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The 2022 BRZ will be revealed November 18th
November 05, 2020
2020 is drawing to a close, and if you are like us, you have been waiting for Subaru to drop some big news about changes to their performance cars. Specifically, the BRZ and the STI. Ever since it was confirmed that they were going to go ahead with a second generation re-design for the BRZ, we have been waiting to get an idea of what exactly that meant.
And it looks like we are just a few days out from finally getting some answers. Subaru is set to officially reveal the details of the new 2022 BRZ that was hinted about a month ago on November 18th.
Click here for the link to Subaru's reveal page
Just like you, we have hopes and we have dreams for the new BRZ, but before we go down that road, there is a detail that needs to be mentioned.
Specifically, that the 2022 BRZ is the first model that we are getting details about.
Not the STI.
Being optimistic, Subaru is revealing the BRZ first so that we can all get excited about it, and then the details about the new STI will come shortly after that. And if we are lucky, maybe we will get a hint at the new STI at the end of the BRZ reveal. But the more time that goes by without any confirmation of a new STI, the more concern grows that we might have to wait even longer for a new STI.
But back to the 2022 BRZ, all we have is 1 shot of its headlight, but this definitely looks promising. From the shape of the car captured in the spy shots, the overall size and appearance of the BRZ look to be similar to what we have now. But this headlight looks more refined, almost like the BRZ is growing up a little. And what we can see of the fender might offer more promise still. This looks like a flaired fender, which is a great styling feature, but it also means that maybe the BRZ is going to come with a wider wheel and tire package this time around, which would be fantastic.
The rumors all point to more power, but the big question is how much, and how? Will the BRZ finally get forced induction? We really hope that the answer here is yes. To this end, there was one rumor that the BRZ would get the same FA24DIT that is currently in the Ascent, and that would honestly be amazing.
But most likely too amazing.
If the BRZ does get a 2.4 liter engine, it is also rumored that it will remain naturally aspirated. But even if that is the case, and the car gets a bit more low end torque and something like a 10% bump in power, it would be a nice change. The car would certainly be a lot of fun, but we really hope that the car does get a turbo bolted to whatever engine ends up in the engine bay.
(Click here for the Speedhunters article on the BRZ GT300)
The BRZ is not the WRX STI, and that is actually a good thing. They are completely different platforms, and they really are built for nearly completely different purposes. The more that Subaru looks at each of these cars as mutually exclusive, the better. If Subaru does come out with a turbo version of the BRZ, that would be a huge step (that they really should take) because it brings the potential that the BRZ could offer similar potential to the WRX STI.
The WRX STI is clearly Subaru's flagship, and the initial place for the BRZ was clearly a step or so below that of the STI. It is a huge departure for Subaru simply because of the fact that it is 2-wheel drive (rear wheel drive no less), where they have built their brand on the function and performance of all-wheel-drive. But they have absolutely proven that they can design a small, lightweight, rear-wheel drive sports car that has a lot of potential.
Our hope is that they will see that there is no reason to limit the potential of the BRZ platform in order to keep the STI a step above it. There is room at the top for both of those cars because they are so different from one another.
If Subaru takes a big step forward with the BRZ, it will definitely put it in the same group as some fast competition, but it could absolutely hold its own.
The more Subaru does to make it a difficult decision to chose between the BRZ and the STI, the better.
- Jon Cooley