Over the weekend, Toyota unveiled the official production model of the FT-86 Concept as the GT 86 (Euro Spec) and the ‘86’ for the Japanese market. And now Subaru is officially presenting their production version of the FT-86 known as the Subaru BRZ at the Tokyo Motor Show. The FT-86 was jointly developed by the two automakers to bring an affordable rear-wheel driver sports coupe to the market.
I was hoping that there would be some differences between the Subaru version and the one offered by Toyota but as you can see in the pictures below, the changes are minimal. Like the Toyota GT 86, the BRZ will use the 2.0 liter flat-four engine with Toyota’s D-4S direct injection and port injection technology. The engine is rated at 200 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of peak torque.
We’re not sure if Toyota’s TRD division will be offering a more “sporty” variant but Subaru’s STi division does have plans for the BRZ as they revealed the BRZ STi Concept at the LA Auto Show a few weeks ago. We don’t know about mechanical upgrades but the STi version will feature an aero-kit, large wing, and carbon fiber parts.
The Subaru BRZ is basically a clone of Toyota’s version. The only difference I’m able to spot is the redesigned bumper, fender trim, wheels, and possibly the taillights if you close one eye while squinting the other. The interior of the BRZ is also pretty much identical to the Toyota GT 86 in terms of design and layout. The Toyota GT 86 has some “carbon fiber” looking material for finishing touches while the Subaru BRZ has brushed aluminum finishing touches. Everything else about the car is identical such as the six-speed manual transmission and the available six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifts on the steering wheel.
I realize that Toyota and Subaru are able to save lots of money by simply changing the badges on the car and the front bumper but seriously?? This is laziness on their part. They could have put in a bit more effort in differentiating the two cars. Even General Motors put in more effort with the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice despite the fact that it was the same car.
If I was to pick up the BRZ, I would definitely hold off until the BRZ STi comes out.
