Subaru BRZ Final Edition: Last Nail in the Coffin?

While Toyota and Subaru are officially developing a new generation of the 86/BRZ, neither model from the current generation looks long for this world. The Toyobaru twins’ placement as an affordable sports car meant volumes were never going to be stellar but the last few years have been particularly unkind. Inside the United States (the duo’s strongest market), the Toyota half of the pair hasn’t managed to break 10,000 deliveries since 2016 — something the BRZ has never achieved. Last year, Toyota’s coupe was sitting at just 3,398 units while the Subaru only sold 2,334.

But the final nail in their coffin could be the new special edition that’s coming out of Europe. Subaru is introducing the conclusive-sounding “Final Edition” of the BRZ for Germany.

According to Motor1, the farewell edition is supposed to be limited to just 100 units and priced at a ludicrous €40,270 (about $44,000 USD). Considering the BRZ starts at $28,845 here in the states, you might think that it comes with a new engine or something. But you’d be disappointed if you did.

The car’s 2.0-liter boxer continues to produce a meager 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Despite being sufficient for backroad driving pleasure, many have criticized the models for being underpowered. While the previous stock response was to remind them that the vehicles were never intended for the drag strip, that argument seems less relevant now. Toyota’s introduction of the 4-cylinder Supra seems to suggest the brand already has something to satiate enthusiasts that liked the agile Toyobaru concept but wanted a juicier power band.

So what exactly are Europeans getting for this $44,000 swan song?

Subaru says it’s offering the BRZ unique 17-inch wheels, painted brake calipers, some exterior garnish to denote its limited status and new Sachs dampers. Paint is limited to the standard Crystal Black Silica or optional Blue Pearl. Inside, the car has embraced premium materials — resulting in black-and-blue seats that use both leather and Alcantara. Contrasting blue stitching is also applied liberally throughout the cabin with Subaru installing a few more Final Edition placards.

If you’re curious as to what that looks like, so were we. Unfortunately, Subaru only bothered to release a single exterior image to stimulate our appetites (failing miserably). We suppose that collective lack of enthusiasm says as much about the model’s future as anything else. For now, the Final Edition is a German exclusive but we’d wager it’s only a matter of time before other markets start hinting at discontinuing both the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86. Though the cars’ absence may only be temporary; both companies confirmed the joint development of their offspring in November.

Despite presumably being nowhere near the final stages of that process, Toyota engineers have already said the new model will be better to drive than the Supra. Benchmarks like that will undoubtedly encourage us to monitor its progress but we’re not ready to believe everything we’ve been told. Future Toyobaru models could easily find themselves perpetually trapped in development.

[Image: Subaru]