A speedy Subaru BRZ sports car, seen on a second-hand car market in Beijing in 2018. The BRZ was in a perfect shape, and the Subaru blue color almost matched with the color of the Beijing license plate.
The first generation Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 were both officially sold in China, starting in 2013. However, the Subaru was way less popular than the Toyota and sales of the BRZ were cancelled in 2017. The 86 continued until 2019, when sales in China were cancelled too. At that time, the engine was too stinky for China’s though new emission regulations.
The new second generation Subaru BRZ arrived in China in 2022, marking the return of the BRZ after five years. Strangely, the new 86 isn’t sold in China yet.
The car we have here is an early 2013 model with 50.000 kilometers on the clock. Gearbox is the six-speed automatic with flappy pedals. When new in 2013, this model sold for 279.000 yuan, which actually was a pretty good deal for an imported sports car (the 6-speed manual model sold for 269.000 yuan). Price of the car I saw on the market was 216.000 yuan, which seemed a tad to high for a car that was then 5 years old. But of course, there must be room for some bargaining.
The interior appeared to be in good shape too, with the old-school handbrake and a shipload of gray and dark gray plastics. Not too pretty to my eyes, but hey, the BRZ was all about ‘handling’, right?
Power came from a naturally aspirated 2.0 liter four-cylinder boxer engine, sending horses to the rear wheels. Output was a modest 200 hp and 205 Nm, good for a 210 km/h top speed and a 0-100 in 8.2 seconds.
The 86 and BRZ were easily tuned up to much better numbers. There was a large 86/BRZ club in Beijing and not any of their cars was standard. They told me the engine could go to 400 hp without the need to change to a stronger gearbox. With a stronger ‘box, power could go up to 550 or so.
The Subaru BRZ was a great looking little sports car, with a decent price and but an under-powered motor. Because it was cancelled so soon, the first generation BRZ is quite rare in China. Happily, the new second generation BRZ has a larger 2.4 liter engine and 230 hp. That’s a lot better but price went up to 308.800 yuan, so I don’t think it will become a best-seller either.