The rise and fall of the sports car is a well documented phenomenon in today's world. Car enthusiasts the world over are mourning the loss of the so called 'analog car,' a vehicle with a manual gearbox and no electronics. Sadly, those days are gone. Today, cars can contain many times as computers as your house, and rely on these electronics to function. The result of this electronification of cars is that many lack any sort of personality or sense of fun. Naturally, one could buy an S1 E-Type and be done with it, but new cars are also more reliable and easier to run. The answer, then, is simple.
Several years ago, Toyota and Subaru begun development of a back to basics rear wheel drive sports car. This car pays homage to the legenday AE86 Corolla, an affordable rear drive car which has become a drifting legend. The new car, known as the Toyota 86 and GT86, Subaru BRZ, and Scion FR-S, is one of the best affordable sports cars on the market today. With rear wheel drive, a naturally aspirated flat 4, and a manual gearbox, it's a joy to use and is totally intuitive when driven up to and past the limits of grip. It's a real sports car.
Of course, the conundrum is not whether to buy it or not, but which version to buy. The Subaru offers a higher trim level with heated leather seats, keyless go, satnav, automatic climate control, and some aesthetic modifications. The Scion is merely a marketing gimmick for North America, a rebadged GT86/86. The GT86 is the cheaper model and offers slightly stiffer supsension at the rear, but not enough to notice a difference. The BRZ also has a different grille to the GT86.
Considering these differences, the logical choice is the BRZ limited. It may not be in the spirit of the original AE86 with it's fancy gadgets, but it makes it a nicer car to drive on a daily basis. And in the end, the point of this car is so that you can daily it during the week, and track it on the weekend.
Happy now?
