Coupe has looks, zip for under 30Gs
Rear-wheel drive, engine in the front is a welcome change
The Subaru BRZ is a car for the serious driver.
It also provides a great deal of motoring enjoyment in a sleek, firmriding and well-thought-out package for under $30,000.
In an about-face from what is considered normal these days, the Subaru BRZ is a front-engined, rearwheel-drive sporting coupe with attitude. This is not a car to use when getting groceries or going to the home improvement centre to pick up plumbing supplies. This car thrives on performance — the more the better. It is a car designed and built in the tradition of the MG, the Triumph and the Porsche of 50 years ago: lightweight, agile, powerful and good-looking.
Once the flat-four Boxer engine gets wound up above 3,500 rpm the power is steady and strong to the 7,200 rpm redline. The shifter for the six-speed manual gearbox in the test vehicle falls readily at hand and provides very positive gear changes, a welcome change from sloppy cable-operated shifting mechanisms in front-drive cars.
There was no negative feedback from shifting the BRZ. It could be thrown through the gears with the tight, concise feeling of a Hurst shifter-equipped muscle car from the 1960s.
Subaru has been a mainstay in the market with performance packages, such as its WRX STI sedan, and the BRZ continues this tradition. And as with the WRX, the BRZ will find its niche in competition.
The BRZ (which stands for Boxer, Rear-wheel drive, Zenith) is a car built in partnership with Toyota. The overall design and body development is from Toyota, while Subaru provides the engine and drivetrain. The BRZ is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder horizontally-opposed Boxer engine with 200 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque.
The engine has a unique sound all its own — this sound is more prevalent in the BRZ than other Subarus due to the size of the car and, at certain revs, produces a Porschelike resonance.
The manual BRZ will get you from zero to100 km in a little under eight seconds, the optional six-speed automatic with paddle shifters is about a half second slower.
The BRZ is fuelled by direct and port injection with electronic throt- tle control. The engine has a fairly flat torque curve and only wakes up after 3,500 rpm. You are not pegged back in your seat as with some turbocharger-equipped vehicles but things do happen quickly. The double overhead camshaft engine requires premium fuel, with mileage coming in at about 9.6 litres per 100 km for city driving and 6.6 litres per 100 km for highway use.
The engine sits low in the front of the BRZ and with its MacPherson strut front suspension and double wishbone rear suspension, coupled with 215/45 Michelin Primacy tires mounted on 17-inch aluminum rims, a 53/47 front-rear weight ratio and a low centre of gravity, the car displays near-neutral handling. It hugs the road and goes where pointed, showing very little understeer, or push. The steering provides the driver with a great sense of command and feedback. With the traction control shut off, it is certainly possible to get the rear end of the 1255-kg BRZ to come around, but this action is predictable and steering and power corrections can be made well within any danger. Stopping is provided by fourwheel disc brakes, 294 by 24 mm in the front and 290 by 18 mm in the rear. Along with its anti-lock system the BRZ also has electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. As a trade-off to the BRZ’s excellent handling, the ride is firm and harsh. Getting into the BRZ is what one expects for such a low car, but once inside, the cockpit is both inviting and intimate with all controls at hand and that gearshift knob just beckoning to be used. There is minimal use of chrome, the thick leather steering wheel falls readily into hand and the large Pioneer in-dash touchscreen navigation and sound system is easy to read and operate from the centre of the dashboard. The cloth seats are deep and offer a great deal of support. The BRZ is touted as a four-seater, although rear passengers will have trouble getting in and out of the car and, once inside, find little leg room. The driving position is perfect for a driver six feet or under, but those taller will find operating the BRZ a challenge. With the front seat all the way back, one would be hardpressed to put their hand between the back of the front seat and the cushion of the rear seat. The handbrake lever is mounted on the driveshaft tunnel to the right of the driver and could be hard to operate.
And, while the fit and finish of the interior is stylish and well-appointed, there is no provision for a centre armrest and your right elbow falls into the deep cup holder when not running the BRZ up and down through the gears.
The Subaru BRZ is not for everyone, but for those who want power and performance in a package with its own unique handling, this coupe has few peers. According to Subaru Canada, only 500 BRZs will be imported here. The vehicle tested by freelance writer Tim Miller was provided by the manufacturer. Email: wheels@thestar.ca