Subaru will lift the covers on the new BRZ - STI sports car concept at the LA Auto Show.
Little Subaru is finally lifting the covers on its part of what has become known as the “Toyobaru” project – a sports car it has been developing with automotive giant Toyota.
The Subaru BRZ Concept – STI will make its debut at the upcoming LA Auto Show, with a production version expected to appear soon afterwards. Toyota, meanwhile, is getting ready to roll out its version of the little sports car, which will go on sale in the U.S. through the maker’s Scion division.
The long-anticipated Subaru BRZ is a subcompact, rear-wheel-drive 2-seater aimed at competing in the affordable sports car segment currently dominated by the Mazda Miata. Due to be the only model in the Subaru line-up that won’t feature all-wheel-drive, it will make use of the smaller partner’slow-mounted horizontally-opposed Boxer engine.
Scion boss Jack Hollis reveals the FRS-86 Concept.
Exactly how much each of the partners has brought to the table has become a matter of debate. Subaru has gone so far as to show a transparent mock-up of the sports car illustrating the work that came from its engineering operations – which was pretty much everything, if one buys the maker’s claims. But Toyota insists it has also had a significant role in the development of the car’s mechanicals.
What’s clear is that the two partners will aim for distinctly different styling – as this rendering and the prototypes Toyota has already shown illustrate. The larger of the partners initially unveiled a concept dubbed the Toyota FT-86 but later migrated the sports car to its Scion division, which unveiled the FRS-86 concept at last April’s New York Auto Show. That was meant to honor the legendary Corolla AE-86 of the early 1980s.
As with the Miata, the Toyobaru spin-offs will put the emphasis on what a Subaru press release describes as “pure handling delight,” adding that “the concept car embodies an ultimate handling performance.”
Subaru’s newest release is sketchy on details. However, based on earlier information, the BRZ –STI will likely feature a basic flat boxer 2.0-liter powerplant directly lifted from the Subaru toolbox. The engine on its prototype is believed to be mated to either a 6-speed, short-throw manual, or an optional 6-speed automatic using steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The Scion prototype featured a distinctly different appearance, boasting a gull-wing shaped roof, a trapezxoidal rear end and striking, almost sci-fi-style headlamps. The 20-inch wheels are eight inches wide up front and 10 in the rear. The doors will become more conventional by the time its version of the Toyobaru project hits Scion showrooms.