Subaru BRZ | PH Private Area

There’s been rumours of Subaru looking to piggy back off the success of Toyota GR for quite some time. Subaru obviously has heaps of motorsport heritage under its belt yet in recent years it’s had far more success flogging crossovers than rally-born WRXs, and fun-sapping emission restrictions mean we’ve not had the latter in the UK for some time now. Talk of a WRC comeback with a rebadged GR Yaris have been doing the rounds for several years and while the firm is known to be interested in the 2027 regs change, there are no signs yet that a return is on the cards.

Now, you may wonder why Toyota would allow that to happen, given it’s dominated the WRC for the best part of a decade. Surely Subaru coming in would spoil its party? But it’s not like it’s stopped the two from collaborating in the past. Subaru, with a bit of persuasion, was heavily involved in the development of the original Toyota GT86, and got its own two-seater sports car in return, the BRZ, which was close to identical bar some very minor visual changes and a slightly different chassis. Both sold extremely well in markets the world over, so when the time came to launch a successor, the two partnered up again. Toyota came out with the sublime GR86, which came to the UK in limited numbers, while Subaru’s revamped BRZ, like the example we have here, stayed in Japan.

As before, the 2021-grade BRZ was a ringer for the GR. Up front was a Subaru-built 2.4-litre naturally aspirated four-banger, which was essentially a bored-out version of the 2.0-litre unit found in the previous model. And while the first-gen BRZ and GT86 were known for being a bit gutless, requiring a fair bit of commitment and a good helping of revs to really come alive, the revamped models were more giving. Power increased from 200hp to 234hp but, crucially, torque jumped to 184lb ft and was available from 3,700rpm. The old model? That could only muster 151lb ft, and you’d have to wring its neck to 6,400rpm to access it. 

There were differences, mind, with the styling being the obvious one, and even then it’s only really the front bumper that separates the two. The GR86 has sharper lines and a nose akin to the firm’s old rally machines, whereas the BRZ is a little rounder and smoother. You’ll have your own opinion on which one looks best (chances are it’s the GR86), but the subtle body kit that’s been applied to this example does bring some welcome sportiness that the standard car arguably lacks.

Beyond that, Subaru allegedly put its own spin on the BRZ chassis, with stiffer front springs and a slightly softer rear setup up over the GR86. The anti-roll bars were said to be different too, as were the front knuckles, which supposedly resulted in a more stable, less oversteery temperament. So it’s perhaps not quite as silly as the GR86 is, then, but for a dependable B road blaster that won’t step out of line when you least expect it, the BRZ has you covered.

They’re properly rare here, too. This is the only second-generation example currently for sale on PH (or anywhere for that matter), so missing out on this one will either require a) a fair bit of patience waiting for another to turn up or b) a call to your importer of choice. The asking price is £30,750, which is bang on what you’ll pay for a GR86 of similar mileage. No great surprise, because they’re almost identical, which does make the BRZ all the more tempting, if only to get your hands on the rarer car. Question is, what do you do with that body kit?