[SUBIE2BMW]

Details via FT86club

One piece of info our community has long been awaiting has just been announced.

Subaru has issued a press release [full transcript inside] announcing the Subaru BRZ name for its concept version of the rear-drive sports coupe that it is co-developing with Toyota.

While Toyota has already shown three concept versions of the FT-86 and Scion FR-S, Subaru has so far only shown a skeletal/powertrain/drivetrain concept (the Boxer Sports Car Architecture Concept). That should change as Subaru will be revealing its BRZ “technology concept” car at next month’s Frankfurt IAA auto show.

See INSIDE for more details and link to the Subaru BRZ teaser site.

Finally, new sports car models will be coming out of Japan! And not the pig heavy kind like the 370z but light small RWD versions

[BMWDAD]

This is a competitor for the new 2 coupe.

BMW sharpen your pencils and give us a modern version of a 2002 or else!

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by BMWDAD

BMW sharpen your pencils and give us a modern version of a 2002 or else!

I see this from the community, and from BMW about the E82 frequently. What exactly does it mean? Have you (or BMW) driven a 2002, an E21 or an E30? I can't imagine a modern car having the connection to the road and driver involvement that those older cars had. It comes down to weight, and building a sub 2500 pound, rwd, four seat car with modern safety gear just isn't feasible at a reasonable price point.

There are some things about a 2002 that would never fly today. Crank windows, manual steering, a comically sloppy shifter, the inability to survive a wreck with a fat dude on a Vespa, etc. But the overall feel of those cars is so far removed from any modern car, aside from the Elise/Exige and to a certain degree, the Miata, that the odds of BMW pulling one out of their behind are pretty darn small.

Now the question I have is why someone, anyone, doesn't build a reasonably priced rwd sedan or wagon. Between Hyundai/Kia, Ford and now Subie/Toyota, one of them has to realize there's a market for such a thing. I won't be buying another coupe to replace my E82, it will certainly have four or five doors and I'd prefer it to be as light and involving as possible, so an F30 or F10 are right out. I'm not holding out for a 2002 reincarnation, but something sub 3k pounds and sub $40k would be great.