Yahoo Autos Lightning Lap 2018: Subaru BRZ tS
Lap Time: 3:14.0
Class: LL1 | Base Price: $34,355 | As-Tested Price: $34,355
Power and Weight: 205 hp • 2834 lb • 13.8 lb/hp
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 215/40R-18 85Y
Subaru is paying attention. When the BRZ first appeared at Lightning Lap 7, we applauded its sharp handling but asked for better brakes. Last year, the Performance package delivered binders that shrugged off repeated abuse but had us hankering for more grip. In its third coming, in tS form, the BRZ gets more stick courtesy of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber. The Brembo brakes take full advantage of the newfound tack. Ignore the placards for braking zones five and four, drive it deep, and stand hard on the center pedal after the third marker and the tS slows with herculean force.
The BRZ has always been a momentum car. One hiccup and the lap is toast. Maximizing pace means minimizing time spent below 5000 rpm, keeping the flat-four revving to avoid the canyon-sized dip in its torque curve. Slipping and sliding through turns used to be the fastest way to carry speed in a BRZ around the Grand Course, but now that the Subaru has more traction, exploiting the 205 horsepower demands greater control. The 2834-pound BRZ stays glued through Hog Pen, recording this year’s fifth-fastest minimum speed (69.1 mph) through that turn.
The chassis is rear-drive philosophy perfected-precise and responsive. The stiffer STI-tuned springs and Sachs dampers work in harmony with the additional structural bracing to erase body roll. The updates make for a noble 3:14.0 lap. For you club racers keeping tabs, that’s 6.8 seconds quicker than the Mazda MX-5 Miata Club from 2016. The BRZ might not be the fastest car here, but it is one of the most fun and rewarding to drive at the limit.
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