The ongoing inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show (press days were October 25 and 26, followed by an invitation-only day and general audience access from October 28 to November 5) clearly shows that – when everyone unites, great things will always appear quite easily.
More precisely, all of Japan's automakers united to make the successor of the Tokyo Motor Show (if not retired, the event was celebrating its 70th anniversary soon) an event to remember. Big and small, large or narrow, these carmakers tried to show that traditional auto gatherings, repackaged as something a little more, still have a bit of life in them.
Even Subaru, a traditionally subtle automaker, joined the show with two important novelties – the Subaru Air Mobility and Sport Mobility concepts. The first one is a flying thing of the future, something that may or may never see the light of day in a production plant. The other is a quirky 'crossover' between a high-rider and a coupe, possibly an undeclared homage to the aviation-influenced XT range (1985-1991) and its eccentric successor, the Subaru Alcyone SVX (1991-1996).
I am not going to rant anymore about those two – it just helps me to make a point that Subaru knows how to go outside the beaten path regarding the vehicles it produces. As such, let us remember yet another model that was quite daring in its time – the Subaru BRAT (aka a "Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter") light-duty, 4WD coupe-utility originally introduced in 1977.
The model obviously followed the concept of Utes on the North American market like the Chevy El Camino and Ford Ranchero – but also did it in Subaru's way. For example, the original (1978-1994) featured crazy stuff like carpeting and welded rear-facing plastic jump seats in the cargo area. Can you imagine going on a nice dusty trail resembling a rally stage with the kids strapped in the back?! As for the second-gen, it featured a Targa Top version, if you can believe it.
As such, alongside its spiritual successor, Subaru Baja, it is no wonder that the BRAT has earned a cult following among diehard Subaru aficionados. Interestingly, this has always led to speculation of an eventual return – either with the BRAT moniker or the Baja nameplate. And nowadays, the rumor mill is even more enticed at the perspective of such a Subaru revival, especially since the Ford Maverick took command of the reborn compact pickup truck sector in the United States.
The good folks behind the RMD CAR channel on YouTube have the latest scoops coordinated with their unofficial CGI depictions of new models - hence this 2025 BRAT design project. Curiously, the resident pixel master offers as visual support for the host's report two different revival variants. One is pretty standard and traditional as it's based on the current Toyota Hilux, obviously. They probably thought we wouldn't notice that since Toyota sells the Tacoma models in America, but of course, we did. Naughty, naughty.
The second one, though, is a lot more interesting. Powered by the implacable forces of AI software, the yellow-and-blue variant is a lot more futuristic and has just two doors, exactly like the original. No worries, the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Fe won't have the advantage of additional practicality because the CGI expert also showcases a blue-tinted Subaru BRAT, rocking the classic dual-cab configuration a little later. So, what do you think?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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