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Subaru explains why it chose not to turbocharge the new 2022 BRZ

Enthusiasts hoping the second-generation Subaru BRZ would break cover with a turbocharged engine were sorely disappointed. Unveiled this week, it receives a bigger engine that delivers more horsepower and torque, but it remains naturally aspirated. Subaru explained why its engineers ruled out adopting forced induction. Power for the BRZ comes from a 2.4-liter flat-four that's related to the engine found in the Ascent, but the turbo didn't make the leap from the crossover to the coupe due to weight, packaging, and cost restrictions. Dominick Infante, the head of Subaru's public relations team, told Road & Track that turbocharging the BRZ would have required mounting the engine higher, which would have compromised handling by raising the center of gravity. Going turbo would have made the BRZ heavier, too. Although the actual turbocharger doesn't add a significant amount of weight, the mass of the related components (like the intercooler, various pipes, and so on) piles up. And, inevitably, incorporating these parts would have forced Subaru to increase the model's price. With a turbo, the BRZ would be heavier, more expensive, and not as balanced in the name of extra horsepower, and that's not its calling in life. It's marketed as a reasonably light, fairly affordable, and highly balanced machine. One interesting point few have brought up is that the BRZ's engine will almost certainly power the next Toyota 86, and its horsepower output stands within striking distance of the Toyota Supra's four-cylinder. The 2.4-liter develops 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, while the Supra's entry-level 2.0-liter is rated at 255 and 295, respectively. Adding a turbo would risk bumping the BRZ's horsepower figure over the 255 mark, which would look bad, since that's the metric many buyers use to judge a performance car. Alternatively, going through the trouble of turbocharging the engine to cap its output at 245, for example, would be a colossal waste of time. We'd be surprised if the BRZ goes turbo later in the 2020s, but look on the bright side. At least it exists — rumors claimed the first-generation model would retire without a successor, and they were moderately credible. And at least it will be sold in America; Subaru confirmed the coupe will not be available on the European market. Related Video:

Baby Ford Ranger and electrified Dodge Challenger? | Autoblog Podcast #569

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder. They address a couple interesting news topics, including an upcoming Ford pickup that's smaller than the Ranger, as well as a future electrified Dodge Challenger. They also opine about the new Honda Urban EV prototype that's scheduled to debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Then they talk about the cars they've been driving, including the new Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, Volvo V60 and Audi A6. Finally, they take a question from Autoblog's recent Reddit AMA to help spend a Redditor's money. Autoblog Podcast #569 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Ford Focus-based pickup Electrified Dodge Challenger Honda Urban EV Cars we've been driving 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid 2019 Volvo V60 2019 Audi A6 Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Green Podcasts Audi Dodge Ford Honda Subaru Volvo Truck Coupe Crossover Hatchback Wagon Electric Hybrid Performance

Subaru's STI motorsport arm celebrates 30 years of going fast

The letters W, R and X are often featured on the trunklid of a fast, blue Subaru, but the other important letters for a Subaru are STI – standing for Subaru Tecnica International. The STI motorsport brand brings to mind '90s World Rally Championship victories and Impreza legends such as the wide-bodied 1998 22B, but the division is actually a bit older: STI is celebrating its 30 th anniversary this week. Founded on April 2, 1988, Subaru's STI started out with tuned Legacy sedans. Its first car was a turbocharged Legacy, the RS RA from 1989, available only in a limited 100-unit run of Ceramic White cars, not the 555 Sonic Blue Mica or World Rally Blue that later became almost synonymous with hot Subarus. The RS RA produced 220 horsepower, which was very good for 1989. In January of the same year, three STI-modified Legacy Turbos were used to first break the 50,000 km, then the 100,000 km FIA World Speed Endurance records, with the cars run for 20 consecutive days at Arizona Test Center. The average speed was 138.78 mph, for 447 hours, 44 minutes and 9.887 seconds. That's quite a bit of driving, even in two-hour shifts. The first STI-branded Subaru vehicle was the Japanese-market Legacy STI in 1992, and the Impreza WRX STI followed it two years later. For some time, STI vehicles were the stuff of Gran Turismo gaming for most Subaru enthusiasts, until STI arrived in the United States in 2004. The first U.S.-bound model was the 300-horsepower WRX STI, a Peter Stevens-designed "Blob Eye" facelift of the second-generation Impreza. So far, STI's respectable tally stands at three WRC championships, 47 WRC wins, four Nurburgring endurance wins and a Nordschleife production sedan lap record set last year. Regarding STI's 30th anniversary year's production cars, there will be a limited-edition WRX STI Type RA and a STI-tuned BRZ tS for 2018. View 51 Photos Related Video: