Subaru, Toyota Releasing "Final Editions" For 86, BRZ

With confirmation that the second-generation 86 and BRZ are coming by mid next year, Toyota and Subaru are readying their own respective final editions of their rear-wheel drive sportscar.

Both the Subaru BRZ Final Edition and the Toyota 86 GT Black Limited get the same sort of upgrades—special 17-inch alloy wheels, vented Brembo disc brakes, and SACHS performance shock absorbers.

Inside, the Subaru adds blue stitching to its seats and dashboard, while for the Toyota it gets bronze-colored ones. In the case of the 86 though, it adds a “Black Limited” logo stitched on the dashboard and a suede-like material for instrument panel hood.

For Toyota, the color scheme is reminiscent of the special edition GT Apex Black Limited which was the last special model of the AE86 Sprinter Trueno. For the Subaru though, there will be two colors on offer—Crystal Black Silica or WR Blue Pearl.

Mechanically, both versions remain unchanged. This means being powered by a normally-aspirated 2.0-liter flat-4 making 200 horsepower and 205 Nm of torque mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic.

Either way, these sportscars are rare. So far, Subaru Germany will be releasing 100 units of the Subaru BRZ Final Edition, while for Toyota, only 86—43 manual and 43 automatics will be on sale in its home market of Japan.

All-New Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ Coming in 2021 and Will Pack 255 Horsepower

With the current Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ nearing the end of its lifecycle, rumors are starting to swirl about its replacement. Confirmed that the collaboration between Toyota and Subaru will continue for the second-generation model, there are now reports that it’ll pack more power, ride on a new platform, and for Toyota, a brand-new badge.

Autoblog via Motor1 reports that the all-new Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ will debut sometime in the summer of 2021, possibly July for the U.S. market.

More than just the launch window, the leaks show that the second-generation sportscar will migrate to Toyota’s TNGA platform (the current one uses a Subaru platform), and will pack a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Power is said to be in the region of 255 horsepower—a 50 horsepower jump over the present model. It’s also understood that along with the new engine and platform, the twins will also benefit from an upgraded interior.

Meanwhile, Toyota is keen to extend the “GR” family with the 86 officially changing its name globally from “Toyota 86” to “Toyota GR86.” This naming convention is already in place in Japan.

Aside from the all-new Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ, the leaks also detail that the Camry will be refreshed sometime this year (as a 2021 model). In 2021, the carmaker will then release the all-new Tundra, a Corolla-based crossover (that’s not the RAV4), and a small high-performance hatchback (that’s not the GR Yaris). The RAV4 is also expected to be refreshed by this time.

Subaru and STI Come Up with Their Own "GT" Models in Japan

How’s this for a plot twist. Motor Image may have been the first one to come up with their own special GT Edition models like the Forester GT Edition and the Subaru XV GT Edition, but Subaru Corporation’s now doing the same.

Shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the Japanese automaker came up with two GT models: one based on the Subaru BRZ and another on the WRX. Both models were done as a collaboration between Subaru and in-house tuner, STI. It’s said to evoke their motorsports heritage while proposing a “fun-to-drive attitude that’s unique to Subaru and STI.”

Both the Subaru BRZ STI Sport GT and the WRX STI Sport GT don a brand-new color: Galactic WR Blue Metallic. The carmaker has yet to make an official announcement, but this may replace the iconic WR Blue Pearl color very soon.

Using the BRZ GT300 that runs at the Super GT series, the Subaru BRZ STI Sport GT adds a more aggressive aero kit including canards and a two-stage rear spoiler. At each corner, it gets 18-inch BBS wheels finished in a lovely copper shade. Inside, it has a silver-and-black two-tone interior with red highlights and a couple of STI branding.

Meanwhile, the WRX STI Sport GT takes its inspiration from the 24-Hour Nürburgring endurance racer. Interestingly, this is based off the WRX as opposed to the top-dog WRX STI. Still, that didn’t stop Subaru from adding a more aggressive aero kit with canards upfront and additional brake venting out the back. It also gets a carbon fiber rear wing and 19-inch BBS wheels. Inside, it gets the same silver-and-black scheme, tons of STI goodies, and dedicated Recaro seats.

Subaru Philippines is Now Offering Up to P 350k Discounts on Selected Models

Buying a brand-new Subaru? Well, you’re in for a surprise because distributor Motor Image Pilipinas is clearing their older 2018 inventory and to do that, they’re offering their biggest discount yet with up to P 350,000 off selected models until December 31, 2019.

Opting for cash transaction gets you the following discounts:

• 2018 Subaru Forester XT (previous model) – P 350,000 discount (net price: P 1,698,000)
• 2018 Subaru XV 2.0i – P 150,000 discount (net price: P 1,268,000)
• 2018 Subaru XV 2.0i-S EyeSight – P 150,000 discount (net price: 1,518,000)
• 2018 Subaru XV GT Edition – P 120,000 discount (net price: 1,648,000)
• 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R-S EyeSight – P 350,000 discount (net price: P 2,058,000)
• 2018 Subaru BRZ 2.0 A/T – P 170,000 discount (net price: P 1,888,000)

This is actually quite historical for Subaru. Why? Because the turbocharged Forester, albeit the previous model, is now cheaper than the current normally-aspirated one; the Subaru XV 2.0i is cheaper than the Kia Seltos or Honda HR-V; and the Outback is cheaper than the all-new Accord.

Oh, if you opt for financing, the Forester XT is available with a zero, yup, zero percent downpayment, while the Subaru XV 2.0i can be yours with just a P 29,000 downpayment.

All Subaru models in this promo feature Motor Image Pilipinas’s new 5-year / 100,000-kilometer bumper-to-bumper warranty.

The Subaru XV is Now Just P 1.298M While Supplies Last

Motor Image Pilipinas, the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the Philippines is offering the last few 2018 model year (MY2018) units in their inventory at a substantial discount while supplies last.

The offer adds P 20,000 off on top of existing discounts on the Forester XT (previous model), Subaru XV, Outback, Subaru BRZ, Impreza, Levorg 1.6 GT-S, and Legacy 2.5i-S. With that, expect these to be the new net selling price when you walk into any authorized Subaru showroom:

• 2018 Subaru Forester XT – P 1,728,000
• 2018 Subaru XV 2.0i – P 1,298,000
• 2018 Subaru XV 2.0i-S EyeSight – P 1,548,000
• 2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R-S EyeSight – P 2,088,000
• 2018 Subaru BRZ 2.0 A/T – P 1,888,000
• 2018 Subaru Impreza – P 1,348,000
• 2018 Subaru Levorg 1.6 GT-S – P 1,568,000
• 2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i-S – P 1,978,000

For those who want something newer (i.e. MY2019) models, Subaru is adding a new low downpayment scheme for the Subaru XV and Forester models. With that, drive home the Subaru XV for as low as P 99,000, while for the Forester, it’s at P 118,000 (2.0i-L) or P 149,000 (2.0i-L EyeSight). For cash customers, the 2019 Subaru XV is also available with an P 80,000 discount, while the Forester 2.0i-L has a P 90,000 discount.

Toyota Buys 20 Percent of Subaru, Makes Next-Generation 86, BRZ Happen

After months of intense speculation, Toyota has finally confirmed: they are co-developing the next-generation Toyota 86 with Subaru. The confirmation comes as part of Toyota and Subaru’s increasingly intertwined relationship which sees Toyota getting a larger stake in the all-wheel drive specialist.

Citing increased competition in the realm of CASE or Connected Autonomous Shared and Electric vehicles, Toyota has acquired additional shares in Subaru, increasing it from the current 16.83 percent to 20 percent. Furthermore, Toyota actually foresees that Subaru will become an affiliated company in the future like Daihatsu.

Corporate changes aside, Toyota says that they will be jointly-developing all-wheel drive models that “offer the ultimate sensation in all-wheel driving” as well as the aforementioned next-generation Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ. These announcements are on top of the dedicated battery-electric vehicle platform that the two companies have announced previously.

In a separate report courtesy of Which Car/Motor, Toyota GR Supra Chief Engineer Tatsuya Tada was quoted that the next-generation Toyota 86 will surpass even the almighty Toyota/BMW flagship sportscar.

For its part, Subaru will gain more access to Toyota’s gasoline-electric hybrid system and will benefit from Toyota’s resources in fast tracking its development of connected and autonomous driving vehicles.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda has nothing but praises on the new agreement, saying: “I, myself, am a rallyist, and, through my experience of training hard in an Impreza, I have felt in my veins the wonders of Subaru’s AWD technologies… Our companies, both of which have long pursued driving enjoyment, now want to pursue the possibilities of making ever-better cars suitable for the CASE era by bringing together our strengths and by further deepening our relationship.”

Additional Sources: Which Car