Subaru BRZ Unveiled at Tokyo Motor Show

Subaru has been floating around concept versions of its upcoming rear-wheel drive sports car, the BRZ, for some time now, and it unveiled a display model of the expected production version at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show this week. The BRZ will feature the “Horizontally-Opposed” third generation Boxer engine, developed jointly with Toyota, which places the pistons 180 degrees apart and laying horizontally to create a lower, flatter profile than other engine types. Subaru says this configuration not only gives the engine and the vehicle a lower center of gravity and better balance but the opposing movements of the pistons counteract each other to naturally reduce vibration. The overall result is a normally aspirated 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine that produces 200hp. The BRZ will also feature a six-speed manual transmission to deliver the Boxer engine’s pep to the rear wheels and will sit on 17-inch wheels.

UPDATE 20120405: Subaru has announced pricing on the 2013 BRZ starting at $25,495 MSRP.