What makes all the BRZ/86/FRS drivers smile?
 

It seems like all the reviewers are raving about how this car puts a smile on your face when you drive it.

What do you think causes this? Is there some sort of special driver smiling formula? Is it putting skinny tires on a non-overpowered NA motor, or maybe having a really low center of gravity?

If that's the case, then should all car makers take notes?

What are your thoughts?

Since the answer to your question is purely subjective, I can't say I have the answer to it. I know what it is for me. IMO, it is being in complete control of my environment/vehicle/etc. I've driven some very expensive cars in my time and most times I felt like it was more in control than I was. Well, the fact that some of them would cost a good down payment on a seven figure house helped with that too. :D

I've driven some econoboxes that, although were way underpowered, gave me the sensation of being in control. I might have been shielded from communicating with the road quite a bit, but nonetheless I felt like I was in control of the car instead of it me. So I think the fact that this car gives that feeling of control to the driver is what puts that smile on their faces.

I think you technically can't feel center of gravity since body roll is a function of suspension and center of gravity, but the car has decent grip from what we've heard, so that's probably part of it, along with the way the suspension is set up.

The rest is I'm guessing sensory stuff like feel of the steering/pedals, response, seating position.

This has been mentioned before, but for me its the same feeling you get from driving a decent powered go-cart with the throttle all the way down. You know you're on the edge, but that it's perfectly safe and you're in control. You're slung low in the seat, the backend isn't always following the front, and you just can't help but smile.

That smile is caused by kick-backs from Subaru/Toyta for positive reviews. :D

It's a miata thing ;)

They are most likely smiling due to the little known "butt massaging seat" option that hasn't been talked about that much so far.

It's the front bumper grill design that makes us smile. Cuz it looks like a smile :)

:bellyroll: :party0030: :happyanim: :party0030: :bellyroll:

you can tell the difference in CoG and the brz is really low, its lower than my celica for sure, or from what i felt at least, get in a van and take a corner at 30 then do it in a car and youll feel the CoG difference

No you can't. The cog is lower in my miata and you can't feel it in that

It's because they're used to driving heavy, powerful cars with a zillion electronic driver aids to drive the car for them. Ones that if you go full throttle you'll either end up dead or in jail. Then when you get into a light, tossable car that you have to keep your foot in to get the most out of, it's a real joy and a breath of fresh air!

See: Miata, MR2, BMW 2002 and any old Brit roadsters

:word:

It's because they finally get to drive the car.

Crap, I noticed the bucktoothed beaver/babychild/Goofy thing again.but this time on the FRS lol. Why dammit why?!?!

Very simply put. WEIGHT WEIGHT WEIGHT, DIMENSIONS DIMENSIONS DIMENSIONS. It's the reason I can name about 5 80s and 90s sports cars that had considerably less horsepower than my 05 Mustang GT that were more fun to drive for me. They only need to add all of that power these days because they make cars like everything else in America, fat. Someone give me a good reason why a sports coupe or a sports car NEEDS all that extra size? There isn't one damn good reason. None. Zero. Other than to appease people who are getting fatter by the year. I mean look at the size of a 67 Mustang and a current Mustang.

As already mentioned, the smile mainly comes down to how it closely resembles the handling of a go-kart. The low COG will produce little roll angle/rates, being lightweight allows it to be 'thrown-around' a lot easier, and a small diameter steering wheel & sensitive steering input will make the car feel like it will dart towards the desired direction a lot quicker with less effort from the driver.

if i can get the same feel of my 89 celica (which was slammed with stiffer suspension, and had very little resistance in the steering wheel) in the FR-S/BRZ, i will fall in love all over again.

As far THIS car goes, I think it really comes down to the combination of the Low grip tires, and spot on steering, shifter, clutch, brakes and linear throttle response.

These low grip tires "scream" mercy earlier and more progressively than an aggressive compound/tread tire would. Combine that with the accurate and communicative driving inputs, and you basically have a car that reveals it's EXACT limits easily. It also gives you confidence that you know exactly what driving at 100% in this car really is, and that you're capable of doing it at will.