A second-generation version of the Subaru BRZ was never a guarantee. After all, the market for affordable, rear-wheel-drive coupes is hardly what it was back in the two-door’s heyday; add in the fact that the RWD stick-shift sports car seems increasingly like an outlier in Subaru’s otherwise all-all-wheel-drive, crossover-focused, CVT-packed lineup, and the idea of spending the time and money whipping up a new one would seem difficult to justify.
Yet sometimes, people surprise you — just like Subaru did with the new second-generation BRZ. It’s a distinct evolution of the niche sports car, one that maintains the beloved basics that made it a hit with its loyal fans while also bringing it into a whole new decade.
SubaruBeneath that revised sheetmetal lies a whole new engine for the BRZ: a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four. (Presumably, the same basic engine found in turbocharged form in the Ascent, Outback and Legacy, just shorn of its snail.) It snaps out 224 horsepower, a 9 percent increase over the outgoing model’s 205; torque is up 15 percent over the old car’s 156 lb-ft.
SubaruThe design, too, is all-new, stretching an inch longer and half an inch lower than the previous BRZ. While the basic long-hood profile remains, the front has been restyled into a happier face with large air intakes and a broad grille, while the back looks almost Acura-esque.
