Subaru enters Japanese Rally Championship with all-wheel drive BRZ
Words: Andrew Sluys
Subaru has returned to the rally stage in Japan, but not with its iconic WRX, instead it has opted for its BRZ coupe.
The BRZ has been confirmed as an entrant into the third round of the 2026 All-Japan Rally Championship, which kicks off later this week.
Laballed as the Boxer Rally Spec.Z by Subaru, it will be driven by Toshihiro Arai with co-driver Yuichiyo Ando.
According to Subaru, it was a struggle to get a rally-spec WRX beneath the minimum weight figure. Opting for the BRZ meant a ballast could be used to bring it up to this weight.
Though it is based on the production BRZ, not a lot is shared between the ones you’d see on the road, and the Boxer Rally Spec.Z.
The standard 2.4-litre boxer engine has been boosted with a turbocharger, pushing peak outputs to 205kW and 500Nm.
The standard manual transmission has been replaced with a six-speed sequential transmission, and an all-wheel drive system.
It also wears a serious-looking body kit with widened wheel arches, an aggressive front bumper, and a huge wing at the rear.
