The Subaru BRZ arrived in North American back in 2012 as an affordable, rear-wheel-drive sports car for the masses. Now, over eight years after its initial debut, Subaru has decided to release a teaser of what the next-gen BRZ will look like. Although the teaser image mostly shows the front wheel and tire, we should expect the official unveiling to take place this fall. If we are lucky, Subaru will give us the turbocharged engine the model so desperately needs.

What do we know so far?

The Subaru BRZ has been kept well under wraps by its development team. In terms of preliminary information, the only thing we know for sure is that the next-gen BRZ will also arrive alongside a new Toyota 86. The original BRZ was almost identical to its Toyota cousin, separated only by aesthetic differences. It seems as though the case will yet again be the same as reported by Motor1. 

Lucky attendees of the 2020 Subaru Tecnica International Subiefest World Record Attempt & Charity Drive got to see the car up-close. Some sneaky photographers have taken to Instagram to post photos of the prototype under the hashtag #2022subarubrz. Although the prototype wore heavy camouflage and sat behind a thin veil, we can clearly see that the proportions are very similar to those of the outgoing model.

Subaru itself joined in on the Instagram fun with the very first teaser image of the new BRZ, showing only a close up of the front rocker panel and wheel.

When will it arrive?

Like almost everything in 2020, the Subaru BRZ’s release was delayed thanks to the arrival of Covid-19. We expected the new sports car to debut during this year’s LA Auto Show before its cancelation. It seems Subaru plans to take the same approach as almost all other manufactures and host an online unveiling of its new car. Subaru has yet to release any information on an official release date. 

In terms of availability, the new Subaru BRZ should arrive in 2021 as a 2022 model. Given the car’s release date nearing the end of 2020, the 2022 model should arrive in showrooms closer to summertime. Shortly after its announcement, we expect Subaru to begin to accept deposits and orders as it did back in 2012.

Will the Subaru BRZ finally receive a turbocharger?

What lives under the Subaru BRZ’s hood could potentially make or break the new version. Fans of the model have been praying for the inclusion of a turbocharged engine. The original BRZ featured a 2.0-liter boxer engine that produced a healthy 200 hp. Although the power figure seems adequate, the BRZ’s lackluster power delivery meant the car felt sluggish in most scenarios. The worst part is that Subaru already produces a turbocharged version of the BRZ engine for the WRX. 

There are two likely scenarios for the new BRZ. The first is that it will finally get the WRX motor, and everyone will live happily ever after. The second and most likely scenario is that it will receive Subaru’s naturally-aspirated FA24 engine with 217 hp.

Subaru’s hesitation in giving the BRZ more power could come down to the simple fact that it would step on the WRX’s toes. The only way the little brother gets a bump is if the big brother does as well. If Subaru pushes the WRX north of 300 hp, there would be room for the BRZ to enter the 250 hp range. While we keep our fingers crossed for the first option, we know deep inside which of the two is more likely to happen.