Last month, Subaru announced that the second-generation BRZ will make its debut this year, with the sports car being put on display – albeit with plenty of camouflage – during the 2020 Subaru Tecnica International Subiefest event. Now, the carmaker has provided an official reveal date for the all-new BRZ, which is November 18.
As we all know, the upcoming BRZ will have a sibling from Toyota (reportedly called the GR 86), given that both companies agreed on a new capital alliance back in September last year that confirmed the development of the next-gen Toyobaru twins.
Accompanying the announcement are more teasers from Subaru of America, including a video where we see bits of the cars and how it sounds, as well as a clear shot of one of its headlamps. The company also did the hard work of pulling a screenshot from said video for us, which is highly pixelated to keep everyone guessing.
Examining the clues available now, the design of the BRZ’s headlamps matches up neatly with what was shown as Subiefest. More teardrop shaped in look, the base of the cluster has an LED strip acting as the daytime running light, which is something also seen on a GR 86 prototype back in August.
The close-up shot does reveal some finer details, as it appears the LED strip extends further along the sides of the cluster. We also see what is likely a projector LED setup, with a second lighting element next to it.
Other details include a more sculpted bonnet, with crease lines that run close to the headlamps, while the lower apron sees black C-shaped trim framing a redesigned (and possibly) wider intake, as suggested by the Toyota prototype.
From the video, we also see one of the BRZ’s wheels, which is likely the same 10-spoke design that was teased previously, and the car will have two-piston calipers at the front. Also shown is the vertical vent aft of the front wheels, which is hopefully functional rather than being there for aesthetic reasons.
As for the rear, the taillights are now sharper in appearance and dig deeper into the side of the vehicle, as seen on the Subiefest example and GR 86 prototype. Flowing C-pillars also provide a softer profile, and they lead into a subtle ducktail on the boot lid. The overall shape of the coupe isn’t a huge departure from today’s Toyobaru duo, but its obvious that there are significant changes everywhere else.
Judging by the engine noises heard in the video, which are without any whistling noises, the BRZ should use a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine. Given the flat nature of the boxer engine, this also explains the prominent haunches over the front wheels and low-slung bonnet, both cues seen on the current BRZ.
It has been rumoured that a 2.4 litre unit (codenamed FA24D) with Toyota’s D-4S (direct and port fuel injection) system will power the sports car, providing 217 hp and 240 Nm. This is larger in capacity and more powerful than the current FA20D 2.0 litre that serves up 205 hp and 212 Nm (the automatic version has 200 hp and 205 Nm). Rear-wheel drive is a given, and expect manual and automatic transmissions to be available.
Of course, there’s plenty that Subaru is not telling us, so we’ll have to wait several more days when the BRZ makes its full debut to bring you all the information you need. In any case, a new sports car is about to enter a world that is high on the SUV trend, so rejoice!
GALLERY: 2017 Subaru BRZ facelift (Malaysia market)
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