Co-developed by Subaru and Toyota, the Subaru BRZ is aimed squarely at the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Placing an emphasis on handling and driver enjoyment over raw power, its naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer four makes just 200 horsepower, but it's mounted as low and as far back in the chassis as possible for optimal weight balance and a lower center of gravity. It has more neutral handling than its Scion twin and is less prone to understeer, attributes that earned the BRZ its slot and allowed it to top the Scion FR-S and Mazda MX-5 in a recent Motor Trend comparison.
Motor Trend's Impressions
On handling...
The balance is so good. I don't have to turn the steering wheel much and the balance doesn't change much through the corner, which is one of the things I really appreciate about the Subaru. I can enter the corner hard on the brakes, standing on the nose, and turn in. Yes, there's a little roll and no, there's not a lot of tire grip -- it's not a real strong, grippy tire -- but the balance is good through the entry phase. I add some power and it frees the car up a little bit. Just a little, right in the middle of the corner. After that, it just hooks up and drives off in beautiful shape. I can carry full cornering speed right to the exit. I know right where the car is going to go, right where it's going to be, so it's predictable. It's stable without understeer. That's a wonderful thing and I don't think that's easy to achieve.
On the brakes...
I had genuine brake fade, this was pad fade. The pedal was not soft. I could smell the brakes by the end of the second lap and by the third lap -- I did a third lap, too, partially just because I wanted to -- but I could feel clear fade. Firm pedal, but losing stopping grip, which is probably pad fade. I could smell the pads, too. Maybe they've never been that hot before.
On the engine...
The engine just doesn't want to be flogged all the way to redline -- it really doesn't. I'm shifting a couple hundred RPM below that. The engine is not the sweetest engine there is, but it has a broad power curve, makes it very usable. Needs more power. It wants it. I'd put more tire on it, too. I just like power. I don't really believe in that "this is enough power" theory, but power does really change a car's character. It's a lot more difficult, I think, to make cars handle well when they have more power. I think I would supercharge it so you don't lose that precision in the power delivery.
Overall...
Fabulous car! Oh my God! I mean, really just a wonderful and satisfying experience. I feel like I can just drive this car right on the edge of the friction circle. It reminds me a lot of my all-time favorites, the MX-5 -- first-gen, second-gen or third-gen. In some ways, it's actually better. It doesn't have the roll that the MX-5 has had all along. What a satisfying ride in terms of...everything.
Courtesy of Motor Trend
No comments:
Post a Comment