Scion's FR-S concept. Image: Toyota Motor Sales USA
We’re still a month away from the unveiling of the Subaru BRZ (and likely the Scion FR-S/Toyota FT-86) at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, but details on the differences between the cars are beginning to emerge. While Toyota has done the bulk of the promotion to date, Subaru has done much of the behind-the-scenes heavy lifting. In other words, it’s reasonable to expect that the Subie will be both faster and better handling, but with a commensurately higher price.
Subaru is claiming that the BRZ will have the lowest center of gravity of any production car, thanks to its low-mounted boxer engine and rear-drive layout. We’re not sure if that includes the Toyota, but it wouldn’t take much engineering to drop the motor in the BRZ a quarter inch lower than the motor in the FR-S.
Power output, however, is where the paths of the two cars begin to diverge. According to Autocar, the Subaru will make “less than 300 horsepower” versus 200 horsepower from the Toyota. Autocar reports that the bump will come from ECU tuning, but we’re skeptical that a tune alone can produce an extra 100 ponies in a normally aspirated car.
As for exterior styling differences, both companies are keeping the finished product a closely guarded secret. At the very least, expect the grille and bumpers to differ between the Subaru and Toyota variants.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
