the rear tail light styling is uncanny but it's no secret who did the designs. this platform was a toyota passion project after all

https://global.toyota/en/mobility/to...a-design/gr86/

if anything, i wouldnt be surprised if the gen 2 styling influenced how subaru styled the wrx, maybe for manufacturing related reasons

I'd bet that all those design sketches were made by Subaru. The Subaru team was simply contracted by Toyota to do it.

This is just how manufacturing works. The manufacturer really has to do the design so that it can be manufactured. It is called "design for manufacturing". This is actually my job...

Toyota's design house definitely had a hand in the previous generation "86" front end, that looked like a bottom feeding fish... :surprised: (I am joking here...)

I think Toyota provided most of the funding for the project but did very little other than the GR tuning - just the equivalent of aftermarket suspension and ECU tuning.

The rear of the WRX was inspired by my Waverunner. That rear bumper is almost a carbon copy of the rear of my watercraft’s rear step ladder for ingress. I know why it was designed this way but it’s one of the most ridiculous rear bumpers I’ve ever seen.

The catfish refreshed bumper was pretty unpopular at first but I think it's grown on people over the years.

Interesting, what do you make of the exterior/interior design credits to Toyota designers? The DRLs I mentioned before (single light bar under the headlight) is a toyota/lexus styling element (this generation even lost the iconic subaru boomerang DRL design!). The rest of the interior dash has elements of RC and LC models as I mentioned. The one touch turn signal stalk without a detent (now updated with a detent for this model year) is a toyota/lexus part. The transmission since gen 1 has been an aisin unit repurposed from the old IS300s. Dual and port injection (d4s) in the boxer engine came from toyota. There is definitely a fair bit of involvement from Toyota. I would agree though that the actual assembly and technology behind putting it all together is all subaru

This is the Viziv from 2017 (so maybe designed 9 years ago)!
This is what the WRX, BRZ (and GR86) back end design is based on.
This is definitely not Toyota's design rubbing off on Subaru. It is all Subaru.
They are actually pretty good at design.

As for using Toyota parts in the assembly, Toyota doesn't manufacture parts like turn signal stalks or fuel injectors any more than GM does.
It is all a web of parts suppliers that are under contract to particular car companies but can supply to any of them.
The BRZ/GR86 was just given access to the contracted Toyota supply chain since that reduces costs.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...3d879e32e6.jpg

Ohh good call out on the viziv. I never looked at the back end of that car and kind of forgot about it. Use of toyota supply chain parts makes sense. though now i'm even more curious of all the decisions behind their use of parts

I learned something new today. Didn't know this. Thank!

Here’s my first gen that got totaled by a careless moron that pulled out on me. Had it for almost a decade and had a blast with it. Flex fuel, turbo. It was legitimately quick. They’re great cars…I was very tempted to get into another one and do a supercharged setup being that I know the platform so well, but I wanted to finally actually get into an s2000.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...32c5a6752.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...8fe045306.jpeg

Although I'm not an owner of a BRZ, my brother owns one ('24 Limited 6MT), and he generously allowed me to spend a fair bit amount of time with it. The car is stock other than HKS coilovers.

I'm probably just gonna add onto the echo chamber created by the Internet, but this car reminds me of my old AP2 S2000, but with some modern tech added and the open-air experience taken away. It kept the lightweight, N/A RWD dynamics that I enjoyed from my old S2000.

From my canyon drive, I thought that this car handles great. Steering feel felt properly weighted (I honestly thought it felt heavier, but a bit more muted compared to my Mitsubishi Evo 8) and direct. The shifter felt 90% as good as my old S2000, short and smooth, just a bit more plasticky and rubbery (but still top tier overall). The gearing is short (I 100% prefer having short gearing in sports cars), similar to the AP2 S2000. The clutch feels pretty light. As of the engine, I thought the GR86/BRZ engine has a more accessible powerband compared to the S2000. But I do miss the higher revs from the S2000 and I still like the exhaust note from the S2000 more. The seats feel properly bolstered and I like the material used. The ergonomics is great just like the S2000, and I do like the pedal box, as it's easy to heel toe.

I'm not one who cares about having a lot of creature comforts, but I do welcome the amount of tech this BRZ has without being overwhelming. Has Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, heated seats, and some of the safety features most modern cars have. It isn't overly stiff for everyday driving and the amount of noise inside is definitely acceptable for a sports car. For a 2+2 coupe, the car is pretty usable (the rear seats fold down, making it more usable) besides the amount of space the rear seats have, which is whatever because this car isn't designed to be a people hauler anyways.

I really enjoyed driving this car. It's one of my favorite cars you can buy brand new off the lot, and for $30k-$35k MSRP brand new, I think this is a great buy. I definitely recommend this car to the driving enthusiast.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...7fbd571d9d.jpg

Thanks for that review, your comments mimic my thoughts 100%, I agree with everything you noted. When I first sat in my car in the dealer showroom it just felt like a modern S2000, with a fixed roof, plus modern conveniences, tech, safety, security, and comfort upgrades. Once I drove it I felt that it drove very much like an S2000, but the engines are quite different. The S2000 is more exciting in terms of rpms and sound, the BRZ engine is just good. I have been told the BRZ transmission is made similar to the S2000 tranny. I always regarded the S2000 shifter as one of the best, but I just found it a bit too notchy for me to use in everyday driving, a bit crunchy at times. The BRZ shifter is a bit less precise but it is easier for me to use on a daily basis, and it allows me some smoother shifting (for me).

The weight balance of the car is very similar as is the final drive ratio etc. I never liked the convertible roof on the S2000 so the fixed roof of the BRZ is perfect for me.

I always had a hard time staying comfortable in the S2000 driver position, I could not get my seat back to recline enough and I just needed more adjustments on the driver seat and the steering wheel. The BRZ is much more comfortable that way since the tiny rear seats allow you more room on the seat position. Tilt and telescopic steering is part of that upgrade too, small details just add up.

The S2000 has timeless beauty, I think the current gen BRZ has an attractive outward appearance, it may still look good 20 years down the road, and the S2000 will look great 50 years down the road.