2013 Subaru BRZ

2565 Views 26 Replies 15 Participants Last post by dboz, Dec 8, 2011

testdummy

Discussion Starter · Dec 5, 2011

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Subaru, First Drives

The Masters Of AWD Nail RWD

A couple of years ago we passed the point at which there were no more truly bad cars. If someone asked us, "Which car should we definitely avoid," it was hard to give a categorical answer. Sure, there were cars we didn't (and still don't) like, but no matter how personally averse we might be to even some current cars, we can't name one that's objectively awful.

Naturally, then, if everything is decent then the only place to go is... better. That's how you get to a brand like Subaru deciding to make a sports car and using, as a guide, the Porsche Cayman. And we do mean literal guide. During testing, Subaru engineers took a white Cayman on their international travels. We don't blame them. When the brief is to build "a pure handling sports car," where better to start than with the company that practically wrote and constantly revises the bible of handling, Porsche?

As a brief for a company like Subaru to have - a company not known for sports cars and that hasn't sold a two-wheel-drive car in the U.S. since the last millennium, which were front-wheel-drive wagons - that's impressive enough. What's more impressive is that they actually did it.Continue reading 2013 Subaru BRZ

2013 Subaru BRZ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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tomatoEVOx

· #2 · Dec 5, 2011

Man I want to test drive one...

Evogina

· #3 · Dec 5, 2011

tomatoEVOx said:
Man I want to test drive one...

+1 if the price is really around 22k its a possibility that ill pick up one for autox

KickAss

· #4 · Dec 5, 2011

Meh! highlights as follows:

1) handles good
2) Brakes are 2 piston front/1 Rear
3) Compared to the Impreza, the BRZ's engine is placed 120 mm lower and 240 mm further back. And that's why there's no turbo, and no plans to include one – the engine occupies the space where Subaru would normally bolt one on.
4) can take 18" wheels and 45 offsets. Good for building a show car.
5) Subaru plans a longer life-cycle for the car, six to seven years instead of four to five, and it was strongly hinted that we would see a power bump during a mid-cycle refresh – but not a turbocharged bump. We were told as well, though, that this engine will be the base of Subaru's next-generation turbocharged engine.

Its a mixed bag. Hard to tell until it actually falls in the hands of a decent tuner/builder!

Only the potential for a DD at this point it would seem.

Eyler_Evo_X

· #5 · Dec 5, 2011

I wonder what the engine placement will do to possible forced induction.

toaster.evox

· #6 · Dec 5, 2011

looks like a good car for my wife to drive. mabye i can talk her out of that 370z.

KickAss

· #7 · Dec 5, 2011

Eyler_Evo_X said:
I wonder what the engine placement will do to possible forced induction.

I think the aftermarket will be the only choice for those interested. They said STI was coming out with some goodies, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was just keychains and t-shirts.

dboz

· #8 · Dec 5, 2011

Modern day 280Z. Small, cheap, slow, but fun due to lighter weight and puny size. Drop the turbo engine in and then they will have something.

spikester603

· #9 · Dec 5, 2011

i dont know if its the angle of the photo, but i dont like it. I was hoping it would look more wider and aggressive.

dboz

· #10 · Dec 5, 2011

KickAss said:
Meh! highlights as follows:

1) handles good
2) Brakes are 2 piston front/1 Rear
3) Compared to the Impreza, the BRZ's engine is placed 120 mm lower and 240 mm further back. And that's why there's no turbo, and no plans to include one – the engine occupies the space where Subaru would normally bolt one on.
4) can take 18" wheels and 45 offsets. Good for building a show car.
5) Subaru plans a longer life-cycle for the car, six to seven years instead of four to five, and it was strongly hinted that we would see a power bump during a mid-cycle refresh – but not a turbocharged bump. We were told as well, though, that this engine will be the base of Subaru's next-generation turbocharged engine.

Its a mixed bag. Hard to tell until it actually falls in the hands of a decent tuner/builder!

Only the potential for a DD at this point it would seem.

Hmm, I must have missed this great info before. Good catch. Possible rear mount remote turbo, or maybe with a much lower engine the possibility for some form of supercharger.

If no power adders are going to work, this is a woman's car.

spikester603

· #11 · Dec 5, 2011

just followed the link and changed my mind.

looks quite good.

irmerm

· #12 · Dec 5, 2011

I don't know if I'd call it slow... 200hp is nothing to sneeze at in a 2700lb car. The weight/power ratios aren't that far apart between the X and this car:
13.5 lb/hp - BRZ
12.2 lb/hp - Evo X (stock of course)
Add to that a center of gravity lower than a Ferrari 458 Italia and I think you at least have a handling monster, down on power (sounds strangely familiar around here)

spikester603

· #13 · Dec 5, 2011

irmerm said:
I don't know if I'd call it slow... 200hp is nothing to sneeze at in a 2700lb car. The weight/power ratios aren't that far apart between the X and this car:
13.5 lb/hp - BRZ
12.2 lb/hp - Evo X (stock of course)
Add to that a center of gravity lower than a Ferrari 458 Italia and I think you at least have a handling monster, down on power (sounds strangely familiar around here)

when you put it like that... cant wait for STi to get their hands on it!! or even better Prodrive.

Eyler_Evo_X

· #14 · Dec 5, 2011

This is reminiscent of an RX-8. Handling is fun, but so is speed. The Mazda might have handled like a Go-Kart but it was easily outmatched by bigger cars with more power.

I see the low, fairly centered engine as a potential problem. Supercharging might work, but how will it do on a boxer engine?

spikester603

· #15 · Dec 5, 2011 (Edited)

2

If it looks like this then my evo will be bye bye...sorry, but i love coupes..

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spikester603

· #16 · Dec 5, 2011 (Edited)

2

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spikester603

· #17 · Dec 5, 2011

^^

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spikester603

· #18 · Dec 5, 2011

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silverbullet

· #19 · Dec 5, 2011

STI Model is rumored to have closer to 300HP at this point, and TRD for the toyota version is talking of a supercharged model already to hit the US market. These will be the ones to get your hands on.

Referemce:
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/supercharged-toyota-gt-86-coming-40885.html

kenpo1441

· #20 · Dec 5, 2011

The performance stats remind me of my slow ass RX-8, but with better gas mileage.

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