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The Subaru BRZ will be a game changer.

But it may have to break all the rules laid down by the Australian importer before it gets to our showrooms.

Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior says he wants the coupe - a joint venture with Toyota - but admits to battling the rigid "only all-wheel drive" philosophy that, ironically, was introduced 14 years ago by him and former company chairman Trevor Amery.

"This will be one of the most important decisions we've ever made," he says about including the BRZ in Subaru's local line up.

He also admits that he is being pressured by Subaru in Japan to take the car.

"We're really undecided about BRZ," he says.

"To us, it's a Subaru. It's built by Subaru, has Subaru drivetrain and so on. So it's one of our cars. But it's not all-wheel drive - something on which we have built, successfully built, Subaru in Australia. If the coupe was a front-wheel drive, it would definitely be rejected by us. But it's a rear-wheel drive. It drives - I drove a early production model - like a Subaru, feels like a Subaru and upholds all the parameters on which our business is based."

The car could be here by June next year if it passes a crucial business plan test set for mid-December.

"There are other issues," Senior says. "There's not a lot of volume in this - we see it as settling around 50 units a month in Australia after the honeymoon period. Two-seater sales in Australia are weak. Look at the history - Celica, Datsun SSS, Mitsubishi FTO and so on - all gone."

Senior says the car is "beautifully balanced" and dismisses the need for a turbocharger.

"It's designed to be an attractive, technologically simple and affordable personal car," he says. "Surveys in Japan show the youth are jaded by the current crop of cars. They've fallen out of love with the car. They want a great looking car that they can afford. The BRZ is seen as bringing back the affection."

Senior sees the BRZ as a different car to the more sporty WRX and STI models.

"The BRZ is a stepping stone to those cars," he says. "It appeals to buyers aged 25 to the early 30s - too young for buyers of the WRX and STI. The coupe will be sold more to empty nesters and youth."

Senior won't give an idea about price but the coupe has been suggested as being saleable at about $32,000. The car has a normally-aspirated 2-litre Subaru boxer engine and a six-speed manual gearbox with optional paddle-shift six-speed auto, driving the rear wheels. It has been developed and designed by Toyota, the main shareholder of Subaru.