Well, it’s happening. Production of the Subaru BRZ is coming to an end, and the Toyota 86 is likely to follow. After eight years on the market, the last of the lightweight, RWD, Japanese sport coupes will soon bid us sayonara. Germany is the first country to get a farewell edition, called, appropriately, the BRZ Final Edition.
There isn’t an official statement saying that either the Subaru BRZ or Toyota 86 will cease US sales, but we can take a hint. When the Toyota 86 Black Limited debuted at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January, and subsequently went on sale last week, it signaled that the model was coming to an end in Japan. That’s because the original Toyota Sprinter Trueno Black Limited from where the 86 got its namesake was also the last special edition of the beloved AE86.
The Subaru BRZ Final Edition comes with a Brembo brake package and Sachs dampers that mimics the hardware on the Black Limited (as well as several other BRZ/86 packages). It’s even offered in the same Crystal Black as Toyota’s Black Limited. The main difference, other than the fact that it is a BRZ, is that it’s also offered in Subaru’s exclusive WR Blue and the interior has blue stitching, accents, and seat inserts.
The powertrain and transmission options remain the same. Subaru Germany is offering only 100 Final Editions for sale, so a bit more than the eighty-six Black Limiteds offered in Japan (for which prospective buyers will have to compete in a lottery drawing for the chance to purchase one).
It’s been a good run for the Toyobaru, the last fixed-roof sports car that still carries the driving feel and spirit of beloved cars like the Toyota AE86, Nissan 240SX, and FC3S Mazda RX-7. Eight years is no easy feat today’s hostile automotive climate, which has been very hostile to sports cars. We reported back in April of 2018 that Subaru and Toyota have already begun work on the next-gen replacement. We hope that’s still on track, and that the already unfavorable market conditions exacerbated by the corona virus recession won’t kill it.
