Before the , , and the rest of the current incredible pack of affordable performance cars, there was the and its Toyota twin. Subaru hasn’t given up on its boxer-powered sports coupe, and now there’s a second-gen to take on all that competition.

The announcement on of a new BRZ’s imminent arrival is our first official confirmation from Subaru of the second-gen sports car:

The post claims that some attendees of the Subiefest charity drive event in Costa Mesa, California, had a chance to see in person the camouflaged prototype pictured here. Another user posted a profile image of the car from behind a curtain (via ):

From what we can see, the new BRZ has kept similar sports car proportions, but the profile view now reveals a large front brake vent in the fender ahead of the door and newly sculpted taillights that pull back into the body of the car in a pointed shape, uncharacteristic of the rounded design of the current car’s taillights.

It’s possible that even the profile of the side windows may not have changed, and it’s very likely this car is riding on a lot of the same stuff as the one we currently have. I’d speculate this is more of a generation 1.5 than a generation 2.0, if that makes sense. A lot like what Nissan is probably doing with the new Nissan Z, updating that car’s old platform instead of replacing it.

The BRZ, and its Toyota twin originally branded the Scion FR-S and later the Toyota 86, was never known for being particularly fast. It had just 200 horsepower. A few years after its debut, new models sold with a manual transmission got a boost of five HP.

Subaru has promised it would bring us a next-generation Subaru BRZ, and Toyota denied rumors that…

All the car has really ever needed to please a majority of vocal enthusiasts on the internet is more power, so will Subaru and Toyota finally deliver a car with more muscle than an electric lawnmower?

If so, it’s likely the new BRZ will upgrade its current Boxer powerplant to the Subaru Ascent’s 2.4-liter Boxer engine. In the Ascent, the engine makes up to 260 HP, but maybe the automaker will push it a little further for us?

Did you drive the current car? How much power would it take to convince you the BRZ is “worth it” now? What most do you want to see changed?