Subaru’s upcoming entry in the coupe segment, the BRZ, and its Toyota twin, the FT-86, are two of the most eagerly anticipated cars of the year with their world premiere set for next month’s Tokyo Motor Show.
Up until now, Toyota has tantalized us with three versions of its RWD coupe, while Subaru has been more restrained, revealing only a transparent concept in Geneva and Frankfurt with very little details. The jointly developed sports car, in both guises, promises to be very capable and fun to drive.
Now Subaru, which has undertaken most of the engineering work providing the 2.0-liter flat-four engine (albeit with a Toyota-sourced direct fuel injection) that will power both cars, has allegedly revealed some very interesting facts to British magazine Autocar.
According to the report, despite sharing the same engine with the FT-86, Subaru’s different mapping of the ECU will allow the four-pot to deliver “less than 300HP”. If true, this means that the BRZ will be significantly more powerful than its Toyota twin that is rumored to come with around 200 ponies.
Subaru has laid claims that the BRZ (and, presumably, the FT-86) will have the lowest center of gravity of any car currently in production, thanks in part to the rear-wheel drive configuration which allows the lower positioning of the flat-four engine.
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