Subaru BRZ

Subaru says the BRZ is in the spirit of sports cars of the Eighties - lightweight, simple and fun to drive. We certainly agree. Like its sister car, the Toyota GT86, it puts the driver first and it's brilliant fun on a twisty road, where it is in its element. While the 'boxer' engine is short on torque and could sound more sporty, it loves to be revved and at 7,000rpm, it's a genuinely fast and thrilling experience. It'll be very interesting to see how buyers take to it. Subaru and Toyota are aiming for 100,000 combined worldwide sales each year – and if Subaru can capitalise on the huge interest already shown in the car in the UK, that might well be achievable. 

The Subaru BRZ has got UK enthusiasts so hot under the collar that the company that brought you the Impreza WRX STI has already taken 2,000 expressions of interest while 50 of those have even put down a cash deposit - not bad when you consider they haven't even driven it yet. 

Auto Express has driven it and we can confirm the BRZ is a great driver's car – one that should appeal to those who want something that stands out more than a VW Golf GTI and offers rear-drive thrills for a lot less than the price of a hot BMW 1 Series. 

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The lightweight BRZ is the product of a joint venture with parent company Toyota, which has resulted in the BRZ's sister car, the GT 86 – itself inspired by the Corolla AE 86 of the mid-Eighties. It puts driver engagement at the top of the agenda.

And engineers have taken this project very seriously indeed. The 197bhp 2.0-litre flat-four-cylinder 'boxer' engine is mounted lower and further towards the centre of the car than the Impreza, giving the BRZ a centre of gravity which is lower than that of a Mazda MX5.

The engine drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox with a short-throw, while the BRZ borrows from the WRX STI with tweaked McPherson struts at the front – these have lower mounts to keep the car's centre of gravity low – and a double wishbone set-up at the rear. 

Bucking the trend for wider and larger tyres, the BRZ has relatively skinny 215/45 section rubber on 17-inch wheels and in total weighs just over 1,250kg – about the same as an entry-level Ford Focus. 

While some Subaru die-hards will scoff that the BRZ has neither a turbocharger or four-wheel drive, it's the tiny kerbweight that makes it such an engaging drive. 

Not that it feels flimsy from behind the wheel, though. The steering is very meaty with a surprising amount of weight – and, together with the firm brakes and chunky, if a little notchy, gearchange, gives the car a sturdiness you might not expect.

At low speed, though, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. The engine doesn't produce peak torque of 205Nm until a heady 6,400rpm and with anything less than 4,000rpm on the tacho, it feels rather flat. If you've been used to driving, say, a VW Golf GTI, this might come as a shock. 

Above 4,000rpm, the BRZ's character changes and it starts to feel like a car that can do 0-60mph in under seven seconds – put it this way, the change-up light on the tachometer at 7,000rpm isn't there just for show, so you better get used to exploring the upper reaches of the rev range.

Find a twisty road and the BRZ is great fun. The meaty steering has lots of feedback and the car changes direction beautifully, linking turns like a slalom skier. The chassis also displays a lovely balance of grip – those skinny tyres mean the limits are not too high and it's all the better for it. 

Switch off the five-mode traction control system completely and you can slide the rear end in a tight corner, but you'll need a big application of throttle to do it in the dry. In the wet, it would be a different matter. In either situation, though, the great thing is that it's the driver who decides when and by how much. 

Inside, the cabin is sporty and functional with well-bolstered seats and a chunky wheel. All of the dials are easy to read and visibility is generally good. You don't get satnav - even as an option - but our top-spec car had a port for iPods and other music players, as well as climate control.

Downsides? The ride certainly felt quite firm on our south of France test route. But perhaps more of a negative is the lack of a decent soundtrack. If you're expecting the kind of burbly 'boxer' warble you get in an Impreza STI you'll be disappointed. The BRZ always sounds gruff – only at very high revs does it sound more exciting, but even then it's still a hard-edged rumble rather than a properly exciting note.

Still, we don't expect there will be a shortage of aftermarket exhaust systems and other upgrades. Subaru will put a special stripped-out version – which has steel wheels, plastic bumpers and no radio – on sale alongside this top-spec version later this year, as it reckons the modifying crowd will love it. 

We reckon those who've already put down deposits will too.