There is not denying that Subaru BRZ (Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S) is underpowered; that 2.0 liter boxer engine makes only 200 horsepower which is nowhere near enough for a sports coupe. We think the BRZ could do with another 100 hp. But guys from Weapons Grade Performance had another idea. They wanted to double the standard output.

Extracting 400 horsepower from a 2.0 liter is not impossible, but it’s quite tricky. So WGP guys chose the easy way and just replaced the whole thing. They ripped the boxer unit out of the BRZ, and in its place fitted a LS2 V8 engine they got from a Pontiac GTO. Job done; now they have a 400 horsepower Subaru BRZ!

The car hasn’t been tested yet, but the smart money says it is not as brilliant as it sounds. For one thing, that V8 engine is heavy and messes the beautiful balance of the car. And while it definitely enhances the car’s straight-line performance, cornering might be an issue. That big lump at the front will cause lots of understeer. You may think you can resolve that condition with a bootful of power – after all, the car has 400 hp now – but don’t forget it’s out of balance.

In any case, this treatment makes the BRZ much more interesting; not necessarily better, but more interesting.