Subaru’s ‘Boxer engine’ BRZ | Tokyo Motor Show 2011

The highly anticipated Subaru BRZ sports coupe is on display at the Tokyo Motor Show 2011. With 197bhp and 205Nm of torque, the 1,220kg weighing BRZ is certain to be a driver’s tool serving your corner-carving, apex-clipping and tyre-smoking needs. The main focus of the Subaru-led engineering venture with Toyota was to achieve the lowest centre of gravity and their experience with horizontally-opposed Boxer engines came of good use. Even after being only 1.3mts tall and 1.78mts wide the BRZ offers 2+2 seating and sufficient luggage space. The 6-star badge is the biggest change, in the otherwise very Toyota GT 86 looking design. The twin-exhaust pipes sparked rumours about the BRZ being turbocharged, offered with an AWD platform; so far that’s has been internet chatter only. A short shifter 6-speed manual is available for those fancy some footwork and for the lazy legged a 6-speed automatic transmission with a ‘Sports’ & ‘Manual’ mode is available, the latter runs a ‘throttle blipping’ system on downshifts.  The front suspension employs struts while the rear has a double wishbone layout. The 215/45 R17 tyres are mounted on lightweight 17” multi-spoke alloy wheels. As with the GT 86, the Subaru BRZ is scheduled to go on sale in the UK in July 2012.