Subaru to reveal BRZ coupe at LA show

Subaru BRZ Concept unveiling to be followed by release of production-ready clones. Photo / Supplied

Subaru is expected to show a production concept of its rear-drive BRZ coupe at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November - before unveiling the real thing in Tokyo later that month.

So far the Japanese carmaker has revealed little about the BRZ other than its see-through wire-frame guise.

The LA show car will also come with a twist - although it will wear sheet metal, none of the panels will be the same as the production car.

The production-ready BRZ will join its Toyota FT-86/Scion FRS siblings. All three versions of the car, says reports in the United States, will wear similar body panels with the exception of their faces.

Subaru will apply its own mug, while the Toyota and Scion versions will be essentially identical with the exception of badging.

Subaru will be responsible for production of all three versions, and the sporty coupe will be built at the Japanese carmaker's Gunma, Japan, facility.

There the cars will be fitted with 2-litre boxer engines and paired with either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox.

There will be no turbocharged version of the BRZ coupe - and all-wheel drive has also been ruled out, says the carmaker. The rear-drive coupe will come only with a normally aspirated four-cylinder engine with a power output of about 150kW. Despite it being launched alongside Toyota's FT-86 in Tokyo, Subaru insists it has played the leading role in development.

"The car may initially be branded as a Toyota, but it is a Subaru," said product planning chief Toshio Masuda. The BRZ name stands for boxer engine, rear-wheel drive and zenith. Production is scheduled to begin in the first half of next year, just a few months after the Toyota FT-86 and Scion FRS.

No precise engine details have been released, but both the BRZ and FT-86 should be good for a 0-100km/h time of about eight seconds and a top speed of 230km/h. The FT-86 concept has a 2570mm wheelbase and measures 4235mm in length. It's also 1795mm wide and 1270mm high - making it about the same size as a Volkswagen Scirocco.