Scooby pipped in sibling battle

31 May 2013 - 02:46 By THOMAS FALKINER
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The BRZ was jointly developed with Toyota 86. Both have Subaru engines
The BRZ was jointly developed with Toyota 86. Both have Subaru engines
Image: THOMAS FALKINER

The Toyota 86 is a machine that attracts only the most polarised of opinion.

It either gets written off as a gutless substitute for the traditional hot hatch, or a brilliant coupé that serves up proper rear-wheel drive thrills for relatively little money.

Now, unlike some of my peers, mine is of the latter. Yes, it doesn't have a lot of power and, yes, a Polo GTI will obliterate it off the line.

But everywhere else the 86 is a bloody wonderful piece of driving kit.

It's uncomplicated, handles brilliantly and lets you explore the limits of grip without having to worry about a violent death.

Give me the money and I'd immediately go out and buy one. Or would I?

You see Subaru, the chaps who teamed up with Toyota to engineer the 86 in the first place, has the BRZ. And by all accounts, it is exactly the same car, just with a few subtle tweaks thrown in to give you a vague sense of differentiation.

The front apron, for example, has a hexagonal radiator grille versus the trapezoidal one you will find on the Toyota. It also comes equipped with a rear boot spoiler as standard plus a slightly different set of chrome-licked side strakes.

If this isn't enough to distance your BRZ from the more common 86, Subaru gives you the option of bolting on a rather nice front splitter designed by the go-faster gurus at their STI division. But you'll have to cough up R10000 for the privilege.

Yet perhaps the greatest thing about this modern-day exercise in badge engineering is the presence of a rorty sports exhaust system. Again, this is optional on the 86 (check out their extensive TRD performance catalogue if you're keen) but Subaru has thrown it in as part of the list price.

And, goodness me, does it sound wicked. Push the start button and your ears are suddenly met by this deep and joyous rumbling that is vaguely reminiscent of an old air-cooled 911.

Keep your right foot planted to the firewall and all the cabin plastics literally vibrate with a hair-prickling growl - especially when approaching the lofty 7400rpm redline.

Maybe it is purely psychological but I also think these loud pipes give the naturally aspirated FA boxer engine a slight performance kick.

Not in terms of raw power, gains would be negligible, but in delivery. Compared to the 86 I tested earlier this year, the BRZ actually feels a lot freer revving. So how does the Scooby handle out on the black stuff?

Well, compared to its Toyota doppelganger, the BRZ is noticeably less tail-happy.

Knowing that their loyal customer base is accustomed to the characteristics of their symmetrical all-wheel drive system found in products like the Impreza and Forester, Subaru went and made the front suspension slightly firmer.

Which, as you may or may not know, increases a car's tendency to understeer.

Consequently, the BRZ behaves in a far more neutral manner when driven with anger around everyday mean streets.

Pile into a corner, get too enthusiastic on the gas pedal and that nose will just slowly start washing out. It's all very safe, very Subaru.

In fact, even out on a wet racetrack with the traction control turned off, I found that the BRZ seldom felt the need to emulate the behaviour of its laterally obsessed brother.

Look, I am not saying you can't get that rear-end to break away in a satisfying drift, you can, it just requires a more concerted effort.

Other than that, there's not much difference between the two at all. You still get the same brilliant seating position, beautifully weighted six-speed manual gearbox and meaty, feelsome electric power-assisted steering.

Even the pedals, perfectly crafted for the art of heel-and-toe, remain unchanged.

So would I pick the Subaru over the Toyota then? Um, no, I wouldn't. Because being something of an oversteer addict (there ain't no cure), I just prefer the more overtly sideways orientation of the 86.

It's also cheaper too - a high-specification model costs exactly R55400 less than the Fuji Heavy Industries equivalent.

This gives you some change to bolt on a few TRD accessories. And even then you'll probably have a couple of shackles left over to throw at fuel or an impromptu track day.

But this isn't to say that the BRZ is, in anyway, an inferior machine - far from it.

The Subaru is safer, more predictable on the limit and, for the moment, considerably more exclusive.

It also comes with a more generous five-year/105000km maintenance plan versus the four-year/60000km deal tagged to the Toyota.

Worth paying a premium for? Only you can decide.

THE SPECS:

SUBARU BRZ

Engine: 1998cc four-cylinder boxer

Power: 147kW at 7000rpm

Torque: 205Nm at 6600rpm

0-100km/h: 7.6 seconds (claimed)

Top speed: 226km/h (claimed)

Fuel consumption: 7.8l/100km (claimed combined); 12.0l/km (achieved combined)

: 181g/km (claimed)

Price: R389900

We like:

Wonderful to drive

Lovely performance exhaust note

Near-perfect driving position

We don't like:

Considerably more expensive than an 86

STI front splitter brings the price to nearly 400k

Awful infotainment/sat-nav system

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