Movie Report #03: 82nd Geneva International Motor Show

Osamu Namba
General Manager of Design Dept, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.

Hello everyone, this is Namba from the Subaru Design Department reporting.

Today I would like to talk about the design features of the Subaru BRZ unveiled in Europe, direct from the Geneva Motor Show.

What you see here is a sports car that was created under joint development with Toyota. I would like to talk about the particular features that Subaru has added.

The first is the hexagon shape intake grille positioned at the front of the bumper, a key feature conveying the Subaru family identity. The U-shaped front positioning lamps that have been incorporated into the front headlights also form part of this family identity. These two features give the front of the car a distinct Subaru look. As the first rear wheel drive sports car powered by a horizontally-opposed engine, the front end has been lowered as far as possible to give it the styling of a truly dynamic sports car.

Subaru's horizontally-opposed engine gives this sports car an extremely low centre of gravity. This has been highlighted by the low bonnet and fenders that have been designed to jut out. These vents at the top of the fenders are also a design point unique to Subaru. The cabin has been designed to be extremely compact, running smoothly from the low front nose through to the rear, for a stance befitting of a sports car. The protruding front fenders and the flared rear wheel arches give the overall design a sense of stability and hint at the performance of this sports car is capable of.

Now to the rear view. Flowing lines from the cabin stop abruptly with the wedge shape here in a classical sports car coupe style. The generous tail lights, lower diffuser and twin tail pipes all serve to give the rear end an extremely sporty look. Its wide stance and supreme stability are instantly clear from the rear.

Now some points on the interior of the car. The interior has chiefly been designed with a traditional layout, featuring some more modern tweaks. The leather-bound steering wheel and bucket seats make the interior instantly recognisable as a sports car. The cabin has been designed to appeal to both long-time car enthusiasts and younger drivers alike.


*From April 2017, the company name has been changed to SUBARU CORPORATION.