The issue

On the first generation Subaru BRZ / Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S, the mandatory third brake light is mounted inside the cabin on top of the rear seat liner. Placements like these are not unusual. However, what’s unusual is its positioning. The manufacturer decided to put said brake light on a sort of stilts. What has been observed:

• Visible obstruction of the (already limited) rear view
• Vibrations causing the brake light housing to hit the rear window, causing rattle
• Possible irritation in the driver’s peripheral vision

The concept

Why do these issues occur? After careful analysis and real-world testing, we couldn’t find a compelling reason for this design choice.

• The added height doesn’t help the light become better visible
• We couldn’t find regulatory reasons on the car’s main markets
• The trunk angles down at a steep enough angle (visible in side profile) to provide excellent visibility from behind even at extremely close proximity
• All manufacturer-approved spoilers on the market are either too low or much too tall to obstruct visibility
• With the very few aftermarket spoilers which actually block visibility, only relocating the light to the ceiling helps
• It’s implausible the required tooling to produce the ‘stilts’ is cost-effective

• Ease of maintaining/replacing the light by sliding the upper part of the plastic moulding towards the front of the vehicle.

The solution

A precision laser cut carrier plate that slots seamlessly into the top half of the brake light housing, providing a stable base for mounting the third brake light directly on the trunk liner.

• Maintaining full functionality of the brake light for other drivers while minimizing the visual impact out the rear window for the driver.
• Elimination of rattle by means of a more robust, vibration-proof mounting solution.
• Further reduction in visual impact by using as many OEM components in the visible area as possible.