Subaru BRZ: You Know You Want To

What to do if 200hp isn't enough? Pick up a used modified car!

Even in standard form, the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ twins have many fans on PH amongst both staff and readers. They're light, they're agile, they have great manual gearboxes and, more than anything else, they're really good fun.

Alright, well we can get rid of these pronto

But what if you want more fun? Like many other Japanese performance cars, a huge aftermarket tuning scene has opened up around the cars - from Cosworth tuning packages to 458 engine swaps, there are modifications to suit every taste. And, truth be told, a modified '86 or BRZ is the one that I would have; Dan may be entirely content with a standard one, but there's so much tuning potential and opportunities that I would have to tinker. I consider them like a Nissan GT-R or a Mazda RX-7, where the cars are great as standard but so responsive to tuning - see the Litchfield LM20 - that it almost seems rude not to. Until you get a few years down the line and everyone wants a standard car for their collection...

Here's the BRZ I want, one that seems to realise the latent potential in the car without going over the top. It's blue with gold wheels, which is always a great start for a fast Subaru. Or are they bronze? Whatever, the wheels - which appear to be from Team Dynamics - definitely look better than standard. Fingers crossed the Michelin tyres here are something like a Super Sport and not the normal Primacys!

Note as well the bigger discs and AP Racing calipers, plus what would seem to be a lower ride height. The advert mentions Litchfield involvement with the build, who use Eibach springs and adjustable anti-roll bars in their suspension kits - let's hope one of those is fitted here.

Want more power? You got it!

And why have the chassis mods been required? Because this is a supercharged BRZ, much like the Cosworth car that was our most read road test of 2015. Here the work has been undertaken by Abbey Motorsport with an HKS supercharger, the engine also stroked to 2.1-litres (which should help torque) and said to produce around 280hp. The same as the Cosworth actually, and what sounds like just the right amount of power for the BRZ. This should take it from a car that's fast enough to a genuinely fast car, in theory without losing the rev-happy nature that makes the standard car so entertaining.

This car has been on sale for a little while now - other people keep a regular check on BRZ and GT86 prices, don't they? - the car now feature worthy as it's been reduced to less than £20K (it was £21,995 a little while back). Given there are standard, automatic GT86s with four times this car's mileage for sale at £13K, that makes this car look even better value. Of course the money put into modifications won't be recouped come sale time, but the work here looks to be worthwhile for a lot of enthusiasts rather than just indulging a personal preference. And it's said to be the first BRZ ever registered in the UK.

There will be some who will be wary of modifications they haven't carried out, but the suppliers here are reputable and it's hardly like the car has been turned into some 500hp track day weapon. Arguably it's exactly what we would want from a BRZ STI in terms of look and performance, except it's here and ready to buy right now for £19,995. I'm about £19,900 short, but if you do have the funds then it's hard to think of much better.

SUBARU BRZ
Price: £19,995
Why you should: Could be the BRZ of your dreams
Why you shouldn't: Might be fun to build your own instead?

See the original advert here.