The Subaru BRZ STI Concept has been unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. The unveiling comes two weeks ahead of the highly anticipated world premiere of the Subaru BRZ production car. The all-new rear-wheel drive sports coupe will be revealed alongside its Toyota twin at the Tokyo Motor Show on November 30.
With Subaru tightly guarding many of the production car’s details and specifications, the BRZ STI Concept gives us our clearest indication yet of what to expect from the new 2+2 sports car. The front end is clean and uncluttered, and arguably what you would call enthusiastic rather than aggressive. The ‘smiling’ trapezoidal intake, sleek headlights and pumped front guards are reminiscent of fellow Japanese sports car, the Mazda RX-8.
The muscular rear wheel arches, high-mounted LED taillights, exaggerated diffuser with quad tailpipes and massive rear wing are a little more in your face, and are a clear demonstration of STI’s involvement in the concept’s design. Expect the production version to get a more subtle diffuser and exhaust layout, and do away with the spoiler and honeycomb number plate backing detail. The BRZ STI Concept features a carbon fibre roof designed to reduce weight and contribute to the car’s low centre of gravity, which promises to be one of the lowest of any car on the market.
Subaru is yet to officially reveal power figures for the 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed four-cylinder boxer engine, but we do know that it has a square bore and stroke of 86 mm X 86 mm and when compared to other Subaru models (like the Impreza) it sits 120 mm lower and 240 mm closer to the centre of the chassis. The link with Toyota has also helped Subaru implement the Big T’s D-4S direct injection technology (fuel injection system).
Leaked specifications of Toyota’s version of the sports coupe that surfaced earlier this month suggested both production models were likely to produce 147 kW of power at 7 000 r/min and 205 Nm of torque at 6 600 r/min.
The rear-wheel drive sports car presents something of a philosophical dilemma for Subaru, which has built its brand around all-wheel drive for as long as we can remember. Despite this, we expect the Subaru BRZ will go on sale in South Africa, joining the production version of the Toyota FT-86, which is already confirmed for a 2012 local launch.
