Bargain basement Subaru BRZ | Spotted
Tempting at £10k; damn near irresistible at £7,495...
It was a good day in the old PH office when the first £10k Toyota GT86 was written about. The car in question was discovered by Sam Sheehan, who pounced on the Spotted story with his usual puppy-dog enthusiasm. That was 2019, the car in question was a 2013 ‘86 with just 60,000 miles, and seemingly all was well with the Toyobarus as secondhand sports cars: they’d continue to depreciate with miles and age, because that’s what used cars did, and become ever more tempting along the way.
Then 2020 happened. Not only did GT86 and BRZ production come to an end (the event that really hogged the headlines), but the surge in values that came with Covid meant neither Subaru nor Toyota continued to slide as expected. Then 2022: the arrival of the GR86, with far fewer cars available than there were people willing to buy them, must have further shored up GT values. Those who couldn’t get the new car would be more tempted than ever to spend some money on an old one - values stayed strong.
So for much longer than expected (or indeed hoped for), £10k seemed to remain the entry point. Most cars were from around £12k, with some still for sale at more than £20,000. And as the years passed, so the value proposition became less enticing, particularly with that knowledge of how much ‘86 could be bought in 2019.
But slowly but surely, things are changing. Time continues to march on, with the first GT86s and BRZs 15 years old next year. That initial hype around the GR has faded, with a good supply of cars always available in the classifieds at less than £30k. And much as we love them, the Toyota and Subaru are niche sports cars made in reasonable numbers - they had to start depreciating again at some point.
Better late than never, here we are: the £7,495 BRZ. Cheaper ones have existed in the past, though typically crash-damaged or with moon mileage; the ones you’d take a punt on, rather than really covet like this one. It’s on 86k (no, really), there are three previous owners, the gold wheels look cool and the most recent MOT was fine bar tyres - a good point to negotiate from, perhaps.
Obviously, it isn’t perfect, with one or two less agreeable cosmetic tweaks and a front bumper in need of some TLC, but it seems fundamentally decent. And the last thing you’d want, really, is an 86 or BRZ to keep as an exhibit. They’re at their best driven as hard as you dare, so adding a couple of scuffs to this one wouldn’t be the end of the world. And don’t forget the main appeal here: £7,495. The advert here doesn’t have very much detail on the BRZ’s history, so interested parties will want to investigate that further; safe to say, though, this seems to have plenty going for it. How much cheaper can they get now?
SPECIFICATION | SUBARU BRZ
Engine: 1,998cc, flat-four
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 200@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 151@6,400-6,600rpm
MPG: 36.2 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 181g/km
First registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 86,270
Price new: £24,995
Yours for: £7,495
The valve spring recall on 2012 and 2013 cars was preventative, but some, it seems in US mostly where the repair was rushed (due to how dealers are reimbursed), excessive RTV sealant was used that then blocked oil pick up and caused failure.
Also if tracking, a baffled oil pan is recommended, again to prevent oil starvation.
Regarding boosting, around 260 bhp is considered safe but going over 300bhp can apparently cause con rod failure.
. Love these, but not this one.Still, a cheap way into a great car, they don't seem to depreciate much since they were 3 years old (worth about £12k then)
I still they are beautiful cars which would be amazing with a much better engine.
The exhaust isn't stock and appears to be missing a rear silencer. 86s have pretty much no rear sound deadening, so expect it to be loud inside. Also looks like a custom non-stainless job.
Cup2s are not a great tyre for this car and a bit of a weird combination with stock brakes & suspension. PS5 is a better choice, part of the fun is the limited grip.
Can’t see them ever getting cheaper than that, and prices will likely start going up too, rust and crashes are probably starting to dwindle the supply.
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