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.

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