Tracked BRZ

[ajay]

My BRZ was always going to see the track and last weekend was that day. The car turned 996 miles as I pulled out for the warm-up lap.

Let me set some context here. I used to race karts, I've been tracking cars at HPDEs for over 10 years, I've been instructing for 5 of those 10 and have run several chump car & lemons races.

I have a dedicated track car -a '96 miata that is a pretty close to Spec Miata. I used to DD/Track an S2000 prior to getting the dedicated track car. So the BRZ is primarily a DD car, but I wanted to get on track at some point. Saturday was that day!

I'll sum it up first. I'm still smiling. I drove my students 2011 Audi S4 with flappy paddles. The BRZ was so much better to drive.

The handling is amazing, a touch of understeer followed by graceful and controllable oversteer. Getting the car to a comfortable slip angle is easy. The steering is really precise. If you saw the Top Gear episode where Clarkson favored the AMG C63 over the M3 and he couldn't hit the apple on the apex in the Merc... the BRZ will get you hitting every Apex and trackout point. FUN!

The power is suprisingly good. It's no S2000 here. The S has that same low torque wind up through the revs, but the S rewards you for your patience with VTEC... the BRZ has no reward. That said, it is pretty versatile. I played with one segment with a 4th - 3rd downshift to get more torque, but concluded it was better to stay in forth and eliminate the 2 shifts.

IMO the only cars that delivery this much driving experience in completely stock form are the Porsche Cayman and the Lotus Elise/Exige. I've driven both on track. The car has so much mechanical grip on crappy, skinny tires.

The brakes are good and never faded, but you really have to stand on them.

If I were starting a driving school at a race track, I'd buy a fleet of BRZs. Easy to learn in, great feel and hard to get in trouble.

FUN!


The video below is taken from a track prepped Miata. He was holding back to take the video - yes I missed a couple of marks.

Andy's BRZ in Action - YouTube

[poudre]

[Dave-ROR]

Stock pads? If so you are mo' brave than I good sir.

[mx5apex]

Wanting one even more now. Thanks a lot buddy.

[ajay]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

Stock pads? If so you are mo' brave than I good sir.

I really wanted to see what the car was like out of the box. The brakes are really not that bad... you just have to apply a lot of pressure. More agressive pads will mean that you'll overpower the front tires... Ahh... and here it starts

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by ajay

I really wanted to see what the car was like out of the box. The brakes are really not that bad... you just have to apply a lot of pressure. More agressive pads will mean that you'll overpower the front tires... Ahh... and here it starts

Not for those of us who already tossed the stock rubber

[sdiver68]

Originally Posted by ajay

I'll sum it up first. I'm still smiling. I drove my students 2011 Audi S4 with flappy paddles. The BRZ was so much better to drive.

I traded in (yes got money back) a 2012 S4 with DSG and Sport differential. Audi has programmed in so many drive train protection nannies to the DSG even in "Manual" mode, the Sport A/T in my BRZ blows it away.

[ajay]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

Not for those of us who already tossed the stock rubber

You're a bad man... here lies my dilema! I have a perfectly good fully stripped and caged Miata with R comp tires and race brakes, suspension, seats and harnesses... I also have a 50% share in an 84 RX7 SCCA E-Prod race car that we are putting a V6 in... But I want to track the BRZ soooo badly... It really was rewarding to drive.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by ajay

You're a bad man... here lies my dilema! I have a perfectly good fully stripped and caged Miata with R comp tires and race brakes, suspension, seats and harnesses... I also have a 50% share in an 84 RX7 SCCA E-Prod race car that we are putting a V6 in... But I want to track the BRZ soooo badly... It really was rewarding to drive.

I understand. Most of my track money goes to the race car, and I'll fit a few DEs in during the year for the BRZ. Mostly I'll be autocrossing the BRZ though. I was frustrated driving the BRZ, but due to my own over driving

[atledreier]

It stays incredibly flat in the corners! Do that in a 2013 stock Miata and we're talking Love Boat! :-D

[Mtechnik]

Great to hear! It does stay quite flat in the corners. We just got ours yesterday, took it out for a quick loop around the block and through some twisties. I came away quite impressed with the overall feel! This thing has no business being so much fun, although it is so ha!