As Subaru prepares to launch the new BRZ one region of the world also needs to prepare for a big letdown. The Subaru BRZ will not be sold in Europe and will be a Japan/USA only model. The new BRZ will be officially revealed on November 18 and will retain the naturally aspirated 2.4-litre boxer engine. The engine will receive a power upgrade and will produce 12bhp more over its predecessor. Which equates to 217bhp and 240Nm of torque (177 pound-feet).

Power will be channeled to the rear wheels and Subaru will offer either 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic. Naturally aspirated engines are a rarity these days. The main problem the previous-gen BRZ had was that it lacked power. However, the ride and handling more than made up for the lack of oomph.

Subaru could adopt a turbo-charged approach, however, the new generation BRZ is likely to remain a USA and Japan model only. The engine does not comply with the EU’s tough new emissions legislation. The BRZ is a joint development project with Toyota and it may well be that Toyota’s variant could be sold in the UK.

Subaru has a big brand cache in the United States, much more so than in Europe. The decision by Subaru to limit sales is more than likely driven by sales statistics as it is about legislation ideologies.