The BRZ proves that a Subaru doesn’t need a turbocharger and all-wheel drive to be fun, and it’s competed in the Japanese Super GT series (in heavily modified form) for several years. But rallying is at the core of Subaru’s identity, so it was likely inevitable that this rear-wheel drive sports car would hit the stages eventually.
This week Subaru announced that its factory team will enter a rally-spec BRZ in the third round of the 2026 All-Japan Rally Championship, scheduled for May 8-10 in Nara Prefecture, in the south-central part of the main Japanese island of Honshu. Dubbed the Boxer Rally Spec.Z, it will compete in the JN1 class, driven by Toshihiro Arai with co-driver Yuichiyo Ando.
While it’s still based on a stock BRZ body sheet, the Spec.Z is all-wheel drive with a 6-speed sequential gearbox. Subaru also added a turbocharger to the road car’s 2.4-liter boxer-four engine. This gives the rally car approximately 276 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque—48 hp and 184 lb-ft more than a U.S.-spec BRZ road car. The torque figure is actually double that of the road car.
The Spec.Z is built to the same JP4 ruleset as the WRX S4 Subaru currently runs in the All-Japan Rally Championship. JP4 specifies a 2,866-pound minimum curb weight that the WRX S4 has struggled to hit, but the lighter BRZ came in well under the minimum. That let Subaru reach the minimum weight with ballast, which can be eventually distributed throughout the car to achieve an optimal front/rear weight balance and keep the center of gravity low.
For rally duty, that lightweight two-door coupe body shell is accentuated with wing-like fender flares and a wider front air intake that gives the Spec.Z an adorable open-mouth look, topped off with a big rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels in a rally-appropriate white.
Audi made all-wheel drive a necessity in the top categories of the World Rally Championship long before Subaru came on the scene. Perhaps Toyota will be next to join in with an official GR86 rally car. The automaker already produced a Celica-homage concept with GR Corolla mechanicals, and aftermarket firm Kuhl Racing offers a rally-look body kit and suspension lift.
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