The Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86, in spite of their many flaws, have to rank among some of our favorite cars here at Gear Patrol. Sure, they may be lacking in power and torque (especially torque), and they might be a little lacking in refinement by the standards of modern cars, with a noisy interior at speed and controls that seem more appropriate to a car made in George W. Bush’s second term. But none of that changes the fact that they’re perfectly-balanced sports cars with impeccable handling, a delightful propensity to drift and a nicely proportioned front-engined sports car silhouette — all for less than $30,000.
But as much as we might enjoy the current car, it’s apparently in its final days. As discovered by Torque News, which specializes in covering Subarus, the carmaker says production of the current BRZ (and the 86, which it builds for Toyota) has already concluded.
While the American Subaru website doesn’t have anything to say about the change yet, the carmaker’s Japanese site for the BRZ is much more revealing. “We have finished accepting orders for build-to-order manufacturing of the models listed,” a banner at the top of the page reads, according to Google Translate. “Orders can only be accepted from stock at retailers.”
Ultimately, this is good news. After all, Subaru is reportedly wrapping production on the current BRZ in order to prepare the factory to create the next BRZ. While little is definitively known about that car, we do know that it is indeed coming, alongside a new Toyota twin. Expect it to stick with the front-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout of the current model, as well as to keep offering a manual gearbox and a flat-four engine — though possibly a more powerful turbocharged one, like the 2.4-liter unit in the Outback XT.
Still, if you want to grab a new example of the current Toyobaru, there are still plenty of examples to be found across America at Subaru and Toyota dealerships alike. Or, of course, you could save a pile of money and buy a lightly used one instead.