RE: Driven: Subaru BRZ

[BlackPrince]

Looks better in those pics than it does in any others I've seen thus far, but compared w/ that P1 it still looks sh!t.

I'd love to have one though. Too bad they couldn't put the engine, drivetrain, and interior in the P1 body!

I'm not sure if the 280bhp version is a good idea though, seems like it might be missing the point if its turbocharged. Sortof like how the current MX-5 misses the point compared w/ the original.

[spameister]

DoctorWhom said:

At least Autoblog claim to have gotten the Engineers over at Subaru to admit that a 280 HP version is in the works.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/26/2013-subaru-brz...

The article says "thinking very much about the possibility of a turbocharger." It does not say it is in the works.

Also "Subaru says that it will not turbocharge the engine as there is no space at the front of the engine bay for an intercooler."
From http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/...

[s m]

Hellbound said:

Tested: 2013 Subaru BRZ Hits 60 MPH in 6.4 Sec, Quarter Mile in 14.9 Sec @ 95.5 MPH


http://wot.motortrend.com/tested-2013-subaru-brz-h...

Yes, that's about what I'd expect ( and yes I know it's not about straight line performance )

If a 200bhp-ish BM with more weight runs those sort of figures it was hard to see a lighter rwd car being the same performance as a 2.8 Capri with less poke

[GeeTeaEye]

The BRZ will probably make a keen second hand buy in a few years time.

I can see it depreciating like the Hyundai Coupe does, which should mean that the BRZ will be below £10k second hand quite soon.

[IAJO]

gweaver said:

I have just been on a rival car mag website and they publish the following figures for the Toyabaru:

BRZ: 0-62mph: 7.6sec; Top speed: 140mph; Economy: 36.2mpg; CO2: 181g/km
GT-86: 0-62mph: 7.7sec; Top speed: 137mph; Economy: 40.9mpg (combined); CO2: 160g/km

I think PH must have quoted the urban fuel consumption, not the combined consumption as stated. 181g/km implies about 36 mpg (combined) for a petrol car (it's about 41 mpg for a diesel).

The GT-86 and BRZ must have different engine mapping and/or gear ratios - I wonder if there is any real world difference between the two?

Edited by gweaver on Thursday 29th March 00:08

I'd be far more inclined to believe these figures for mpg but 0-60 is still at odds with what others have posted. Guess its all pie in the sky until they are on the road over here.

[Cotic]

I can't believe no-one's mentioned the 80's retro clock yet.

[5lab]

IAJO said:

gweaver said:

I have just been on a rival car mag website and they publish the following figures for the Toyabaru:

BRZ: 0-62mph: 7.6sec; Top speed: 140mph; Economy: 36.2mpg; CO2: 181g/km
GT-86: 0-62mph: 7.7sec; Top speed: 137mph; Economy: 40.9mpg (combined); CO2: 160g/km

I think PH must have quoted the urban fuel consumption, not the combined consumption as stated. 181g/km implies about 36 mpg (combined) for a petrol car (it's about 41 mpg for a diesel).

The GT-86 and BRZ must have different engine mapping and/or gear ratios - I wonder if there is any real world difference between the two?

Edited by gweaver on Thursday 29th March 00:08

I'd be far more inclined to believe these figures for mpg but 0-60 is still at odds with what others have posted. Guess its all pie in the sky until they are on the road over here.

I can't see that there'd be a 10% difference in fuel consumption just from a different bumper and tyres? seems a bit strange?

[pilchardthecat]

BlackPrince said:

I'm not sure if the 280bhp version is a good idea though, seems like it might be missing the point if its turbocharged. Sortof like how the current MX-5 misses the point compared w/ the original.

A supercharged version would find it's way onto my drive in a heartbeat..... but not a turbo

[nickfrog]

otolith said:

That's a good point, used cars *are* much cheaper than new ones, so for the same money you could buy something the someone else paid a lot more for new. It's good that people point this out, personally I often forget. But why settle for a Boxster when for roughly the same amouunt you could have this lovely Ferrari 456GTA or maybe a Maserati Gransport? After all, it's not as if the running costs of some cars are more than others.

I couldn't agree more. Total running costs of the Boxsters I have owned for 5 years+ have been lower than the likely real world running cost of this BRZ/GT86 when you factor in early depreciation from new. The same wouldn't apply to the Fezza or Maser so the Boxster is the obvious second hand alternative, if one considers both new and used car on their respective merits(like me) when making a purchase decision.

[Dan Trent]

Humble apologies; numbers have been crunched - again - and there was an iffy conversion on the combined mpg figure as first published (now corrected). It's muddied a bit by Subaru supplying info on the lightweight, basic version due next year but, for the record, here are the stats:

BRZ (205/55R16 tyres, steel wheels, base spec)

Manual (1,202kg):
Combined mpg - 40.9
CO2 - 159g/km

Auto (1,224kg):
Combined mpg - 40.9
CO2 - 159g/km

BRZ Premium (215/45R17 tyres, close to the UK spec for launch cars)

Manual (1,239kg)
Combined mpg - 36.2
CO2 - 181g/km

Auto (1,262kg)
Combined mpg - 37.1
CO2 - 164g/km

Hope this clears it up and apologies for the duff original intel!

Dan

[otolith]

Are the second pair of auto and manual figures the right way round?

[Dan Trent]

Assuming the spec figures I have before me from Subaru are correct then yes! I take the point though - does seem to go against what you'd expect!

[otolith]

DSG type automatics tend to put in better figures than manuals, but I'm assuming that this is getting a conventional auto?

[Dan Trent]

Correct.

[GravelBen]

Seems to be more common than it used to be for autos to beat manuals for official economy figures even if they don't in the real world - something to do with the test structure dictating certain shift points for manuals but letting the autos pick their own?

[IAJO]

Dan Trent said:

Humble apologies; numbers have been crunched - again - and there was an iffy conversion on the combined mpg figure as first published (now corrected). It's muddied a bit by Subaru supplying info on the lightweight, basic version due next year but, for the record, here are the stats:

BRZ (205/55R16 tyres, steel wheels, base spec)

Manual (1,202kg):
Combined mpg - 40.9
CO2 - 159g/km

Auto (1,224kg):
Combined mpg - 40.9
CO2 - 159g/km

BRZ Premium (215/45R17 tyres, close to the UK spec for launch cars)

Manual (1,239kg)
Combined mpg - 36.2
CO2 - 181g/km

Auto (1,262kg)
Combined mpg - 37.1
CO2 - 164g/km

Hope this clears it up and apologies for the duff original intel!

Dan

Buying a base spec one and adding extra's will see you two tax bands lower then than uk spec one, cheaper tyres if you add alloys equivelant to the size of the steelies and 40mpg. A bargain and back on as a potential second hand purchase in a few years. The uk spec one is pretty much what i would expect so pretty happy allround.

[Gary C]

Still like the idea of these cars, maybe a good replacement for my rx8 in a couple kf years.

Wish people would not get hung up on power all the time. Drove an elise and an f355 on the track, and the lotus was much more fun despite having a 3rd of the power and being much slower to accelerate

Trouble with a higher power version, it would be difficult not to want the 'best' in the range even if it drove worse.

Edited by Gary C on Thursday 29th March 11:14

[gweaver]

Dan Trent said:

Humble apologies; numbers have been crunched - again - and there was an iffy conversion on the combined mpg figure as first published (now corrected). It's muddied a bit by Subaru supplying info on the lightweight, basic version due next year but, for the record, here are the stats:

BRZ (205/55R16 tyres, steel wheels, base spec)

Manual (1,202kg):
Combined mpg - 40.9
CO2 - 159g/km

Auto (1,224kg):
Combined mpg - 40.9
CO2 - 159g/km

BRZ Premium (215/45R17 tyres, close to the UK spec for launch cars)

Manual (1,239kg)
Combined mpg - 36.2
CO2 - 181g/km

Auto (1,262kg)
Combined mpg - 37.1
CO2 - 164g/km

Hope this clears it up and apologies for the duff original intel!

Dan

Thanks Dan, it looks like the base spec car with various options ticked is the way to beat the tax man!

[Neil G60]

Is it just me or does anyone else think it sounds like a wrung-out Fian Punto hire car on the Costa-Lager rather than a sports car?

[otolith]

Neil G60 said:

Is it just me or does anyone else think it sounds like a wrung-out Fian Punto hire car on the Costa-Lager rather than a sports car?

It's a four cylinder engine. Of course it sounds a bit st, so do all four cylinder sportscars. But if you want a compact, light, economical engine, it's pretty much what you are stuck with. Some turd-polishing by means of induction and exhaust will no doubt be available aftermarket, I've had to do the same to my Elise to make that sound less rubbish.