Will Subaru BRZ Get A Turbo? A New Report Says Yes But Without A Boxer Engine

Will the Subaru BRZ finally get a turbocharged engine? It will if a new report from BestCarWeb is correct. The Japanese website says the next-generation Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 sport coupe will get a new 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. And it will make its debut with hybrid technology.

The report says in the movement toward electrification, the two Japanese automakers are concerned it will be the end of the rear-drive BRZ and GR86 sport coupes with their current powertrain.

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But another recent report from CarSensor says that Toyota wants to develop the next-generation GR86 without Subaru. They said the next-generation Toyota GR86 is already being developed and will launch with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine plus hybrid power with the goal of launching the new model in 2028.

The report says former Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda declared they would develop the third-generation GR86 at Toyota, not Subaru. The BRZ and GR86 have been produced at the Subaru plant in Gunma since their debut in 2012. But that could change. 

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Toyota is taking the lead in the Toyota 86 development, and they could do it without Subaru. The next-generation sports coupe will be developed with Toyota's engineering and not have a Subaru horizontally-opposed Boxer engine under the hood.

The CarSensor report says the plan is to use a 1.4-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine experimentally installed in the Super Endurance Race. A previous BestCarWeb report says the new GR86 will adopt the Lexus IS platform with a shorter wheelbase.

The debut of the next-generation Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 is scheduled for 2028, but this is conditional on "if the next Toyota Supra can be launched safely in 2027," says CarSensor. 

For the next-generation Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 to survive, there will have to be powertrain changes made. Adopting a small turbocharged engine coupled with a Toyota hybrid technology makes sense, but will Toyota make the changes without Subaru's involvement? Stay tuned.

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Denis Flierl brings over thirty years of combined auto industry and automotive journalism experience to Torque News readers. He is an accredited Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) member. The last twelve years have been spent with Torque News, covering Subaru vehicles and the latest news. Check back daily for his expert Subaru analysis. You'll find the latest stories on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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