To recall, Motor Image Pilipinas, the exclusive distributor of Subaru in the Philippines launched the all-new Subaru BRZ at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) where it carried a price tag of P 2,399,000 for the manual and P 2,499,000 for the automatic. The difference between these two models, besides the transmission, is the omission of Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist tech on the manual.

Now, amidst a continued supply constraint, Motor Image Pilipinas has increased the pricing of their two-door sports coupe by P 120,000 across the board. This brings up the price of the Subaru BRZ 2.4 M/T to P 2,519,000, while the Subaru BRZ 2.4 EyeSight A/T is now at P 2,619,000. 

For reference, it’s precariously close to the recently-launched Subaru WRX which starts at P 2,508,000 for the manual and P 2,658,000 for the automatic.

With the Subaru BRZ’s bump in SRP, Toyota will have a much bigger breathing room to price their very own version. Of course, Toyota Motor Philippines has yet to officially confirming the all-new GR86’s pricing.

That said, the Philippine spec Toyota GR86 may carry less in terms of standard specification compared to its Subaru counterpart.

In a now deleted social media post, a shot taken at the Clark International Speedway (where the GR86 is being previewed for Toyota dealers), it looks to be sporting 10-spoke machined/black alloy wheels. If this is the same specs found in other countries, this is bound to be 17-inch wheels shod with 215/45R17 Michelin Primacy HP tires. The matte black rims, also found in the Subaru BRZ, are available exclusively as 18-inchers.

If this is true, it could also mean the possibility of seeing black fabric seats for the interior, instead of the leather/Ultrasuede combination found in the Subaru BRZ.

Of course, these could also point out the possibility of seeing more than one variant of the Toyota GR86 for the local market.

Other differences between the Subaru BRZ and the Toyota GR86 are found in the suspension and body structure itself.

Detailed in a marketing product presentation, the Toyota GR86 will have a “drift-biased” handling versus the “grip-biased” handling of the Subaru BRZ. Here are the key chassis differences found in the presentation:

• Curb Weight: Toyota GR86 is about 6.8 kilograms lighter than the Subaru BRZ
• Front Spring Rate: 28 N/mm versus 30 N/mm
• Rear Spring Rates: 39 N/mm versus 35 N/mm
• Front Stabilizer Bar: 18-mm solid type versus 18.3-mm hallow-type
• Rear Stabilizer Bar: 15-mm sub-frame mounted versus 14-mm body-mounted
• Front Suspension Knuckle: Cast Iron versus Aluminum
• Rear Suspension Knuckle: Cast Iron versus Aluminum