Subaru Unveils All-Wheel Drive Turbocharged BRZ for Rally
Subaru has finally responded to years of fan requests for a more powerful version of the BRZ sports coupe. However, the automaker took an unconventional path, introducing not a road-going modification, but a specially developed rally car for the All Japan Rally championship.
The main features of the new development are:
New Office and First Projects
This BRZ, along with the HyPerfX2 racing hatchback based on the WRX, is one of the first projects of Subaru’s newly established division — the “Sports Car Planning Office,” which will begin operations on April 1. The car was presented to the public at the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit during the first round of the Super Taikyu series.
Details of the technical specifications remain a secret for now. Subaru has only confirmed the presence of a turbo engine and all-wheel drive. Since the production BRZ is rear-wheel drive, it is interesting whether the ready-made system from the rally sedan based on the WRX will be used. This approach would reduce development costs, similar to the strategy applied in creating the racing HyPerfX2.
スバル、BRZベースの水平対向ターボ4WDを全日本ラリーに投入
Competition Plans and Road-Going Prospects
As reported by the Japanese publication Car Watch, the rally BRZ is expected to debut in the All Japan Rally championship in the middle of the current season. The experienced Japanese driver Toshihiro Arai is set to be behind the wheel. Subaru has not yet revealed plans to create a road-going version of this car, which undoubtedly leaves enthusiasts’ dreams of a “charged” street-legal BRZ unfulfilled.
Interestingly, a similar idea was already explored by Toyota, which created a unique GR 86 concept with a turbo engine and all-wheel drive for the 2024 SEMA show. That car received a three-cylinder turbo engine and the GR-Four system from the hot GR Corolla hatchback. Thus, Subaru’s entry into the rally arena with the BRZ can be seen as a logical response to the experiments of its alliance partner, further intensifying the competition between these sports coupes not only on the roads but also on special stages.
The development of the rally version of the BRZ clearly demonstrates Subaru’s strategic shift towards more active use of its core technologies — boxer engines and all-wheel drive — in racing series. This could be the first step towards renewing the brand’s sports image, which has recently somewhat lost its position in the high-performance car market. The success of this project in rally could directly influence future decisions regarding road models, even if the company is silent about it now.