What Is This Performance BRZ/FR-S and Where Can We Get One?
Our friends over at AutoGuide have a juicy story about a patent filing from Toyota that details a decidedly BRZ STI-looking drawing that may signal a performance variant on its way.
According to AutoGuide, the patent, which was approved in Japan, was filed by Toyota, but named Subaru-parent company Fuji Heavy Industry as its owner. The patent was approved so let’s get them on the lots already.
Of course, the BRZ STI was styled with many parts from Subaru’s STI, so Toyota would likely need to use their own TRD parts or work out some sort of deal for production. Subaru’s concept in New York boasted 350 horsepower, but don’t expect that in the BRZ STI, at all.
This year, the FR-S was announced with only modest improvements in horsepower (a 5-percent bump) with little fanfare, so a performance variant would still need to overcome the fact that sales are incredibly small for the GT86 twins.
Still, there’s an albeit small appetite for a performance BRZ/FR-S and according to the filing, at least a rough plan.
More by Aaron Cole
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I think Toyota already missed the boat on a performance BRZ/FR-S. When the car was first launch and 2012 with great reviews every body was expecting a performance version but it never came. Now that the BRZ/FR-S is yesterday news a performance upgrade will receive only a fraction of attention, and theretofore sells of what could have been few years ago. In any case if they want to grab people's attention they will have to come up with an upgrade pretty spectacular and I doubt Toyota will...
I just ran "performance variant" through the ToyoTranslator. The output slip read: "Bright yellow paint. Bigger rims. Spoiler. End."