2013 Subaru BRZ: A victory for the Light Brigade

A new coupe that wants to be a sports car but comes with two-wheel drive and no turbocharger? This begs the question, did Subaru planners fall and hit their heads, or what?
Not at all, in fact. We’d even say the opposite after examining and driving the BRZ on a stretch of roads and highways leading to Oregon Raceway Park. This narrow ribbon of asphalt looks like a rollercoaster, as it features no less than 14 turns, including many with blind apexes. It was perfect for exploring – and pushing – this vehicle’s handling and performance limits.

We first discovered the Subaru coupe at its worldwide unveiling at the Tokyo Auto Show last fall. We’ve known for years that its twin will be sold in North America under the name Scion FR-S and elsewhere on the planet as the Toyota GT86. Toyota owns 16% of Subaru, a (relatively) small manufacturer, and the new coupes are part of their first joint project.

• Also: Subaru Releases BRZ tS in Japan

Meaningful initials

In the purest Japanese tradition, BRZ stands for Boxer Rear-wheel drive Zenith. Subaru is presenting its new coupe as nothing less than the pinnacle of sports cars with a boxer engine and rear-wheel drive. It certainly can’t be accused of lacking ambition, considering that the only other title hopeful is the Porsche Cayman coupe, which is no slouch. The Scion coupe’s FR-S name is more mundane and means Front-engine, Rear-drive, Sport.

This “pure sport coupe in the classic tradition” is the brainchild of a group of Subaru’s engineers, all of whom are obviously driving enthusiasts. They dreamed of building a simple, light car with an exceptionally low centre of gravity whose weight would be as centered as possible for optimal agility.

In 2007, they started by throwing together a much shorter and lower version of a Legacy sedan with reduced overhangs. In addition to mounting its turbo-less engine further back, they got rid of the front differential and the heavy hardware that holds it in place. Then, these diehards got their bosses to drive this strange beast, and the development of a production version was approved right away.

The second step was building new prototypes based on the new Impreza with a lower driving position, power steering and six-speed gearboxes. The test drives took place in Japan, the United States and Europe, including Nürburgring. Since Toyota became a major partner in the meantime, the engine for this second generation of prototypes features the new D4-S injection system, which is at once direct and indirect.

Beneficial obsessions

Toyota stylists designed the bodies and passenger compartments of both series (OK, there are three if you count the FR-S and the GT86 separately) but the technical development was carried out entirely by Subaru engineers. Subaru is also making them all in its plant in Gunma, Japan, which is already struggling to keep up with demand as the first units of the BRZ and its evil twin  have just been delivered.

Essentially, the development team lowered the centre of gravity of the new coupes to reduce roll in turns and draw its mass toward the centre to improve its agility. Subaru’s compact and low boxer engine with horizontal cylinders was the ideal starting point for meeting these two objectives.

The BRZ’s new FA20 engine is the cousin of the Impreza’s FB20, but it’s bolted 120 millimetres lower and 240 millimetres further back, with a 60-mm lower crankshaft axial clearance. To accomplish this, the engineers reduced the size of the intake manifold and mounted it in front of the engine. They also shrunk the exhaust manifold and the oil sump, inclined the radiator 17 degrees and mounted the battery behind the front axle, reducing the front overhang at the same time.

The result is that its centre of gravity is just 459 mm from the ground. That’s just a few millimetres up from the Ferrari 458 – the current reference – and lower than the Mazda MX-5 and RX-8 (490 and 495 mm), the BMW M3 (508 mm) and its cousin the WRX STI (530 mm). At 1,285 mm, the BRZ Coupe is also very low compared to the Porsche Cayman (1,304 mm), the Hyundai Genesis Coupe (1,385 mm) and the WRX STI (1,470 mm).

Another crucial goal was to keep the BRZ is light, too. It weighs 1,255 kg versus the Cayman’s 1,330 kg and the Genesis Coupe’s 1,535 kg.

Profile

When we first saw the BRZ in Oregon, we immediately concluded that it was even nicer in person than in pictures or perched on a platform at a car show. Its lines are delicate, elegant and chiselled. No pomp, no circumstance, no extravagance. Fluid, shapely forms surround the body, for a drag coefficient of 0.29.

This figure becomes 0.28 with the spoiler that comes with the Sport-tech package, which also includes a leather/alcantara finish for the heated front seats, dual-zone climate controls, fog lights, a remote starter and an anti-theft system. The second pleasant surprise you’ll find when you open the door of the BRZ is the extremely sculpted sport seats. It’s surprisingly easy to get out of this low car. The dashboard design is in perfect keeping with Subaru’s philosophy. It’s simple, impeccably functional, nicely finished and not the least bit garish.

The BRZ also sets itself apart with its exceptional front and lateral visibility as well as its extremely low hood, sharply defined side windows, narrow front uprights and triangular windows that reduce blind spots in turns. The driving ergonomics are beyond reproach with a small sport steering wheel that is adjustable on two axes, a good footrest, a seat that adjusts in the blink of an eye and a pedal bracket.

The dials are clear and the other controls are well located and precise. The touch screen with the different menus and controls for the audio system and Pioneer navigation system (factory standard) does the job, but its retro-disco presentation takes away from its overall quality.

While the front is very roomy for a sports car, the same cannot be said for the back. An average-sized adult won’t be able to sit normally in the back if there’s a full-size adult up front. The space is better used for stashing your bag. You can also increase trunk capacity by folding one section of the seatback down flat.

Precision and finesse

With a 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine that develops 200 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 lbs-ft of torque at 6,400 rpm, the BRZ is more cap gun than bazooka. By the manufacturer’s own admission, this car emphasizes precision and efficiency rather than brute force – in contrast with the WRX and STI and their turbocharged engines. And Subaru doesn’t give any performance data on its new coupe. We’ll see for ourselves after the first complete test drive.

Subaru claims that the BRZ’s fuel rating will be 100 horses per litre, a once mythical threshold, and that its compression ratio will be 12.5:1, equal to that of the Ferrari 458’s V8. This engine loves the high gears and is very well served by the Aisin manual gearbox that Subaru modified by 80% for more precision and speed. Of its six gears, shifting from 3rd to 4th is particularly satisfying with minimal rpm loss.

The optional automatic transmission does a respectable job but doesn’t shift as quickly or cleanly as a good dual-clutch gearbox, even with wheel-mounted shifters. On the other hand, it downshifts impeccably when you brake in Sport mode, sometimes even on several of its six gears.

The BRZ’s strength is its tremendous agility and balance, on a track or on a winding road. With a Torsen limited slip differential that ensures actuation from the first few metres, it understeers only if you overdo it and oversteers only if you’re clumsy, but it isn’t too noticeable. In any case, the anti-skid system that can be partially or fully deactivated is there to watch over you.

With a minimum gear ratio of 13:1, the power steering is fast and precise but a tad light. The lack of focus may have to do with the tires. Chosen for their versatility, their tread is deeper and more flexible than the sport tires with the most grip.

The ride is comfortable, as the suspension is firm but never harsh. The noise in the passenger compartment becomes intense on rough roads where the resonance is amplified by a very rigid body. But soundproofing tends to be heavy, so you can figure out how this came to pass.

Diehards are already waiting for a more powerful and sharper version of the BRZ coupe – which might even be a replica of the BRZ STI Concept that was displayed at the last Los Angeles Auto Show, with or without the large rear spoiler.

But don’t hold your breath. Subaru won’t manage to produce this already impressive BRZ and its twins in sufficient quantity to satisfy demand. First attempts are rarely this good.