2013 Subaru BRZ Prototype - Driving Impressions

A few months ago in a Southern California hotel conference room, Subaru engineers told us about the 2013 Subaru BRZ sports car. (This was months before the concept BRZ was scheduled to make its debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, an event that will be followed closely by the official world debut of the production BRZ at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.) The few media members present in the hotel room were allowed to take notes, but no photos.

2013 Subaru BRZ Prototype

While Toyota has caught the lion’s share of the attention this past summer for its rear-wheel-drive Scion FR-S sports car, Subaru wanted to raise the awareness of its role in this inexpensive sports car collaboration with Toyota, which is a part owner of Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru’s parent company.

Scion FR-S Concept

To make it clear, Subaru told us Toyota was responsible for the rear-wheel-drive sports car’s product planning and design. Subaru handled the engineering, and will build the cars at its Gunma plant in Japan. Both companies will be responsible for marketing and sales efforts of their respective models.

2013 Subaru Coupe

The cars look very similar—at least from what we can see under all the usual prototype camouflage. And the shared powertrain of the BRZ and FR-S is familiar one: a flat-4 boxer engine from Subaru, but with direct injection technology from Toyota. Subaru engineers touted that the center of the gravity of the BRZ is 17.7 in. above the ground, a full inch lower than the Porsche Cayman’s. No official power rating details were provided; however, rumors abound that the normally aspirated engine is a 2.0-liter that will produce around 200 bhp. Delivering the power to the rear wheels is a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Three drive settings are available to the BRZ driver: normal, sport and snow. In sport, the engine mapping quickens its response to throttle inputs, which are put to good use by the Torsen limited-slip differential when exiting turns. The chassis, with struts in front and a multilink rear, also does its part, displaying an impressive overall agility.

2013 Subaru BRZ Prototype

On our brief drive of the Subaru BRZ prototype on the mountain roads above Los Angeles, the car feels light on its feet and corners with confidence. The electric-assist steering has progressive weighting, and good directional road sensitivity from on-center to off-center. The power from the boxer engine is adequate, but I could feel it straining a bit going up hills. It feels like the power peaks at around 6500 rpm—even though the redline is set at a lofty 7400.

2013 Subaru BRZ Prototype

The Subaru BRZ will be positioned as more of a premium sports car than the Scion FR-S. Rumors abound, however, about a future turbo version of the BRZ, one wearing the company’s hallowed STI badge. Either way, we’re glad these affordable rear-wheel-drive sports cars are on the near horizon, and we suspect the aftermarket—like us—can’t wait to get its hands on them.