Just the ticket for petrolhead heaven O

NCE a year I get together with some like-minded pals and head for the Silverstone Classic for three days of petrolhead heaven, writes motoring correspondent

And each year I have a difficult choice to make – what car to have for this annual pilgrimage to classic car paradise.

Thanks to my good friends on the press fleets at most of the main manufacturers, the choice is wide indeed… but the car selected must tick all the right boxes in terms of street cred, performance and, above all, driving fun.

This year it was a car that has been revised for 2017, an inexpensive sportster which defies the notion that a motor without massive horsepower or a six-figure price tag can’t be much good.

And the Subaru BRZ has just got even better with handling improvements, a little extra performance and a more aggressive front end to make the good-looking sports car continue to live up to its maker’s claim of an ‘unmatched driving experience.’

The old model was lauded for great handling and responsiveness, but now things are even better with the latest version having updated coil springs and dampers plus a larger rear stabilizer, while the chassis has been stiffened and the stability control system revised.

The 2.0-litre boxer-four (a nonturbo version of that fitted in the mental WRX STi) has a new camshaft, cylinder head and valves, as well as redesigned inlet and exhaust manifolds to improve air flow. All of this only adds an extra five bhp (up to just over 200) but it keeps the performance positively peppy. The exterior has a redesigned, lower front bumper with headlamps, fog lamps and rear lights all now LED and there is a sporty new rear wing.

Like it’s Toyota GT86 near identical twin sister, the frontengined, rear-wheel drive 2+2 BRZ is more about handling than straight-line speed. It is great on twisty roads and clearly would be a hoot on the track – which is probably why another change for the 2017 model is the addition of a track mode on the drive selector which, sadly, I did not get the opportunity to try out.

For an inexpensive sports car it’s quite well equipped, too. There is only one trim available, which is comparable to the range topping, and somewhat more expensive, Toyota GT86 Pro.

Standard kit includes: 17” alloy wheels, a leather and alcantara interior, heated front seats, keyless entry and start, climate control, satnav, DAB radio, paddleshifters, cruise control, reversing camera and a limited slip diff.

The only extra our car came with was the one thing I would criticise – the £1,250 Alpine infotainment/ sat-nav system which was frustrating fiddly to use.

It was also a six-speed automatic, which would not be the first choice for sports car purists as it adds around half a second to the 0 to 62 time and a further £1,500 to the price.

I have previously tested the original GT 86 and, as well as it being cheaper, I think the BRZ is a better buy because it feels a bit more hard core and focused – a true sports car. That is probably because it contains much more Subaru than Toyota with the former tweaking things a little better in their version. Also the BRZ has sold far fewer in the UK so it is more likely to be a future classic.

Our car certainly proved to be lots of fun during the Silverstone weekend and a couple of times got me out of trouble during over ambitious cornering or braking.

Facts and figures wise the auto gets to 62 in a noisy 8.2 seconds and can go on to 130mph (manual 7.6 and 140mph) while it is reasonably frugal at a claimed 39.8 mpg combined. I managed a respectable 34 considering I was keeping up with our party’s other vehicle – a new Focus RS which was being driven in a somewhat manly manner.

Prices for the BRX start at £26,495 for the manual model with our SE Lux Auto being £27,995 on the road – which I would argue is great value in terms of smiles per mile. CLASSIC cars were also on show at the weekend in Stockport for the town’s annual motoring extravaganza.

There were around 50 vintage vehicles for the 3,000-strong crowd to enjoy including this superb 1960s Mustang (above) plus old Vauxhalls, Fords and classic motorbikes.

Awards were given out with a 1957 Triumph 350cc Model 21, belonging to Phil Edge, named best motorbike and a Chevrolet Bel Air, belonging to Des Connor, winning best car.

It was the first of two vintage vehicle events in Stockport this month with the second being the Woodsmoor Classic Car Show this weekend.

The event takes place at Woodsmoor Playing Fields, next to Stockport Georgians Cricket Club.