Subaru BRZ 2012 Motor Trend Best Driver's Car
2012 Motor Trend Best Driver's Car
The Right (And Left) Stuff: Nine of the World’s Greatest Performance Cars Battle for Supremacy
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2013 Subaru BRZ Buyer's Guide
MSRP: $25,495 - $27,495
MPG Range: 30 - 30 mpg
Body Style: Coupe
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4th Place: Subaru BRZ
The little engine that almost did
The little engine that almost did
Let's get the obvious bits out of the way. Compared with the other eight contenders, the 200-hp Subaru BRZ is woefully underpowered. As Lago pointed out several times in our BDC planning meetings, the BRZ shouldn't even be in our epic nine-car drag race. Going uphill from turn 5 to 6 felt like being on a roller coaster: You're just waiting to get to the top. The brakes, while better on the track than those of the Lambo or the Shelby, really aren't track-day material. It's a $28,000 car! There are going to be compromises. And, again, this is not Best Numbers Car, but Best Driver's Car. Our hats are off to Subaru (and Toyota).
With the exception of Mazda's Miata, has any car ever punched above its weight like this? Mortara, for one, doesn't think so. "If price were a factor, the BRZ would win this competition hands-down. This car, like the Miata, proves you don't need a monster engine to be a great driving car. The clutch and shifter are perfect. I really can't find any faults with this car. Everything about it works great. After the driving loop, I had to laugh about the BRZ going out last because it was deemed the 'slowest.' Maybe out of the gate, but once you're in the turns, this Subaru feels just as fast as the rest." Adds Evans, "Man, this little thing is good. Chassis control is fantastic. Pedals are perfect for heel and toe. Great, super-precise steering. The throttle feels like it has a cable. Just so good. Anyone could learn a thing or two driving this car." MacKenzie concurs, noting, "The BRZ will teach you the most about driving fast. You'll learn not to waste momentum, to be economical with the brakes, and be precise with your lines. Be fast in this car and you'll be fast in anything."
Here's what Pobst said the moment he leapt out of the BRZ: "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. What a satisfying ride in terms of...everything!" Of course, the BRZ didn't win. It came in fourth. A great showing, but still only the leader of the mid-pack. Aside from mild on-track brake fade, the real culprit was lack of power. It's just not that quick and you find yourself wanting more power. And could it be that lower-powered cars are just easier to drive? Here's what he said about the issue: "I think the answer there is, yes, it is easier to make a car handle right with less power because you don't have the extreme weight changes that come with accelerating fast." We'll know for sure in the near future when Subaru releases a turbocharged, 274-hp version of the BRZ. But Subaru doesn't need to make any apologies for this version. It's wonderful.
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Still Mind-Boggling After All These Years
The 2013 version of Godzilla (our long-termer, if you were wondering) shows up to this year's dance packing more power and torque (up 15 each, to 545 hp and 463 lb-ft of torque), a retuned suspension, and a reprogrammed transmission. Yet the 2012 iteration finished in second place and the new one came in third. What gives? MacKenzie muses, "While familiarity hasn't exactly bred contempt, it's easy to take the Nissan's extraordinary capabilities for granted." One thing that's been a continual sore spot for the GT-R is how flinty and rough the ride is. Lago puts it most cruelly: "The GT-R rides like a truck, sounds like a clothes dryer, and has the interior noise of a Cessna." But the real truth is that, this year, two better cars showed up. Don't worry, Godzilla is still amazing. Continues Lago, "It completely destroys any road you throw it down. And that's what remains so invigorating about the GT-R. It's a thrilling machine, genuine supercar stuff."
The praise gets piled on from there. "Still love it," crows Kiino. "The GT-R inspires a lot of confidence, which, not being the most engaging car to drive, makes it a great driver's car. You feel invincible." In my mind, that's still the most impressive thing about the GT-R -- you can just drive it so fast! There are few cars that are able to transition laterally as quickly and as assuredly as the big Nissan. It doesn't tip over on itself and the GT-R's hefty curb weight of 3887 pounds is well hidden. Steering the car becomes a tremendously empowering feeling. That steering feel, coupled with the suspension's ability to eat up everything it thumps over, fills you with the sense that you could drive across the world. Make that drive across the world, fast. Says Markus, "Man, this one feels as sharp-edged as the two cars in front of it. The steering feels great. The paddles are great. They feel good and work instantly." Just like the Godzillas of yesteryear, the latest GT-R is a very difficult car to fault.
For instance, there's the way the GT-R exits an apex. It's like no other car on the planet. I'll let Pobst take it from here: "Fantastic AWD traction off the corner. Never got the slightest power drift of any sort. Just puts the power down! The AWD is really, really great off these tight corners. Coming out of the Corkscrew is amazing, I think I got a four-wheel drift going through there; it certainly felt like it. That kind of stability allows me to really push the car." Speaking of push, there's an aspect to Godzilla's on-track behavior that Pobst doesn't like. "The downside that I felt was pretty prominent was mid-corner understeer. This car does not like power and steering. I don't remember it being that bad last year, but it is now, so the driver needs a lot of patience when entering the corner. Apex very late because you've got to be able to take steering out and drive it straight off the corner, just like a powerful front-drive car. It's predictable, it's never scary, but it's costing time in corners for sure." All of the 2013 car's improvements add up to a tenth of a second faster lap time compared with the 2012 model: 1:36.3 versus last year's 1:36.4. An improvement and a setback at the same time. Tune in next year to see if the 2014 GT-R can stay on the podium.
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