This sounds promising (the Subaru BRZ/Toyota FT-86)

As per reporting from Car und Driver:

  • The target curb weight was 2800 pounds, distributed with a slight bias toward the front axle. Even so, the handling benchmark was the mid-engine Porsche Cayman (which has a 45/55 weight split), and Masuda says the AS1’s center of gravity is 17.7 inches high, one inch lower than a Cayman’s.
  • “The goal was to keep it basic and make it a real handling car,” says Masuda. “Horsepower was not our focus. If you want horsepower, we have the STI.”
  • The BRZ feels more like a joint venture between Subaru and Lotus than a collaboration with Camrys-By-The-Billions, Ltd.
  • The FB20 flat-four is said to make “200-plus” horsepower, so figure about 210 to 220 with a power peak that feels like it’s at 6500 rpm.
  • No doubt because of the direct injection, the flat-four revs far more lustily  than any non-turbo Subaru
  • At this point, the BRZ appears to be the car we’ve been waiting for—the inexpensive, rear-drive sprite the industry has somehow managed to avoid making for generations. It’s the spiritual descendent of the old-school Z, BMW’s 2002, the rear-drive ­Celica, and all the other lesser saints of bygone days (source).

We could have a potential winner on our hands. It doesn’t appear it’ll be much of a looker, but then again it’s designed by Toyota— what did you expect? Still, much will be forgiven if it turns out to be nearly the driver’s car that the above suggests it will be.

~ by velofinds on November 7, 2011.

Posted in Still images
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13 Responses to “This sounds promising (the Subaru BRZ/Toyota FT-86)”

  1. I will be at the mutual TMS release in just on three weeks. Hopefully, I will be able to pick up some info, have a little play, and take some appropriate photographs.

    Kuroneko said this on November 7, 2011 at 11:14 pm

  2. I’ll take mine in white, with the “spoiler delete” option, please.

    RJN said this on November 8, 2011 at 2:00 am

  3. With the boy racer wing removed I see a bit of Z4 M Coupe in there. I am with RJN – spoiler delete would be a pre-req for ownership consideration.

    Itsa328 said this on November 8, 2011 at 10:27 am

  4. I don’t know. No matter how well this car performs, you’re still going to look like a wanker driving it. I think how good it looks to you is directly proportional to how much product you use in your hair.

    Colin said this on November 8, 2011 at 12:26 pm

  5. a definite winner….but a mega champion if the Subaru version gets an AWD version.

    Syed said this on November 8, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    • ah, but then it would cease to be a cayman-benchmarked “real handling car” and be more like a gtr-lite or something.

      motoringconbrio said this on November 8, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    • If every car was as “mega” as its press release would have one believe, then the car world really would be just like Gran Turismo. Let’s wait til people have driven them. It all looks more Scion TC than a mega champion to me (wouldn’t a “mega champion” be something like an E30 M3… you need to run some races before you can claim the trophies…)

      Colin said this on November 8, 2011 at 2:03 pm

  6. wish people would stop asking for turbos or 4wd, toybaru is not that sort of gal.

    wm said this on November 8, 2011 at 5:12 pm

  7. the writer of the blurb obviously forgot all about the S2000. And the Mx-5. Unless they aren’t “sprites”. Whatever that means.

    And come on, BRZ? A little close to the CRZ.

    Should be nice to drive though, and not too bad to look at.

    tom said this on November 9, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    • if you asked the author, i think he’d say those are roadsters, not coupes. i’d also point out to him that he forgot about the rx-8, except he does mention “inexpensive,” which the rx-8 isn’t exactly (though nor is it expensive).

      it’s all splitting hairs, of course, but i understand where he was going with it.

      motoringconbrio said this on November 9, 2011 at 2:46 pm

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