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Spy photos show new Subaru BRZ prototype testing on public roads

A next-generation Subaru BRZ prototype was spotted near the company's southeast Michigan R&D center in convoy with an EcoBoost-powered Ford Mustang coupe, giving us both our first good look at the overhauled coupe and some hints at where it will fit in the performance car hierarchy.  This prototype is still wearing a fairly extensive camouflage wrap, but at least it's form fitting, showing off a silhouette that looks an awful lot like the current BRZ's, with a few key exceptions. Most notably, this prototype appears to lack the current car's exaggerated front and rear fender lines, opting instead for a cleaner, sleeker shape. The rear end is reminiscent of the old Hyundai Genesis Coupe's, or even a Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe's from some angles, sporting what appears to be a rather pronounced ducktail-style integrated trunk spoiler. Encouragingly, the prototype here is visibly smaller than the Mustang against which it is being benchmarked. While it would be tempting to jump to the conclusion that Subaru is targeting the Mustang for power output, keep in mind that the lighter Subaru and Toyota coupes won't need quite as much power to keep up with the larger, heavier pony car. Expecting the twins to offer the 300-ish horsepower of a base EcoBoost Mustang is probably rooted more in wishful thinking than reality.  The fact of the matter is that we're just not certain exactly what Toyota and Subaru have planned for the next-gen coupes' powertrains, but they are expected to ride on Toyota's New Global Architecture platform. That opens the door to various longitudinal offerings within Toyota's portfolio, including turbocharged four-cylinders and even some sixes, though we sincerely doubt the companies have any plans to offer anything larger than a four-banger in these compact coupes.  Just last month, we reported that Subaru had ended orders for the 2020 BRZ in its home country of Japan, and we've heard rumors that the new coupe could debut some time in 2020, with a production car coming for the 2022 model year. These spy shots, which serve as evidence of just how far along development on the replacement has come, lend some credibility to those hints. We expect it's also indicative of the state of the BRZ's Toyota twin, the GT86.  Related Video:

Scion testing updated FR-S

It looks like Toyota is preparing a mid-cycle update for its critically acclaimed GT86, known here in the US as the Scion FR-S or Subaru BRZ. As far as updates go, this one looks to be rather average. Hidden behind the camouflaged front and rear ends, we have new headlights and taillights, which according to our spies looked to be of the LED variety. We wouldn't be shocked to see the GT86 get LED taillights, although fitting the top-of-the-line headlights seems less likely. Supporting that position are the images we have of the actual headlights in action, which don't look quite bright enough to be full LED units. Instead, we'd expect some new form of running light, perhaps with bi-xenon low beams. Aside from the lamps, the front bumper gets a larger, more prominent lower intake, while the rear end sports a redefined bumper that houses larger dual exhaust tips. The size of the spoiler has been increased, too. According to our spies, we should also expect powertrain enhancements – which we can only hope means more power – as well as upgrades to the interior of the GT86. While it's possible that the updates being tested in Germany could be exclusive to the European market, that seems unlikely. We'd expect the same new enhancements to at least find their way to the Scion, if not its Subaru-badged twin. Check out the full battery of spy photos up top. Related Video:

Custom cabinetry gives this Subaru Outback camper cred

Where there's space, there's wood to make it more functional. At least, that seems to be the ethos at customization shop Solid Wood Worx. The Huntington Beach, Calif.-based company has turned vehicles such as the Ram ProMaster, Nissan XTerra, Toyota 4Runner, and Ford F-250 into small, livable mobile homes. The most recent project is a Subaru Outback, which uses a unique series of cabinets to meet a fairly complex checklist of asks.  Noticed by Motor1, the Outback belongs to an adventurer named Sean who is setting out on a six-month climbing trip. She reached out to Brian, a woodworker and former cabinet builder, at Solid Wood Worx with her vision of the Outback as a sleep-in camper. She wanted a flat place where she and her 80-pound dog could sleep, a slide-out kitchen with stove and fridge, storage for climbing gear, storage for clothes, and a designated space for a water supply. Possibly the biggest ask was an integrated solar panel with a battery and inverter for off-the-grid living. Brian made it all work.  With the solar panel and spare tire hitched to the Thule roof rack and out of the way, Brian built an interior platform that stretched from the rear hatch to the back of the front seats. Since this eliminated any use of the rear seats, they were taken out. The platform itself has built-in drawers, and the upper portion is split into two functional spaces. The right side has just enough room to fit a small mattress, but Sean looks small, so it should work perfectly. Beneath the bed is the sliding drawer that stows the camp stove. On the left side is a massive amount of storage that doubles as secondary kitchen prep space. On top of that is a small fridge that opens on top like a cooler.  With the kitchen area in its "out" position, a secondary panel opens up to the space where the spare tire used to be. Inside that, Brian's team fitted the wiring, fuses and equipment for the solar panel's battery storage. For this project, Brian used a 100 amp-hour battery and a 100-watt solar kit from Renogy. That power feeds an inverter, a few USB plugs, and the small fridge. Looking through the rear passenger door, there are even more storage spaces for things such as clothes, bedding, shoes, and a laptop. The water tank slides in behind the front seat.  In most of his builds, Brian uses three-quarter-inch nine-ply pine plywood that he gets from Home Depot. It costs roughly $35 for a 4x8 sheet, and each piece weighs about 60 pounds.