Subaru BRZ 2022.

Subaru BRZ 2022.

Subaru BRZ 2022.

Since its debut in 2012, Subaru BRZ has focused on handling quality. The experts showered him with praise, and rightfully so.

Compact, lightweight, maneuverable, excellent suspension, excellent balance, low price, the ability to carry four tires with the rear seats folded flat — these are the components of an excellent sports car.

However, the Subaru BRZ has long had two flaws. First, design was a missed opportunity. Front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupes naturally blend with sleek shapes (Jaguar E-Type, Shelby Cobra, Datsun Zs, almost all Aston Martin ever built).

Unfortunately, the first-generation BRZ had strange headlights, fake air vents, and a sluggish rear end, leading viewers to mistakenly assume it was front-wheel drive.

The other issue, of course, was power — or lack thereof. Case in point: Two years ago, Subaru launched the BRZ tS, a vehicle the brand claims was “pure handling pleasure”.

But in reality this was not the case. Anything anyone has ever said about a car, it was just — can we have more energy? As you may have guessed, the answer was no. But that was before!

Specifications

Subaru BRZ 2022.

Meet the 2022 Subaru BRZ. Not only is the car new, but also the sheet metal. It has become much better, it has more power! Let’s start with 28 extra horsepower.

The engine remained naturally aspirated, but its volume increased from 2.0 to 2.4 liters. The first-generation BRZ had a non-turbocharged Subaru WRX engine, while the new car had an Ascent 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder.

The result is 228 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque at 3700 rpm, compared with 206 horsepower and 156 lb-ft of torque in manual transmission vehicles and 200 horses and 151 lb-ft of torque. in automation.

Why is there no turbo? Subaru was keen to lower the price of the BRZ. That’s probably pretty much it, although you have to assume that Subaru is protecting the WRX to some degree. The same theory applies to the continued sales of the turbocharged Toyota Supra.

In Age of Hellcat, BRZ certainly doesn’t sound powerful enough. Keep in mind, however, that Subaru says the new BRZ weighs less than 2,900 pounds, which is about 100 pounds more than the previous 2016 Hyperblue series, which pegged at 2,763 pounds.

Count it up and the weight-to-power ratio is still improving by more than half a pound per horsepower on the new car.

You can have a 2022 BRZ with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Why is there still a six-speed automatic?

Subaru BRZ 2022.

Remember, Subaru relies on Toyota’s huge profits and vast supply chain to build the BRZ and Toyota 86. Toyota supplied the Aisin six-speed transmission to the project.

The chassis is all new, although Subaru built it with lessons learned from the brand’s global platform. The top of the boxer engine is located lower than the top of the tires, and therefore the center of gravity remains fairly low.

The front suspension consists of long-travel MacPherson struts and coil springs, while the rear has double control arms and coil springs.

Definitely a classic sports recipe, identical in tuning to the previous car.

BRZ has grown marginally in terms of wheelbase (101.2 «to 101.4») and length (166.7 «to 167.9»), but has not changed in width (69.9 «) and the new actually shorter in height than the car it replaces (52.0 inches versus 51.6 inches).

There are five drive modes, and if you put stability control in Track mode, the digital tachometer will reset to a linear graph, just like in the Mustang or McLaren 570S.

Exterior

In terms of looks, I think the 2022 Subaru BRZ is a big improvement over the old car. The front feels like a mini Corvette, in a good way.

Subaru BRZ 2022.

These black penguin-shaped parts under the headlights are functional vents that provide cool air, while the heat generated from the front escapes through functional side vents just in front of the doors.

The new BRZ looks almost like a smiling Mona Lisa. The headlights are a significant improvement over the previous version. A bit like Mazda?

Sure, but Mazdas are great overall. And it looks a bit like the Infiniti Q60 in the side profile, except for the awful C-pillar.

At the rear, there is a beautiful combination of the Honda Civic and Aston Martin Vantage, mainly due to that raised spoiler with a miniature duck tail.

New face, more details

The new front fascia looks more dramatic. The visual emphasis is not so much on the less elongated headlights, as on the massive C-shaped ridges that frame the grille of the same shape, which visually protrudes forward.

While the old car had a bottom line running back through the bonnet from the badge, the new model year car has two characteristic folds that run closer to the headlights and create some separation. The headlights themselves seem to float in a stream of sheet metal streaming past them.

The front wheel arches became interesting, with a rather unusual line going in an arc and then, as if it was being trapped by passing air, stretches back and ends with a slight bulge after the front cut line of the door.

This bulge also forms a kind of bonnet above the design element of the exhaust vent behind the front wheels.

Interior

I must say that the interior seems much cleaner. The protruding circular air vents of the old BRZ remain, but now they act like jet engine nacelles.

Subaru BRZ 2022.

And the overall shape is much flatter and more straight, with no center console bulge or concave panel in front of the passenger. Instead, the top edge of the dashboard takes on a gentle curve and follows the cab in a beautiful flat line that ends at the hood of the instrument.

There is a small shelf in front of the passenger, which gives the dashboard a less monolithic look. A large touchscreen with an appropriate number of hardware buttons splits the space between driver and passenger. Both sit on stylish, well-reinforced sports seats with perforations and red accents.

Driving comfort

How does the 2022 Subaru BRZ drive? Unfortunately, there is no such information until this vehicle is not allowed to drive. However, Subaru was kind enough to allow former F1 / NASCAR racer and current Subaru rally driver Scott Speed ​​to drive.

Although this is not a drag racer, it should accelerate to 100 km / h in less than 6 seconds. More importantly, it is not only the peak torque, but also the torque curve. Unlike the previous car, the 2022 BRZ seemed to fly out of the corners. The first generation BRZ never felt this way. Has that proverbial flat spot in the middle of the rev range gone?

Again, I did not ride it, but it feels like it is almost there, and not completely. The new BRZ felt as balanced and as neutral as ever, with a hint of oversteer when cornering. Understeer is virtually non-existent, mainly due to the suspension setup, although I think the Michelin PS4S sticky tires help some as well.

Summary

Overall, the 2022 Subaru BRZ is the perfect tool for the job because it handles the track well.
Subaru has yet to announce pricing, but expect them to match current BRZ prices when the new sports car goes on sale this fall. Most likely, it will be a little less than $ 30,000.

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