Subaru Is Turning the BRZ Into an AWD Rally Car

Core Strengths

Say what you want about Subaru, but the brand still enjoys a respectable reputation globally. It remains a force in the automotive space largely because it stays true to its core competencies and strengths. Instead of making hard pivots to keep up with the times, this brand chooses to be pragmatic and still offer rugged, dependable, and dynamic driving cars in our world of sustainability.

It has to be commended that Subaru can still be one of the very few brands left that have cars for all types of owners. From the practical to the emotional, we see the BRZand the WRX as part of a dying breed of affordable performance. Each model honed through decades of racing experience on the road and off. In a shocking turn of events, the automaker has announced it'll be taking the BRZ rallying.

Coupe Rallying

You read that right, Subaru is going rally racing with its 2-door sports car. It was announced during the opening round of the Japanese Super Taikyu Series in Motegi, a premier touring car series held in Japan. The report comes fromRally Plus, along with photos of the BRZ rally car render Subaru showcased. It will be raced in the All Japan Rally Championship this year.

The first question is: why would they race a rear-wheel-drive car? Well, probably keen to show off their expertise, the Subaru team will be converting the BRZ into an all-wheel-drive turbocharged race car. They even announced that the car will be piloted by Toshihiro Arai, suggesting the project is in an advanced stage.

In true Subaru fashion, the engine will be a turbocharged boxer unit coupled with the legendary symmetrical AWD system beefed up for racing. It seems the ingredients for this project's success are all there. Based on the renders, we can see an aggressively wider fendered BRZ in motion, which also shows that the car has been lifted to Rally racing height.

Ready for 2026 Season

Also stated in the report is Subaru's claim that more details on the car will be shared soon, but the car itself will be launched during the first half of this season's All Japan Rally Championship. Toshihiro Arai currently races for Subaru in the All Japan Rally, still using last year's WRX S4.

It'll be interesting to see just how good the AWD BRZ rally car will be; furthermore, we're certain that fans the world over are crossing their fingers and toes that a special-edition road-going model will be introduced.

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