“BRZ” stands for “Boxer engine”, “Rear-wheel drive” and “Zenith” and embodies ultimate passion for the new sports car and confidence in its distinctive trademark and core technology: the Horizontally-Opposed Subaru Boxer engine.

Toyota unveiled a near production-ready version of the FT-86 coupe, which uses the same platform and drivetrain, at this year's Geneva Motor Show in March. At the same event, Subaru showed a partially-transparent demonstration vehicle to show off the chassis layout of its first front-engined rear-drive vehicle.

In both cars, power comes from a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre Boxer engine. Unlike Subaru's all-wheel-drive vehicles, this can be mounted lower and further back, giving a lower centre of gravity and moving the weight closer to the centre of the car, as well as allowing it to have a lower bonnet line.

Subaru said it the production model will benefit from its own experience with the Boxer engine and Toyota's heritage as a producer of small, lightweight sports cars. When the two coupes go on sale, they will be the only cars with a front-mounted Boxer engine and rear-wheel drive.

The first BRZ concept will be unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, with production planned for Spring 2012 – around the same time as the Toyota FT-86.