Absent from Europe since 2020, Subaru is reportedly considering bringing the BRZ back to the region to meet renewed demand for enthusiast-focused sports cars, according to a report by Autocar. But a return to Europe means that the sports car will have to comply with strict Euro 7 emissions regulations – and that could mean the third-generation BRZ trading its Boxer engine for an electric heart.
The current second-generation Subaru BRZ never quite made it to Europe, no thanks to emissions regulations in the region. Its twin, the Toyota GR86, did make it to the region, but was only available in limited numbers for the same reason.
For the next-generation model, the Japanese marque is considering options to bring the sports car back into the continent. When asked about the possibility of an electric BRZ, Subaru Europe boss, David Dello Stritto, told the publication, “Our options are open”.
This was backed by the brand’s global EV product boss, Inoue Masahiko, who confirmed that an electric BRZ “was under consideration” and that the idea has been heavily considered in the past with its partner Toyota. Masahiko added that the timing needed to be right, saying, “We did consider electrifying the BRZ and GT86, but the win-win relationship is more important, and for the moment we can’t get the kind of benefits for both sides.”
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Toyota has previously unveiled the Toyota FT-Se Concept EV at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, which was widely rumoured to be the electric successor to the GR86/BRZ twins.
Meanwhile, Subaru is going all-out in the family car market — offering models such as the Crosstrek, Outback, and Forester, along with the new electric Uncharted, E-Outback, and updated Solterra in the UK.
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Stritto emphasised that the arrival of an enthusiast-focused model in Europe would depend on the performance of existing models, saying, “We feel very positively about Subaru enthusiasts, but we need to see how Uncharted does first.”
When asked if the second-generation BRZ will be coming to Europe with an electric powertrain, Stritto was quick to dismiss it — saying it “would be difficult” due to the packaging constraints. He noted that developing a dedicated EV would be a more practical approach.
He also mentioned that bringing 100 units of the second-generation Subaru BRZ, following the limited-run Toyota GR86, would not make long-term sense from a business perspective.
