Published: Aug 29, 2012

Subaru BRZ Roadster Coming in 2015

Scion may be passing, but Subaru is gearing up to chop the top off its celebrated new sportscar.

We recently reported that, while Toyota was developing a convertible version of the GT-86, American buyers would not be getting a drop-top version of the Scion FR-S. North American enthusiasts may rejoice, however, at the latest testimony from Automotive News: the Subaru BRZ will be available as a drop-top starting in the 2014 model year. According to lead engineer Tetsuya Tada, the sportscar co-developed by Toyota and Subaru was designed to be a convertible from the outset, so the conversion shouldn't be too difficult.

more at CarBuzz:
Screen Cars: Volvo P1800 Porsche Highlights GT3 Tech DRT: GT500 vs. Caddy CTS-V

Scion is missing out as a convertible would be significantly more than the hardtop's base price of $25,000 and would be unlikely to attract enough buyers to make it financially viable.

The BRZ's 197 horsepower 2.0-liter boxer four-pot will likely carry over to the convertible. Any increase in weight could be offset by removing the back seats. Subaru would then be able to offer the convertible BRZ as a two-seater roadster, thereby making it even more of a direct competitor to the Mazda MX-5 Miata and giving potential buyers of the Nissan 370Z Roadster and Porsche Boxster something to think about.