but within a few model years, considering all the weight-reduction initiatives within rival automakers, it could be one of the more portly vehicles in its class.
Subaru itself will also be showcasing an upgraded Impreza called the G4 STI with all manner of performance enhancements, and will, at long last, announce its return to a number of different motorsport disciplines. The Super GT300-spec BRZ, which we already know about, will be displayed alongside the Legacy-based racer it replaces. But there will also be a WRX STI that’s slated to be fielded at the Nürburgring 24, and Subaru will also be announcing its return to professional rally competition, though not the World Rally Championship series it left years ago, it will contest the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Follow the jump for the full press release.
The key to the BRZ’s appeal is the unique hardware under its relatively conventional skin. This is the world’s only front-engine, rear-drive sports car powered by a boxer engine. The Subaru 2.0-liter four is an all-new engine with a different block from that used in the 2012 Impreza, and features Toyota-sourced direct injection. It gets a unique FA designation within the Subaru engine family (the closely related 2012 Impreza engine is known as the FB, while the 2011 Impreza is the EJ), and though Subaru engineers were tight-lipped about the engine’s output, they didn’t disagree with our guess of about 200 hp and 170 lb-ft. The engine drives the rear wheels through a choice of two Aisin six-speed transmissions, one a manual, the other a conventional planetary automatic with manual actuation via steering wheel-mounted paddles. The transmission is the same one used in the Lexus IS 350, among others. Front suspension is MacPherson strut, while the rear gets a complex multilink setup. Brakes are disc all around.
The driver’s seat is definitely the place to be. Subaru boasts that this is the world’s smallest four seat rear-wheel drive coupe, so you can guess what that means for those travelling in the back. And the boot seems to be a complete afterthought. Premium fuel is required for this new 2.0-liter horizontally opposed (‘flat’) four-cylinder engine. Termed D-4S, it borrows Toyota direct-injection components and has a perfectly square 86-cm bore and stroke. In U.S. form, expect it to produce just over 200 horsepower and near 155 pound-feet of torque. Transmissions are Toyota (Aisin) units—a six-speed automatic and a six-speed manual, both adapted by Subaru for the brand’s longitudinal layout and flat-four engines.
Keeping the center of gravity as low as possible — always a good thing for a sports car — was one of the BRZ’s key design goals, and Subaru’s engineers have made the most of the flat-four engine’s obvious advantage in this area. Compared with the 2012 Impreza’s engine, the BRZ’s boxer sits almost 4.8 inches lower and just over 8 inches farther back in the chassis. What that means is this: The top of the engine is roughly knee height, and the center line of the front axle is aligned with the bore center of the rear pair of cylinders. But enough of that, it’s the driving that counts. The 2.0-litre flat four is naturally aspirated, revs to 7,400rpm and develops 200bhp and 151lb ft of torque. These, you don’t need me to point out, aren’t massively impressive figures these days. And the BRZ isn’t a massively fast car. Final homologation happens next month, the expectation being a 0-62mph time of around 6.8secs with the CO2 target being 160g/km. I’d guess at a top speed of around 145mph, and 42mpg on the combined cycle.
Also of note is that the BRZ is a return to form for Subaru: There are no door frames. With the frameless doors comes an especially strong application of Subaru’s ring structure, with more high-tensile-strength steel than even other recently introduced models. Furthermore, the BRZ was designed from the start with extra headroom to accommodate a roll-cage installation, and the frameless doors as well as a special dash design make that a bit easier. When you slide in behind the wheel it’s apparent just how low the cowl height is, even though you’re sitting low in the car. Once on the road, the moment you pull the steering wheel off-center you notice how rapidly and accurately the BRZ responds to driver inputs. The weight distribution is not quite 50/50; Subaru engineers will only admit that less than 60 percent of the car’s mass is over the front axle, and the chassis has been set up for mild understeer. But there’s no mistaking the agility borne of low mass, slung low.
It’s light though (1,220kg), and Subaru has worked the torque hard, so although the peak is between 6,400-6,600rpm, you have almost all of that before 3,000rpm. Put your foot down at low revs and it picks up healthily, aided by super-quick throttle response. But it tails off a bit through the mid-range, meaning you have to head for the high numbers to get your kicks. And that’s where the BRZ is at its best. It zips through the final 2,000rpm, feels keen and energetic and then, well, and then there’s the noise. We have high hopes. Headroom aside, the BRZ looks quite intimate inside, with a very small backseat that, with the seat moved much of the way back, allowed nearly no space for legroom.
The ride is firm, but not harsh. Tellingly, the BRZ was developed on 16- and 17-inch wheels, defying the fashionable trend toward factory-fitted dubs rimmed with rubber-band-thin tires. The benefit of smaller wheels, of course, is reduced unsprung mass, and therefore better, more precise wheel control. Our tester rolled on 17s fitted with 215/45 tires that delivered good grip and gave plenty of notice approaching the limits of adhesion.
Of course, it sounds different. This Boxer doesn’t chunter and warble like an old Impreza, it’s a smoother note than that, still slightly off-beat and noisy enough without being intrusive. It’s not Honda Type-R addictive, but it’s a plus, a whack more interesting to listen to than any four cylinder turbo you care to mention (VW Scirocco? Renaultsport Megane? Mini Cooper S?). It makes this a fun engine to use, but it’s not the best thing about the car. The BRZ, which stands for Boxer Renaissance Zenith (or Boxer Rear Zenith, depending on which Subaru official you check with), will be produced on the same assembly line as the Impreza. And while the BRZ shares a few components, such as some of its front suspension, with the Impreza, its flat-four engine, mounted especially low in the BRZ, will help give it one of the lowest centers of gravity—and hopefully, some of the best handling dynamics—of any current small sports car.
The BRZ has the same sweet-natured nimbleness as a Mazda Sport or a Porsche Boxster. That sensation is helped by the fact that, like the Miata and the original Boxster, the BRZ’s engine simply cannot outdrive the chassis. It only takes a few miles along your favorite canyon road to start wishing you had 100 more horses to play with. The car stays flat through the turns, and when pushed very hard it will oversteer, but the onset is smooth and progressive. The low mass–Subaru says production cars will weigh a feathery 2500 pounds–means you can brake later for turns, carry lots of speed through them, and still nail apexes like a sharpshooter. The BRZ rewards neatness: Get it right and we bet you can hang with the more-powerful AWD WRX through the twisties.
Because the best thing is the handling. The BRZ steers like it has no weight to deal with. It doesn’t appear to roll, pitch or dive. It’s neither nose nor tail heavy, just a sense of the front and rear working in perfect harmony. You steer, it goes and when the grip runs out (it was pouring with rain in Japan), the BRZ is almost totally neutral. And you get so much warning of when that’s about to happen. I was nervous when I found out it had electric power steering, but this has to be about the best system I’ve tried – the springy weighting is lovely and real sensations are fed back into your hands.
The 2.0-liter boxer delivers healthy mid-range punch, though a little more top-end bite would be welcome. The tach is redlined at 7400 rpm, but there’s little point hanging on much past 7000 as the power delivery goes flat. The engine idles quietly, but develops a pleasing muted throb, like an STI wrapped in cotton wool, when you get active with the gas pedal. Our prototype was fitted with the automatic transmission. It felt crisp and clean in regular driving, and responsive in manual mode, matching revs on the downshifts when you fanned the left-hand paddle.
How best to describe it as an overall package? Keen. Eager. It’s not puppy-ish in its enthusiasm, it’s a bit more measured than that, but it’s a lot of fun. Easily better to drive than a VW Scirocco; more agile and rewarding than any Audi TT. It may not have the lungs on a Nissan 370Z, but it’s way more dextrous and I can’t think of any hot hatch except possibly the Renaultsport Clio that provides as much satisfaction. The BRZ really, could Subaru have come up with a less evocative name for a sport coupe is on some levels the most conventional car Japan’s quirkiest automaker has ever built. But it opens up some intriguing possibilities for the company, especially as Subaru and Toyota are free to develop the BRZ hardware any way they like from here on in. Subaru engineers quietly concede there’s more power to come from the boxer four, though they won’t confirm whether a turbo is in the works. They admit the BRZ structure has been engineered from the get-go to allow for a convertible version, so you can bet we’ll see a softtop model within the next few years. And, most intriguing of all, they say the platform is flexible enough to allow for a significant wheelbase stretch. A BRZ-based four-door sport sedan? Now that’s an interesting idea.
You can still tell that it’s a Subaru at heart – not just in the engine, but the steering and manual gearbox – but it’s like they’ve let Lotus loose on the chassis. Well, almost. The light frame does get a bit thrown by big bumps, but it never feels unnerving, instead it inspires confidence. The teaming up of Toyota and Subaru is intriguing, but not unprecedented. Back in 2008, both shared a desire to brighten their somewhat dim sports car portfolios. Toyota would take the lead in planning, designing, and bankrolling the new two-door, dubbed AS1, while Subaru offered its proven high-performance engineering and production capabilities. The companies would split sales and marketing duties.
The manual gearbox is really good – mechanical and precise – and the six-speed auto is better than expected. It’s not a double clutch, but it’s just fast enough and intelligent enough to justify its presence in a sports car. Automotive history buffs will enjoy learning the BRZ isn’t Subaru’s first rear-drive vehicle. That title belongs to the 1953-’54 Fuji Heavy Industries Prototype 1 sedan, later known as the Subaru 1500. P-1 employed the first Japanese-made monocoque body and paved the way for brand icon models.
The sales of new Japanese cars in Japan was blasted like rocket in the month of December 2011, as Japanese auto-makers make-up dramatic recovery from the strongest earthquake and tsunami in the history of Japan on the month of March 11th 2011. The sales of Japanese made cars was raised for a record fourth consecutive month start from the September 2011, reported by “Japan Inspection Organization” in Tokyo. About 220,000 new Automobiles including, cars, trucks and buses were sold in Japan’s domestic market on the month of December 2011. This is the biggest sales in a single month after the powerful disaster.
