Subaru BRZ development documentary (pts 1 + 2)

C'mon Honda.... next gen Prelude!!!!

2011 Tokyo Auto Show: Subaru BR-Z Revealed

We’ve already seen one result of the joint project between Toyota and Subaru, the Toyota GT 86, and now we have the official photos of Subaru’s variant, the BRZ. By now, nothing about the BRZ is much of a surprise even though we anxiously await the world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The rear-wheel-drive BRZ will be powered by a 2.0L Horizontally-Opposed Boxer Engine with 200-hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. Transmission options will be either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual and the sports car will weigh in at 2,689-lbs. More of the focus of the BRZ however is in its handling capabilities and its lightweight chassis, as Subaru aimed for “Pure Handling Delight” with their new sports car.

Throughout the design, Subaru focused on an ultra-low center of gravity, allowing for a low hood design and a perimeter-type body frame layout. On the inside, Subaru gave the BRZ a fun-to-drive notion, outfitting it with a smaller steering wheel, a tachometer with digitally displayed speedometer in the center of the gauges and bespoke sports car seats.

All BRZ models will come standard with 17-inch wheels and tires and electronic stability control. Stay tuned as AutoGuide will be at the Tokyo Motor Show for the official debut with plenty more photos for you to indulge in.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2011/11/subaru-brz-revealed-2011-tokyo-motor-show-preview.html

Subaru BRZ STI Concept: New Photos Released Ahead of LA Auto Show Debut

Revealed yesterday for the first time, Subaru has since released a selection of photos showing the new BRZ STI Concept from many more angles. The first up-close look at the car won’t come for another two weeks with the reveal set for November 16th at the LA Auto Show.

Taking design cues from the more dramatic FT-86 II Concept, despite the name this STI concept won’t be turbocharged, but will instead use the same 2.0-liter naturally aspirated motor found in the FT-86/FR-S. If leaked specs of the FT-86 are any guess, the car will deliver 197-hp with a curb weight of around 2700 lbs.

Look for full details November 16th, with the start of AutoGuide’s 2011 LA Auto Show coverage here.

Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2011/11/subaru-brz-sti-concept-new-photos-released-ahead-of-la-auto-show-debut.html

Woodyscarsite: Toyota FT-86 Getting Closer to Production

And here we have the Toyota version of the Subaru BRZ, the FT-86, getting closer to productions form. I've got to say, very nice design!

Source;

http://www.woodyscarsite.com/2011/10/ft-86.html

Subaru BRZ: new tech details

The new Subaru BRZ coupé will have the lowest centre of gravity of any production car when it goes on sale next summer, according to the manufacturer.

The BRZ’s rear-wheel-drive configuration has meant that Subaru's compact 2.0-litre Boxer engine can be mounted even lower in the chassis than would normally be permissible in the manufacturer's conventional four-wheel-drive layout.

Despite being co-developed with Toyota, the vast majority of the engineering work has been undertaken by Subaru; although the company has confirmed that the BRZ's flat-four unit will incorporate a Toyota direct fuel-injection system.

Power outputs, however, will differ with a Subaru-spec ECU liberating the BRZ’s power to “less than 300bhp,” compared with the FT-86’s 200bhp figure.

Details of the car’s final spec remain under wraps - even Subaru's UK new MD admitted to Autocar that he'd only seen a clay model of the finished product - but insiders suggest that the grille and bumpers will differentiate the RBZ from its Toyota-badged sibling.

A roadster version could yet play a part in future model plans, but a topless car is ‘under consideration’ rather than developmental reality.

Subaru insists that no costing strategy has been established, but with the Volkswagen Scirocco confirmed as the main rival, expect the RBZ’s price tag to land somewhere in the current coupé ballpark.

The lack of a final figure - or even an image of the production car - has apparently not dissuaded Subaru fans from already registering their interest with the company's dealership network.

While the new 2+2 coupé is expected to fill a healthy new niche for the manufacturer, Subaru UK has made it clear that it intends to focus much of its energy on 'lifestyle' products, such as the new XV crossover, as it looks to achieve a sales target of 7500 units in 2012.

The Subaru BRZ will be unveiled at the Tokyo show next month.

Nic Cackett

Source;
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=259739

SPIED: Subaru BRZ Coupe Shows its Face

Upon viewing these pictures of the Subaru BRZ prototype we can hear some of you shouting, "just come out with it already", and we couldn't agree more. The same can be said about for the BRZ's twin sisters, the much-teased global Toyota FT-86 and the North American Scion FR-S.

Anyway, if the current buzz is to be believed, then we should catch our first glimpse of the BRZ in concept form at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show in mid-November with the final production model to make its world premiere alongside the FT-86 at the Tokyo Motor Show in December.

If you're having a hard time figuring out the differences between the swirly covered BRZ test car and the FT-86 prototypes, that's because the two models will be almost identical minus some extremely subtle cosmetic differences.

If you compare these pictures with our previous spy shots of the FT-86, you will see that the BRZ seen here features a slightly different nose with a reversed grille (and by that we mean that the upper side is longer than the lower side) and redesigned fog lamp housings.

The mechanics are already known with all three cars featuring a Subaru-sourced, 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated flat-four matched to a standard six-speed manual or an optional (depending on the market) automatic transmission that will power the rear wheels only.

Source;
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/10/spied-subaru-brz-coupe-shows-its-face.html