2017 Subaru BRZ: Still No Turbo

Subaru have released details of updates to the 2017 version of their BRZ collaboration with Toyota and disappointingly none of them rectify the woefully underpowered motor. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Subaru has announced further refinements to the BRZ that include a stiffened chassis and updated springs and suspension that aim to improve ride quality and handling.

The latest revision to the BRZ further builds the ‘will they or won’t they’ tension that grows as there continues to be the glaring omission of turbocharger in their increasingly bland lineup. Toyota and Subaru insist that the BRZ and 86 were never about producing a high powered sports car, rather they were striving to make the ultimate rear-wheel-drive car that improved driver ability- all whilst going 40km/h. The lack of power and torque goes some way to explaining the influx of BRZ and 86’s appearing on Australia’s second hand car market as owners grow weary of the lack of torque that makes the BRZ/86 bland in everyday driving conditions.

Subaru have followed in the footsteps of Toyota in announcing that there will be a 4kW and 9Nm increase to their N/A 2.0L engine that will lift outputs to 151kW and 214Nm.

The lacklustre increases to performance are almost forgivable from Toyota, but Subaru, we know you have the 221kW/407Nm engine from the WRX STI sitting on the shelf- let’s see you put it to good use and make the BRZ the car that it should have been from day one.