Does non-structural damage to unibody even matter?...

[HKz]

Jeez if the brz feels big and heavy, wonder how any other modern coupe would feel. No matter what, miatas follow the raw lightweight formula truer than pretty much any other car including the twins but I would gladly trade some of that for a real fixed roof coupe with backseat and usable trunk space..not to mention fit a lot better in the driver's seat.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by lapsio

I know it's not fair comparison because it's stock vs modded but is BRZ even capable of behaving similar to Miata?

I think you nailed it right there. You’re comparing a fully track modded Miata vs stock BRZ. You can mod and align the BRZ to be lighter, more responsive and grip better. It just comes down to how much time/money you’re willing to spend and how much comfort you’re willing to sacrifice.

If I were you, if you like the Miata and don’t mind all the compromises on the street (roll bar without helmet, NVH, stiffness, lack of roof, slow) then you should stick with it and sell the BRZ. No sense spending time/money on the BRZ trying to hit a target you’ve already achieved in a cheaper package. Sell the BRZ and put that money towards more track time with the Miata!

[OwlDance]

There's no replacement for displacement (for the most part), and neither is there replacement for weight and wheelbase/size.

I've always thought that at 2800lbs this car was never "light." Merely average - and it feels average in size too. While it may be smaller than the average (american) vehicle it also never felt small to me. You can feel the 2800lbs quite easily with the engine and even in turns, even moreso when you put a passenger in and feel the extra weight shift about on the passenger side. Dropping 600lbs into a smaller vehicle is incomparable to this car.

I'll also add that I never got "racecar" vibes from the 86 as someone who had only driven cushy SUVs up until I got it. It's "stiff" but it doesn't scream lightweight go-kart that a lot of people likened it too. Maybe I don't drive dangerously on public roads though, and I haven't had time to actually track/do HPDE (bloody economy and everything else too.)

Just my 2c. Love my 86 but it's a car that, IMO, needs to be driven at the limit to really be appreciated/understood otherwise. I actually want to make my car softer to be honest...

[Yoshoobaroo]

I a world where the next lightest RWD 2+2 weighs 6-700 lbs more (BMW 2), the BRZ/86 is definitely lightweight.

You can’t really compare it to a stripped Opel Corsa or the like. A RWD car with a 100” wheelbase will weigh more than an entry level FWD hatch. You also can’t compare it to a Lotus Elise because this car actually passes crash tests. Even the lightest Evora isn’t lighter than the BRZ.

[Arthur-A]

I actually would prefer if Toyota cooperated with Mazda instead of Subaru, especially regarding the engine. A RWD coupe with the size similar to Yaris sedan with ND Miata's excellent 2.0 engine and design based on AE86 - that would be a true rebirth of a Hachiroku.

[OwlDance]

Originally Posted by Yoshoobaroo

I a world where the next lightest RWD 2+2 weighs 6-700 lbs more (BMW 2), the BRZ/86 is definitely lightweight.

You can’t really compare it to a stripped Opel Corsa or the like. A RWD car with a 100” wheelbase will weigh more than an entry level FWD hatch. You also can’t compare it to a Lotus Elise because this car actually passes crash tests. Even the lightest Evora isn’t lighter than the BRZ.

There's no reason I can't compare it because my discussion a matter of relative weight regardless of class or whatever other parameters. You will never make a 2000lb car feel like a sub500lb go-kart, and likewise a car that weighs nearly 50% more than 2000lbs is still 50% more weight. Likewise the Evora has a much more powerful powerplant...which when you factor in its total weight to the engine, is fairly impressive for all the lightweight engineering they do.

I'm not saying you can buy a lighter <2500lb commuter car and throw it around with the same performance as an 86 but power is power, weight is weight and the nuance and feel is going to be different. The 86 a medium sized coupe on the lighter side of overall vehicles, but it's still not exactly "light." There used to be commuter cars that were lighter, and there were cars that weighed just as much with far more power (stock), but only relative to today's average cars is it even barely on the lighter side of cars - regardless of safety and technological improvements.

This car has never screamed lightweight like some Alfa Romeo 4c. Just "lighter than today's average vehicle." There's a reason people love the Miata, the fiat 500, etc. You literally cannot make up for weight and dimensions. That's why I believe OP is enamored with the miata.