BRZ comes last in EVO group test

[Capt Canuck]

^Reminds me of Hyundai sending an auto Gen Coupe to Lightning Laps a couple years back. If the auto is set up ratio wise, similar enough to the manual fair enough, but if it doesn't maybe so fair enough then.

[86'd]

If anything this makes me want to get a FR-S now.

It sucks getting the hype deflated but we all know this car isn't for everyone, much like the S2000 it's going to cater to certain people. It's how everything comes together.

Now I know why Honda didn't really update the S2000 too much, and only gained a slight bit of TQ in 2004.

I hope that Subaru does the same, and doesn't go crazy trying to appeal to a minority that won't ever buy this car anyway.

[Guff]

Eh, we were bound to have somewhat negative review eventually. Every review is somewhat subjective as well, so if I've read/seen 40 great reviews and 1 Not So Good one, then I'm still thinking this is a great car.

Also, they need to test a Manual...

[Capt Canuck]

It is only a handful of peoples' opinion on one car in one variant over a few days. Not everyone is going to love it and no one should be changing their well-informed opinions of it, solely on this basis.

Test drives for all first! :-)

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Capt Canuck

Because...?

Because
a) automatic
b) why on earth would anyone compare lap times to a sporty car with more power and way better tires? I'll go several seconds a lap faster than BRZ in my legacy wearing starspecs.

[Capt Canuck]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

Because
a) automatic
b) why on earth would anyone compare lap times to a sporty car with more power and way better tires? I'll go several seconds a lap faster than BRZ in my legacy wearing starspecs.

a - does the automatic come with different brakes, steering, chassis setup than the manual? No, impressions on those aspects of the car are still valid.

b - is you legacy equipped as standard and is it a new current model year car? The BRZ and Reno were both tested with standard equipment.

[Bristecom]

I said it before and I'll say it again. This car needs a 2.5L engine.

[Turbowned]

This just reaffirms my plans to supercharge the car and put stickier tires on. All of the problems mentioned in the article will be solved!

[bneale]

Not sure if Chris Harris was part of this test group or not but I suspect he wasn't.

If he was, I'm sure he would have told them the GT86 is a better car for "oversteer/drifting" fun. Again, I'm sure that these guys would have had a different opinion if the car was an GT86 and a manual.

If anyone has seen his review on Youtubes Drive Channel, I'm sure you'll agree with me. He loved the 86 so much he actually said "BUY ONE!!"

bneale

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Capt Canuck

a - does the automatic come with different brakes, steering, chassis setup than the manual? No, impressions on those aspects of the car are still valid.

b - is you legacy equipped as standard and is it a new current model year car? The BRZ and Reno were both tested with standard equipment.

a) it's slower, geared differently and AT affects weight/distribution.

b) What's your point? To me lap comparisons are meaningless unless it's a race car. Otherwise it says nothing to me, cause too many variable affect end-result.

I can buy lap time comparisons for cars in the same class with similar power (say, FF hot hatches) and category of tires. Comparing FF and FR car of vastly different specs is meaningless not only because of specs but also because different tracks favor different layouts. Like I said - waste of journal space.

The only remotely useful bit in that article - is that tires seem not to take trail-braking too well. But then again, the rest of info (for example - tires losing grip to abruptly) goes against what most other reviewers said which at the moment works against EVO's word and makes me discount the trail-braking info too.

[Subaruwrxfan]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

This just reaffirms my plans to supercharge the car and put stickier tires on. All of the problems mentioned in the article will be solved!

Lol I'm thinking the exact opposite. If they say it's hard to get it to oversteer, I my try to fit some 205 tires on the car! lol

[Spaceywilly]

Originally Posted by Capt Canuck

a - does the automatic come with different brakes, steering, chassis setup than the manual? No, impressions on those aspects of the car are still valid.

b - is you legacy equipped as standard and is it a new current model year car? The BRZ and Reno were both tested with standard equipment.

Their biggest complaint (really their only compaint) was the power delivery. The auto has longer gears and a torque converter. I think the review would've been a lot different if they had a manual.

[Bristecom]

Originally Posted by Subaruwrxfan

Lol I'm thinking the exact opposite. If they say it's hard to get it to oversteer, I my try to fit some 205 tires on the car! lol

You're better off getting a set of coilovers that you can tune for oversteer. They also said the car felt unstable under braking so going with smaller tires is prob not a good idea. I would prefer 225/45/17 with 17x7.5 in. wheels so you can fit Brembo brake calipers and have a little more sidewall for comfort and grip. but I'm against changing the stock sizes - especially going taller since they will negatively effect the acceleration.

[Ryephile]

3.5 stars is a tough pill to swallow. I'm shocked at the negativity of the track review, however in this situation they're actually trying to get a solid lap time instead of hooning the car sideways, and this will be where the Primacy tires falter in a big way. On the street, I'm pleased to hear they love the steering, but I'm not surprised to read they find the torque lacking, especially considering the tall gearing of the automatic.

I think I understand their perspective on the chassis feeling aloof despite being communicative and capable. IMO it's the ultimate compliment to how sorted the suspension is, however I also agree that it doesn't force the car to be fun. Satisfying for sure, but not fun.

It sounds like my test drive [whenever that is] will be the ultimate litmus test.