Photo: Subaru It’s hard to believe, but there’s a forlorn little car at my local Subaru dealer that desperately needs a home. It’s called the BRZ. Hop over to the Toyota dealer and you can find the Scion FR-S also sitting on the lot, another victim of sluggish sales.
My local Subaru service manager attributes the slump to a demanding clientele that expected all-wheel drive in these svelte coupes. Others have been waiting patiently for a turbo and/or a convertible. And the improvements are likely to come in the 2016 model year as officials from both Subaru and Toyota have recently been hinting to the automotive press that changes are in the works. What’s odd is that the executives have been talking about a “second generation” of these cars when the first has barely gotten off the ground, sales-wise.
Folks, these are already truly fine cars for the money. They fit like a glove, perform astoundingly on the track and are very easy to maintain and modify. They remind me of the early Mazda RX-7s. Yes, I’d like a less busy interior and less notchy six-speed, but beyond that, there’s little to complain about. There is probably no greater new sports car bargain on the planet other than the aging Miata. When the new Miata debuts later this year, with its Zen-like good looks and Alfa genes, the pressure will be on to rev up sales of the Toyobaru twins. I believe the manufacturers will do it through mild styling tweaks and Subaru’s turbo four-cylinder that now powers the WRX. The idea of a convertible is still a little far-fetched, but possible.
Stay tuned, and in the meantime, don’t give up on these fine little sports cars.
BY THE NUMBERS
Price: $25,695 (Subaru), $25,455 (Scion)
Horsepower: 200
0-60: 6.4 secs (manual BRZ/Motor Trend)
Curb weight: 2,764 lbs
TO LEARN MORE
Subaru
Scion
Jalopnik
My local Subaru service manager attributes the slump to a demanding clientele that expected all-wheel drive in these svelte coupes. Others have been waiting patiently for a turbo and/or a convertible. And the improvements are likely to come in the 2016 model year as officials from both Subaru and Toyota have recently been hinting to the automotive press that changes are in the works. What’s odd is that the executives have been talking about a “second generation” of these cars when the first has barely gotten off the ground, sales-wise.
Folks, these are already truly fine cars for the money. They fit like a glove, perform astoundingly on the track and are very easy to maintain and modify. They remind me of the early Mazda RX-7s. Yes, I’d like a less busy interior and less notchy six-speed, but beyond that, there’s little to complain about. There is probably no greater new sports car bargain on the planet other than the aging Miata. When the new Miata debuts later this year, with its Zen-like good looks and Alfa genes, the pressure will be on to rev up sales of the Toyobaru twins. I believe the manufacturers will do it through mild styling tweaks and Subaru’s turbo four-cylinder that now powers the WRX. The idea of a convertible is still a little far-fetched, but possible.
Stay tuned, and in the meantime, don’t give up on these fine little sports cars.
BY THE NUMBERS
Price: $25,695 (Subaru), $25,455 (Scion)
Horsepower: 200
0-60: 6.4 secs (manual BRZ/Motor Trend)
Curb weight: 2,764 lbs
TO LEARN MORE
Subaru
Scion
Jalopnik
RSS Feed
