At the Limit: ZC6 Subaru BRZ

• We talk about the vehicle dynamics of the ZC6 BRZ in OEM Plus form

• Driving in sub optimal conditions

• The lightweight sportscar recipe

My coworker previously owned a supercharged NA Mazda Miata that he had lost due to unfortunate circumstances. Down but not out, he wanted to get back into a sports car as soon as possible. After all, the Miata was his daily driver. After some paperwork and seemingly endless phone calls with insurance, he ended up with keys to a 2013 World Rally Blue Subaru BR-Z (which is currently wrapped Nardo Grey).

Like the Miata, the BR-Z is light, nimble, and offers unmatched handling. The perfect recipe for a low power, smiles-per-gallon sportscar. In some ways the BRZ is an improvement on the Miata’s age-old recipe. With the Toyobaru being developed almost 20 years after the first Miata hit showrooms, the engineering team took notes but added some ingredients of their own.

After attaining his BRZ he wanted to understand these differences for himself and asked that I show him what the car could do around the twisty bits. Originally opting for a backroad, I mentioned that you’ll never really see the BRZ’s full potential on the road. Instead, the local autocross would be the classroom for our car control course. With tire pressures set, seatbelts fastened, and visors down we set off to see what the BRZ could do.

But before we could explore the limits of the Subaru, mother nature had literally rained on our parade. Showers from the day before made morning runs on cold 215/50R17s a handful to say the least. To add to inclement conditions, rain had built up in puddles and left small pieces of chipped tarmac all over the lot we’d be racing in. In the pursuit of lap time these conditions were a headache, but this misfortune became quite the tool for demonstrating what the car could do with low grip.

In the damp, early blips on throttle induce incredibly controllable oversteer. After you’re done giggling like someone just pulled your finger, simply lift off the throttle or counter steer to end the slide. The standard 215 width tires aren’t hard to break loose and keep loose. This is thanks to the chassis control of the ZC6, which rivals cars nearly twice its price. It's like child's play. I’m honestly not quite sure how this rear end was engineered to manage rotation the way the 86 twins do from the factory. The chassis dynamics are quite unbelievable and are easily the BRZ’s high point.

After a slightly wet and sideways session, the sun came out drying up the puddles and heating up the track surface improving tire grip. Encouraged by the ever-bettering conditions the owner and I decided to disable traction control. After multiple failed attempts of Subarus “pedal dance” which disables the traction control, we decided it would be easier to remove the ABS fuse from under the hood. With a dash full of brake and ABS warnings, I got the green light to see what the ZC6 chassis could do at the limit.

The BRZ’s stock brakes had to be applied much earlier in the morning's wet sessions. During the dry sessions it was time to let loose and brake late. Feedback from the pedal is positive and reassuring which is what any driver in a race against the clock wants to feel. The additional confidence in the braking zones allows for more speed to be carried through corners. This was thanks to precision trail braking which was surprisingly easy to pull off after just a few laps.

Its not all sunshine and rainbows. The stock brakes fell short in stopping power, lacking the bite of a more aggressive compound. It really makes me wish that the first-gen BRZ had a tS option like the current generation, but hindsight is 20/20 right?

What needs absolutely no change is the steering. The steering wheel is tight and precise through every corner, translating every detail of the road surface into your bone marrow. Steering in this car is practically connected to your nervous system. You can feel every bit of chassis, suspension, and tire all through your hands and butt. All of these sensations come through as the car loads up in the corner creating an engaging experience similar to Japanese sportscars of the past. Raw and engaging.

Tying the entire package together is the infamous FA20D boxer engine. The FA20 is a motor that asks you to rip the engine all the way to redline to get all two hundred crank horsepower. Turbo Subarus have never been known for moving mountains but the low end torque is practically non existent in this N/A application. The lack of a low end paired with the mid-range torque dip (corrected in later 86 offerings) leaves more questions than answers cough why not turbo cough. It begs the question: why this engine for this superb chassis?

Center of gravity is the answer. The FA20’s crankcase creates a lower center of gravity compared to a traditional inline four cylinder. An engine selected in the interest of handling sounds like a decision you’d hear from Colin Chapman’s design book. While the Subaru isn’t as light as something out of Colin’s shed, it feels as though it is.

And that is the most impressive thing about the BRZ. It's a car that punches above its weight. You could have more but why? When it was time to give the keys back and swap seats I reminded myself that not many cars are built with the BRZ/FRS formula. If there are, it would be