Generation history
Subaru BRZ generations and next redesign.
The Subaru BRZ has been through 2 generations, starting in 2012 and 2021. The gaps were 9 years, an average of 9.0. The pace has been steady. The current generation began in 2021. On that cadence the next full redesign points to 2029 through 2031, centered on 2030. This is a projection. It comes from the model's own past redesign years, not from the manufacturer. A mid-cycle refresh usually lands in between. Public records describe the current generation this way: The second-generation BRZ debuted on 18 November 2020 and went on sale in the US in late 2021. Specifications, trims and the NHTSA safety record are on the Subaru BRZ model page.
Every generation
The Subaru BRZ, generation by generation.
| Generation | Code | Years | What changed |
|---|
| First generation | ZN6/ZC6 | 2012–2021 | The production Toyota 86 debuted at the December 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. |
|---|
| Second generation | ZN8/ZD8 | 2021–present | The second-generation BRZ debuted on 18 November 2020 and went on sale in the US in late 2021. |
|---|
The Subaru BRZ spent 9.0 years per generation on average. The current one is 5 years old. Treat 2029 to 2031 as a range, not a date.
Source: Toyota 86 (Wikipedia). The estimate is our arithmetic on those start years.
Open the Subaru BRZ model page for specifications, trims, safety record and answers.
In more detail
What each Subaru BRZ generation changed.
First generation, 2012 to 2021
The production Toyota 86 debuted at the December 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. Its development was led by chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. All variants are built at Subaru's Gunma Main Plant, with the first cars assembled on 2 February 2012 before sales began in March and deliveries in April. 7,000 orders were placed for the Toyota 86 in the first month of production, while Subaru took in 3,500 orders. In the United States, Scion were allocated 10,000 units of the 2013 model year (MY13) production, while Subaru was limited to only 6,000 units.
Second generation, 2021 to today
The second-generation BRZ debuted on 18 November 2020 and went on sale in the US in late 2021. The Toyota version was introduced later on 5 April 2021, briefly named the "GR 86". It was later renamed "GR86", without the space, for digital marketing reasons. The roof, bonnet and front wings are made from aluminium to lower the vehicle's centre of gravity and reduce the weight gain from the engine and safety features.
Generation notes adapted from Toyota 86 (Wikipedia).
Today's Subaru BRZ
What the current generation is, and how it has held up.
Subaru BRZ at a glance
- Production
- January 2012 – present
- Model years
- 2013–present
- Assembly
- Japan: Ōta, Gunma (Subaru Corp. Gunma Plant)
- Class
- Sports car (S)
- Body style
- 2-door fastback coupé
- Layout
- Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
- Also called
- Subaru BRZ, Toyota GT86 (Europe, 2012–2021), Scion FR-S (North America, 2012–2016), Toyota GR86 (2021–present), Toyota FT86 (Brunei, Nicaragua and Jamaica)