It looks like Subaru have stopped manufacturing the BRZ based on a notice on the company’s Japanese website. The BRZ page still shows the available options on the car, but a little notice now warns that the car is no longer available for build-to-order requests.
Translated from Japanese using Google Translate, here’s what the message says:
“We have finished accepting orders for build-to-order manufacturing of the models listed. Orders can only be accepted from stock at retailers.”
What that basically means is that the car’s still available for purchase, but you may only purchase what’s in stock. No new cars are being made.
We’re not sure if this is a temporary set back relating to a slump in demand or if this truly is the end of the current BRZ. We’re not even sure if the 86 is similarly affected. It ought to be, given the two cars are largely identical and built side-by-side at Subaru’s Gunma plant.
A quick look at Toyota’s Japanese website shows no similar notice for the 86, but the news from Subaru is still relatively fresh, so perhaps Toyota just haven’t updated their website yet.
If it’s true that the BRZ is no longer in production, this would more or less line up with expectations. Subaru have indicated that a 2nd generation model was in the works with Toyota still on board for a follow up to the 86. Best Car magazine seems to think that the follow up to the BRZ will use the FA24 engine, a 2.4-litre boxer 4 cylinder that will produce around 217hp and 240Nm of torque without turbocharging. We’re not even sure if turbocharging is on the menu. If it is, then the potential power output goes up to 260hp and 375Nm of torque, which is actually really respectable. The 2-litre boxer in the current BRZ does about 205hp and 211Nm of torque, so going up in displacement without forced induction doesn’t seem like the update enthusiasts are waiting for.
As for the platform, it looks like it will be a severe update of the exiting 86 chassis. This means no TNGA and no Subaru Global Platform.
Production of the Subaru BRZ has spanned 8 years. Back in 2012, the Gunma plant began producing three distinct versions of the car, with the Subaru BRZ being made for the Japanese Domestic Market, the Toyota GT 86 being meant more for European sales and the Scion FR-S going to the North American market. Not long after, Scion folded and the pre-assigned markets began to matter less and less.
If you’re thinking of getting one of these vehicles, check out our used buyer’s guide below.
