What Does BRZ Stand For On The Subaru Car?

The BRZ is the bubbly little star in Subaru's sky. It is considered one of the most successful models in Subaru history for its responsive engine, precise steering response, and exceptional handling ability. The BRZ has been around since the 2013 model year and is the result of a Subaru-Toyota partnership that led to it and the Toyota GR86 being jointly produced at Subaru's Gunma assembly plant. Besides its ability to provide fun drives, the 2+2 sports car is also celebrated for its affordable price tag. Base price starts at $31,210 for the entry-level Premium trim and goes as high at $36,360 for the top-level BRZ tS. 

The fact that the BRZ comes with a useful 6.3 cubic feet of cargo space and rear seats that fold down to boost practicality make it a more compelling daily driver for most buyers than the competing Mazda Miata and its 4.6-cubic foot trunk. According to Subaru, BRZ stands for Boxer engine, Rear-wheel drive, Zenith. While the first two directly refer to the BRZ's boxer flat-four engine and rear-wheel drive system, Zenith in the Subaru BRZ refers to the highest point that is reached by a star in the sky. According to MotorTrend, Subaru wanted the term to indicate "ultimate passion" and "confidence in its distinctive trademark and core technology."

Clearly, ultimate passion as guaranteed by the Subaru BRZ here alludes to its goal of providing the kind of pleasure that excites the senses, stirs up emotions, and fuels the anticipation of driving. The BRZ has been praised for being fun to drive through corners thanks to its lightweight build and rear-wheel drive setup, as well as the engine's ability to deliver power to the road quickly.

SlashGear's review of the BRX tS proclaimed it to be "lots of fun." With 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque at the ready, the BRZ isn't the most powerful sports car on the road, but it does manage to deliver a decent turn of pace regardless. In Car and Driver testing, a 2024 Subaru BRZ tS took 5.5 seconds to go from 0-60 mph and 14.0 seconds to clear the quarter mile at 101 mph. That's a similar 0-60 time as the 2024 Mazda Miata MX-5 RF Club, but the BRZ tS is about 0.3 seconds faster than the Mazda over the quarter mile. The BRZ trails its Toyota GR86 twin by a tenth of a second from 0-60, but claims of the Subaru BRZ delivering "ultimate passion" aren't misplaced, especially relative to its modest price.