The BRZ is Subaru’s answer to a rear-wheel driven coupe, built for that pure handling experience.
First, some context. Sean and I previously had an agreement in that he would test the ZN8 Toyota GR86 and I would review the ZD8 Subaru BRZ. As we drew closer to the review date, and during the photoshoot of Subaru’s excellent WRX Wagon, word came through that the BRZ on test would be DUN DUN DUNNNNN!! an automatic.
Here I was looking forward to my first manual-transmission test-drive in three years, only to have those hopes utterly dashed, doused in petrol and immolated into a smouldering mess.
After I’d finished sobbing my eyes out, a period of internal reflection brought about a realisation. “Vivek, spare a thought for those who cannot drive manual or are unable to do so anymore, but still want to experience rear-wheel drive heaven.”
On To Business
When Subaru and Toyota first collaborated to bring forth a pure rear-wheel driven (RWD) coupe, the world awaited with bated breath. While the first iteration was great in handling, it was not so good in the engine department.
Here in its ZD8 second-generation, the engine grows in size from two-litres to 2.4-litres, but still remains naturally aspirated. A bit more power and torque means more flexibility on the streets and on track.
Sleek Coupe
One cannot help but to look longingly at that long bonnet as it curves it way up to the steeply-raked windscreen and low roofline, all hallmarks of a coupe whose front wheels do the turning and the rears do the propelling.
The multi-spoke 18-inch rims are sufficiently attractive, and in gunmetal, play well with the test vehicle’s shade of WR Blue, Subaru’s signature colour.
A clean design aesthetic is interspersed by STI bits below the front bumper, side skirts and, much more prominently, in the rear with that lower diffuser and swan-neck wing.
The STI Edition will cost you a cool $18,000 above the standard car’s price.
Since looks are subjective, decide for yourself whether the extra outlay is worth it for you or whether the standard coupe’s clean looks speaks more to your heart.
Yes, I said heart, because a BRZ purchase is based purely on emotion. Why?
Low Rider
Ya ain’t gonna reasonably fit anyone back there. Maybe, just maybe, if all four occupants are of a petite nature, or a child seat at a pinch, but that’s about it. This isn’t a family vehicle.
In other words, the BRZ is likely only going to work for you and your significant other or friend. Take heart though, for those back seats are perfectly shaped for a couple of helmets for track days.
What’s not wanting, on the other hand, are the front seats. They’re manually adjusted (yes, I realise the irony there), but are supremely comfortable and supportive, even for yours truly with lower back and pinched nerve issues. Those red trimmings on the seats and doors are exclusive to the STI Edition.
As expected of a front-engine rear-drive coupe, the steering wheel, adjustable for reach and rake, is perfectly sized and falls naturally to hand.
With the driver’s seat all the way back and up for my longer limbs and shorter torso, the driving position is decidedly sporty, with the steering wheel adjusted for a natural bend in the elbows.
The digital instrument cluster is simple, clear and easy to read, with pertinent information available on the left display for the street or a track day.
The infotainment is basic, but one will likely be using either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The sound system is pretty good and can play quite loud without being too overwhelmed.
It’s also nice to have physical knobs and buttons for the dual-zone climate control.
Looking past the automatic transmission just for now, one finds two buttons and a central toggle. The left button turns traction control completely off, and the right puts it into a halfway mode called ‘Track.’
The central toggle offers up three driving modes, namely Normal, Sport and Snow. Given that we live in sunny and rainy Singapore, and because this was a street- and highway-based test drive, Normal was selected most of the time. Sport definitely sharpens up the throttle and would be more useful for carving up B-roads and track days.
Rage Your Dream
What a dream the BRZ is to drive! Its suspension is decidedly sportily sprung, but never gets harsh and still remains composed. The steering is perfectly weighted and pretty communicative of what the front wheels are doing.
You sit sufficiently low to where the small of your back tells you how the coupe’s behaving in bends and corners. Use this information to better judge cornering speeds, and the BRZ will grip like a leech with its Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres and dance through the twisty stuff like a world-class ballerina.
This BRZ’s six-speed automatic transmission is set up to play along with the enthusiast driver, and bangs up and down through its gears in Manual mode through the steering-mounted paddle shifters. Though an automatic, the immediacy of gear change is surprisingly good.
No, it won’t beat a dual-clutch gearbox for shift speeds, but it was enough for me to have a really good time at the helm.
The purity of the whole experience speaks volumes about Toyota’s and Subaru’s efforts to bring in a suitable replacement for the hallowed Hachiroku of the 80’s, and I’d say they’ve succeeded lock stock and barrel with this second-generation.
This is thanks in no small part to the BRZ’s new FA24D engine.
Compared to the old FA20D, the FA24D makes 237hp and 250Nm. That’s 23hp and 45Nm more, but the area under the torque curve is also wider now. What this translates to is much more flexibility while daily driving, and it shows.
Pootling around in street traffic was a cinch. There’s enough get-up-and-go to keep with the flow, and throttle inputs could be made smoothly. Same on the highway, where the BRZ sat unflappable at higher speeds, and a simple prod on the accelerator was enough to overtake.
Since the BRZ was only available for a business-day loan, my daytime test route encompassing the first two legs of Pure Street and the last two legs of Mostly Highway test routes was utilised.
It did quite decently on fuel consumption. Subaru quotes a WLTP average efficiency of 8.8-litres/100km or 11.4km/litre, and the weighted and normalised test-drive average surpassed it at 7.92-litres/100km or 12.6km/litre. As usual, your mileage may vary based on driving style and conditions.
I started this journey sobbing my eyes out at the thought of an automatic test vehicle. I still had tears in my eyes at the end of the test-drive, but that was because I was very impressed at how “even an automatic” BRZ can be this enjoyable.
Add to that EyeSight-based adaptive cruise control and the BRZ becomes a thoroughly usable daily-driven vehicle for the enthusiast who needs a relatively affordable rear-drive coupe.
That it is not turbocharged also means that newbies to rear-wheel drive won’t get themselves into trouble too quickly. That in itself makes this a very compelling package for both new enthusiasts learning the ropes, and old hands who can truly enjoy momentum-driving. Even if it means waiting a while for delivery, since the BRZ is only available on indent basis.
Welcome to RWD heaven.
Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)
Technical Specifications
Subaru BRZ 2.4 Eyesight RWD 6AT
Engine: 2,387cc naturally aspirated boxer four-cylinder
Transmission: 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
Driveline: rear-wheel drive
Power: 237hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 3,700rpm
0-100km/h: 6.8 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 216km/h (claimed)
Fuel Economy (combined): 8.8-litres/100km or 11.4km/litre (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 50 litres
Kerb Weight: 1,310kg
Price: $237,800 (BRZ 6AT)/ $255,800 (BRZ 6AT STI Edition) (including COE, accurate at time of writing)
Contact: Subaru Singapore
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