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Take an Up-Close and Personal Look at the New 2022 Subaru BRZ Sports Car

Scheduled to enter production in 2021 as a 2022 model, the all-new BRZ is not exactly a spring chicken. Subaru hasn’t provided any concrete information in this regard, but it’s pretty obvious that the platform is an evolution rather than a ground-up redesign.
2022 Subaru BRZ review 48 photos
Photo: Redline Reviews
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Is that a bad thing? Not quite. Like the Toyota GT 86, which will be renamed GR 86 next year, the Subaru BRZ is a thriller in the twisties. Checking in at 215/45 by 17 inches and 215/40 by 18 inches, the tires are perfect for kicking the tail out. Scott Speed, who used to drive in Formula 1 between 2006 and 2007, is much obliged to demonstrate the drift-happy behavior at the 10:20 mark of the following video.

Brought to you by Redline Reviews, this up-close and personal look at the Japanese coupe with a four-cylinder boxer engine kicks off with the exterior design. “I have to admit, it looks even better in the flesh,” said editor-in-chief Sofyan Bey. Finished in WR Blue Pearl as a tribute to rally cars from the good ol’ days, the production-spec prototype “looks pretty similar to the previous generation in the middle of the side profile.”

The black-painted air vents on the front fenders are functional, the rear track is slightly wider for improved stability, there are full-LED taillights and turn signals at the rear, and “the trunk remains pretty large and spacious considering how small this coupe is.” Subaru hasn’t confirmed the cargo volume at the time of writing, but it’s fair to say that the Mazda MX-5 doesn’t hold a candle to the BRZ in this regard.

Sofyan reports that “the interior definitely feels familiar,” and one of the most important upgrades over the previous generation is the infotainment system. The display is one inch larger than before, and because it’s Subaru StarLink, you’re getting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay mirroring as standard. Another highlight of the cabin is the digital instrument cluster that features the tachometer right in the center.

Tipping the scales at 2,835 pounds, the BRZ levels up to a 2.4-liter engine with just a little more power than before. Speaking of which, the six-speed manual transmission and six-speed automatic option are shared with the 2021 model. The stick shift is the one to pick, though, because it is far more engaging for the driver and it’s complemented by a torque-sensing (Torsen) limited-slip differential.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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