Subaru BRZ: not heading this way, slowly

The BRZ’s back. And this time it’s still slow

The sorry saga of the Subaru BRZ goes from bad to worse. What should be the last glimmer of sporting excellence from a quirky company that once built dynamically rewarding cars and dominated the World Rally Championship has been given a very half-hearted reboot for 2021. And, as with the Nissan Z, recent sales have been so disappointing that the new one won’t be coming to the UK or, indeed, the rest of Europe at all.

It could have been so di erent. Light, compact and with a low centre of gravity, rear-wheel drive and a characterful engine, the BRZ Mk1 did a lot right.

But it was let down by a dowdy interior and a modest power output that failed to open the wallets of many sports-car enthusiasts. Like the excellent but low-bhp Alpine A110, the BRZ and its Toyota GT86 sibling just don’t sell very well.

Subaru’s response for 2021 isn’t much of a step forward. While the design is clean and cohesive and a true refresh of the 2012 original, the interior hasn’t moved on at all, bar some crude digital dials and a new infotainment system.

The key problem, however, is the engine. Still a flat-four, with capacity now 2.4 litres, it’s had only a modest power increase: 228bhp and 184lb ft (up from 197bhp and 151lb ft). Not such a smart move to picture it with an Impreza STi…

Toyota will announce details of its GT86 replacement in the spring. We’re told that, like the BRZ, it’s not going to intrude on Supra power outputs, but at least it will be sold in Britain.