Automakers use concept cars to drive conversations forward, float new ideas, and gauge consumer expectations. We use renders, like these, to similarly explore ideas that might not make sense in the real world. Sometimes our creations are a little tongue-in-cheek, but in this case, we’re earnest about wanting Subaru to build this beast: a BRZ Wilderness, jacked up and ready to get crossed up in the dirt. You can argue there isn’t a good business case to build such a model, but it’s hard to argue a BRZ Wilderness wouldn’t be fun.
And why would the company avoid the inevitable? After all, Subaru built its reputation for ruggedness in the dirt, with decades of rally experience honing its performance all-wheel-drive system to a sharp point. The Subaru BRZ is a purely rear-drive affair, with a premium placed on precision handling rather than absolute grip, but that hasn’t stopped it from dipping its tires in rally competition. Toyota Motorsport GmbH even got FIA approval to run the Europan GT86 CS-R3 race car in the previously front-wheel-drive-only R3 class not too long age. Not to mention all the lower-level rally and rallycross events in which a BRZ or GR 86 would be a ton of fun to compete in. We know already from driving its mechanical twin—the 2022 Toyota GR 86—the new BRZ is sure to be much better than its predecessor, too.
Factor in Subaru’s (arguably late) entry into the even more rugged variant game. The Subaru Outback Wilderness shows the company’s finally taken notice of how much attention its wagon-like crossover gets from the aftermarket, so it built a factory-back Outback to appeal to this set of consumers. The extra street cred the Outback Wilderness gets due to its unique styling and increased capability are just cherries on top. A Forester Wilderness is on its way for 2022, too (it’s probably one of the most poorly kept secrets in recent automotive history). For the full story, check out this article from Motor Trend.
