A half century or so ago, the car market was blossoming with sports cars. These were generally simple machines that were often unreliable and impractical -- and very often not particularly fast. They came with funny little names like MG and Triumph and Sunbeam and Alfa Romeo and Datsun, and their owners weren’t much concerned with zero to sixty. Or top speed. Or peak lateral acceleration. No, the cars had a simple task: to put a smile on your face.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve become lost. We’ve become obsessed with Nürburgring lap times and launch control, and modern sports cars are dying off. The Mazda RX-8 just breathed its last rotary breath. The Lotus Elise has retreated to its British shores. The Mazda Miata soldiers on, but generating nowhere near the sales numbers it once did.

And out of nowhere comes this (let’s be honest) totally doofus idea: Toyota and Subaru team up to build a rear-wheel drive, normally aspirated sports car. Oh right, Toyota, the purveyors of the Prius, plus Subaru, the company that makes turbocharged, all-wheel drive hotrods and a weird looking crossover thing that Melissa Etheridge fans adore? This was a recipe for disaster.

Out of the most disastrous recipes occasionally comes the most endearing dish, and this is one of those times. The BRZ is a delightfully fun car; a complete package that combines light weight and great handling with just enough power to have fun -- but not too much that you can only enjoy it for three seconds at a time.

For all the Internet armchair warriors complaining about the meager power output, let us be the first to say: the BRZ doesn’t need a turbo. It doesn’t WANT a turbo. And anyone who says the car should have a turbo is missing the point. Like the Mazda RX-8 and Miata, the Porsche 944 and original Boxster -- and all of those cars from decades ago -- the BRZ is fun because of handling, not because of a sledgehammer that hits when you mash the gas pedal.

The 2.0-liter flat-four engine produces 100 hp per liter, but it does so in a way unlike any other normally aspirated four-cylinder. It doesn’t rev to 8000 or even 7500 -- it’s not high-strung at all. Redlined at 7400 rpm, the flat-four soundtrack is mellow, and since the intake resonance tube pipes intake noise from only two cylinders into the cabin, it’s deep, staccato, and almost bi-plane in its exhaust note. There’s no screaming or wailing -- and once the tach needle moves past 2500 rpm, where there’s a big valve timing change, the torque curve remains effectively flat until just before 7000 rpm. It’s the flattest, broadest torque curve this side of an electric motor. This engine, code FA20, shares effectively no parts with the FB20, the 2.0-liter in other Subaru applications. It’s physically smaller than the other engines, and will be used only in the BRZ -- for now.

The six-speed manual transmission has a high-effort, short-throw shifter and a light clutch, and it’s a bit easy to stall the BRZ off the line because its flywheel weighs only 20 lb, some 9 less than an STI’s. The reduced reciprocating mass, along with the FA20’s shorter intake runners, means the engine responds more quickly to throttle blips, though, and the tradeoff is worth it. A six-speed Aisin automatic is optional; it can perform shifts with the torque converter locked, and blips the throttle on downshifts. It’s smooth, too. It’s great. But it’s the wrong transmission for this kind of driver’s car.

The BRZ, like so many other modern cars, uses electrically assisted steering. Subaru engineers say they went EPS for fuel economy and because it’s easier to tune than a hydraulic setup. They’ve done a fine job of tuning the effort -- it feels natural, building linearly with cornering loads. Like all EPS systems though, the additional rotational inertia of the assist motor dampens out most of the steering feel, and that’s a shame. Still, the rack-and-pinion system is highly accurate, and it’s quick, with an overall ratio of 13:1. The small (14.4-inch) steering wheel turns 2.5 turns from lock to lock.

The BRZ’s entire engineering mission was a low center of gravity and low polar moment of inertia (meaning that as much as possible of the vehicle’s mass is located inside the wheelbase and as low as possible.) Subaru says the BRZ has a lower center of gravity than everything but the Porsche Cayman R and 911 GT3, and that its polar moment of inertia is less than the (mid-engine) Porsche Cayman or Mazda RX-8.

While we certainly can’t verify those claims, after driving the BRZ on a handling course, we have no reason to doubt them, either. The BRZ turns in eeee-mediately with minimal, very well-controlled body roll. The front and rear of the car react in unison -- you never get the feeling that the two ends of the car are doing different things. The BRZ settles into steady-state understeer, but don’t let that fool you: the standard limited-slip differential allows you to nix that handily. Indeed under heavy throttle, the BRZ goes -- and stays -- neutral, and is incredibly easy to control at the limit. Breakaway at the rear is slow, deliberate, and progressive; the exact opposite of so many modern cars whose engineers seemed to only care about achieving maximum grip, not what happens when you exceed it.

Subaru made it very clear that the BRZ’s handling benchmark was the Porsche Cayman. We’re not sure exactly which benchmarks the engineers targeted, but from the wheel, we’re not feeling it. In lateral grip and turn-in response, sure -- but in chassis balance, the Porsche is in a different league. The Cayman exhibits slightly less understeer in terms of static balance, but the big difference is that the Porsche allows you to quickly and dramatically adjust the car’s line with the gas pedal. The BRZ won’t trailing-throttle oversteer; once it’s settled into a corner, the only way to adjust the line is to add power.

On the other hand, the BRZ is far, far easier to control because of it. To complain about the lack of corner-adjustability is unfair -- the Porsche is, after all, a mid-engine car that costs twice as much as the Subaru. That we’re even discussing them in the same sentence is a testament to how good the BRZ is.

It’s great in other ways, too -- it’s 9 inches shorter than the Cayman, but seats two additional people. The BRZ’s front seats are highly supportive and very comfortable, though the rears are for very short trips or very short passengers. Still, they’re there, and the rear seatback folds (as one piece) allowing enough room for a set of track tires, according to Subaru. That’s cool.

The steering wheel is adjustable for rake and reach, though even extended as far as it’ll go, it’s a long reach for long-legged drivers. And the pedals are spaced a bit too far for easy heel-and-toeing. Trunk space is meager, at 6.9 cubic feet, and Subaru made no mention of an available sunroof.

Not that we would have opened it on the course -- especially the high-speed oval. We saw an indicated 132 mph in the manual-transmission BRZ, and the 2.0-liter was still pulling. It seemed a long shot that it would make it to 143 mph, which is the estimated top speed an engineer gave us. On the other hand, a BRZ automatic couldn’t pull past 128 mph, and that same engineer estimates it will make it to 137 mph – so perhaps the track was headed up a slight grade. The manual transmission car should be able to hit 60 mph in just under 7 seconds; the automatic just over -- but there’s enough low-end torque to easily spin the 215/45-WR17 Michelin Primacy HP tires off the line.

Wait, wait, wait! The BRZ isn’t about the numbers! A sports car doesn’t need to look good in the stats box, it just needs to be a great drive. And the BRZ is a great drive. If you’re looking for smoking 0-60 numbers and crazy top speeds that you’ll never get to, there are certainly other cars that better fit your tastes. The BRZ needs a convertible top more than it needs a turbo -- because that, not horsepower, is the only thing holding this car back from being the modern-day equivalent of those wonderful 1960s sports cars.

Two days after the official unveiling of the all-new BRZ sports coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru invited a small group of select U.S. journalists for a quick test drive of the 2013 Subaru BRZ at the Subaru Kenkyu Center (SKC) two hours north of Tokyo.

After revealing that the BRZ name stands for Boxer Rear Drive Zenith, and plying us with all manner of technical specifications, Subaru P.R. released us on a short course that included a high-speed oval, twisty handling track, and a section of broken tarmac. We were given a few 15-minute stints with two U.S.-production models: a high-spec BRZ Limited equipped with the optional six-speed automatic transmission and a base model BRZ Premium with the standard six-speed manual.

BRZ Limited with 6-Speed Automatic
When the start button mounted just ahead of the gear selector **** is pushed, the BRZ comes to life with a growl that settles into a smooth, burbling exhaust note. But when the car is opened up on the banked oval, the note coarsens into something more animalistic. However, it's not the braaap-braapp flatulence you might expect from, say, the WRX STI. This is a bit more sedate, yet pleasant in the way it resonates throughout the cockpit. Credit goes to supplier Mahle for piping the boxer engine note through the bulkhead in a manner similar to what Ford engineers did with the Mustang. At wide-open throttle, the pipe brings in a pleasing roar, loud enough that you'll be shouting to your buddy sitting next to you, "SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD, RIGHT?"

The steering wheel is small, just 14.4 inches in diameter, and the smallest of any modern Subaru. But the shape and diameter is just right - thick enough given the small size, but oversize and doughy like the ones in recent BMW M cars. The steering wheel is covered in black leather with red contrast stitching to match the dark interior. An obviously Toyota parts-bin cruise control lever hangs off the right side of the wheel, and there are no other controls, giving the wheel sanitary look that compliments the center stack and instrument panel.

Feedback from the tiller is immediate and natural, which is a relief since it is an electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) system. The feel is not as light as an MX-5, yet provides none of the artificial heft of Audi's Dynamic mode (thank goodness). It's just clean and organic-feeling. It is not as precise or direct as one of the handling targets (Porsche Cayman), but it's close enough to its boxer brethren to be mentioned in the same breath. The same cannot be said of everything else in what Subaru claims is the BRZ's competitive set: Mini Cooper S, Civic Si, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Miata MX-5, and of course Scion FR-S.

Outward visibility is excellent, even though the driver sits low in a package not much longer than a Mazda MX-5. The FA20 engine, a 2.0-liter flat-four variant of the new Impreza FB family, is mounted as low and as far back as possible in the chassis, which improves everything from handling to outward sightlines, thanks to the low hood and cowl heights.

The optional Aisin-derived six-speed automatic trans is good enough, but surpassed in shift speed and response by today's dual clutches. Up- and downshifts are appreciably quick for an automatic via the steering-wheel-mounted paddles (metallic painted plastic) or slotting the shift lever towards you and toggling back and forth. But the car won't always give up a downshift upon demand; instead, a beep-beep warning is heard.

Still, the overarching sensation through the hands, butt, and inner ear is superb balance. To keep the center of gravity (CoG) low, BRZ engineers put lighter, higher-strength steel high up in the body. Moving from the oval to the winding track reveals the benefits of both low mass and CoG, as there is little brake or accel dive and almost zero roll when cornering.

That is not to say push is entirely absent. Apparently, for safety reasons, understeer is the default condition when you get sloppy. It's easy to induce through early turn-in, which causes the front outside tire to roll over and howl unhappily as the nose plows.
As a credit to the BRZ's balance, oversteer is a cinch to find as well. Flick the wheel while adding too much throttle, and the back end will break away in a progressive, predictable fashion. Yes, BRZ will dorifuto, but more on that later.

An early surprise is how aggressively the stability control intervenes in normal driving mode. The car has been criminally smooth until this point, but once the tail begins to get unsettled, things get a bit rough. In normal mode (all traction and stability controls left on), the primary response is the quick and noisy application of brake to the inside rear wheel. Dragging this tire helps kill the initial rotation and brings the car back in line, albeit in a noisy, staccato fashion. BRZ engineers say the secondary response is reduced throttle response, but that is harder to sense.

Traction and stability control algorithms are governed by three buttons mounted just behind the shifter in 6AT-equipped BRZs. (Manuals lose the center Sport/Snow button.) With one touch, the left button partial turns off stability control; when held down for 3 seconds, it turns off completely. As you'd expect, the latter is a must for wannabe drifters.

In automatic BRZs, pushing the sport/snow mode rocker switch forward turns on a yellow SPORT light in the instrument panel and sharpens the throttle map and shift algorithm, resulting in quicker shifts and lower gears held to higher RPMs. What sport mode doesn't affect is EPAS or throttle response. Toggling the rocker switch back to snow mode starts the transmission in second gear, reducing wheel slippage in low-grip conditions.

Punching the rightmost button engages Sport VSC mode. This activates a combination of stability/sport indicator lights on the gauge cluster and lets you hang the car's tail out a touch, via steering angle, yaw rate, and lateral G sensors that forecast the vehicle's position. If that future looks too sideways, brake and throttle cut precautions engage. In practice, it's the best mode for spirited road courses like the SKC handling track. This twisty second/third-gear course had several tight low-speed turns and a couple of nasty mid-corner bumps that conspired to unsettle the BRZ. Sport VSC caught it every time, with a more progressive engagement of stability control over the normal mode.

BRZ Premium with 6-speed manual
As good as the BRZ auto is (and it's very impressive), I'm glad I drove it first, because the Premium model with the standard six-speed manual is the purist's delight.

But check your purists preconceptions at the door, because this ain't no stripper model. Perhaps as a nod to Scion's content-cramming technique, all BRZ models come standard with a limited-slip differential; cruise control; eight-speaker audio system with navigation and XM radio; leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift ****, and e-brake handle; soft-touch dash; and black fabric trim. Step up from base Premium spec to Limited, and you get leather/Alcantara seats and surfaces, 17-inch wheels with summer tires (instead of 16s with all-seasons), vented 11.6-inch disc brakes up front, and vented 11.5-inches at the rear.

But back to how it drives. Ergonomics play a bigger factor in the manual as your right hand must frequently leave the wheel to engage the six-speed trans. Shifter position and feel is excellent, lighter yet tighter, and far less rubbery than the WRX STI's hand-built gearbox (the two share the shift **** and lever arm). To be fair, the latter is built for the abuse of a much heavier, 300-hp rally racer. In terms of weighting and crispness, the BRZ is mighty impressive, though I'd still give the Mazda MX-5 the nod in terms of near-perfect positioning.

Why do we still love manuals so much? Because direct control over the transmission allows the driver to really ring out the RPMs and fill the BRZ's cabin with arguably the best exhaust note a Subaru has ever produced. It's loud and not particularly smooth, but completely beguiling and perhaps the beefiest-sounding 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine note around.

Manuals also encourage drag launches and other hooliganism. With VSC Sport on, one-two shifts near the 7400 RPM redline will loudly chirp rear tires. The two-three shift gives only the faintest pip, and not all the time (remember, there are only 150 lb-ft of torque). Wring it out all the way through sixth gear and you can enter SKC's 43-degree banking over 120 mph. At that speed, the BRZ feels stable and planted -- perhaps due to the number of aerodynamic doodads (rear diffuser, double bubble roof, deck wing [Limited only]) that help the car achieve a 0.27 coefficient of drag. We didn't attempt VMAX, but Subaru engineer say a 7450-rpm fuel cutoff limits top speed to 220 kmh -- which is approximately 136.7 mph. To be honest, that seems a bit low.

On the handling course, you can drive the manual BRZ differently than the auto -- upshifting and rev-match downshifting at will -- but you don't have to. Though relatively low on torque, the FA20 is quick to rev and pulls the 2800-pound chassis around with no real flat spots in acceleration. I left it in third gear for two laps of the road course and never felt the need to downshift, except for the tightest of hairpin corners. Staying in second meant bouncing off the 7400-rpm rev limit or repeatedly snicking the fantastic transmission.

Just before I headed out to track for my second stint in the 6MT, a BRZ engineer let slip that the lateral acceleration target is 1.0g I tried to validate this claim on a giant circular skidpad using my patented belly fat accelerometer, but gave up after about 90 degrees in favor of practicing my best Keiichi Tsuchiya impersonations.

As I said earlier, yes, the BRZ will drift, and it is a beautiful thing. The combination of low mass, low center of gravity, and rear-wheel drive creates a neutral-handling vehicle that needs only to be flicked into a corner to get the rear tires breaking sideways (no clutch kicking or other abuse needed). With just enough torque available low in the rev range, and a reasonably high redline, BRZ can keep its tires spinning while the exploratory "dabs of oppo" can be dialed in. This very different from the Miata/MX-5, which is only beginning to break sideways at the top of its rev range before you must shift and kill any sideways momentum.

But it's not quite ready for Formula D just yet. While it has the snap to transition quickly from side-to-side and drift-to-drift, the BRZ needs more power to sustain the kind of high-speed drifts that win head-to-head battles. However, it would make a killer track day or autocross racer right off the lot with just a stickier set of tires (and Subaru says you can do that by folding down the rear seats and stuffing the 6.9-cubic-foot trunk with spares and tools. Try that in your Miata.)

Final Thoughts
The BRZ delivers as promised. Handling is as sweet as Orange Tang, but far less artificial-tasting. Power is not neck-snapping, but the car has just enough to make it exceptionally responsive. My frequent Mazda MX-5/Miata references are no mistake; the BRZ is definitely in that Zoom Zoom category of vehicles that deliver grins from pinning occupants to the side bolsters rather than seatbacks. The low mass, low center of gravity, and lack of dive and roll combine with direct steering and excellent outward visibility to create an exceptionally focused and pleasurable driving experience. With the BRZ, instead of adding speed with the gas pedal, you can refrain from subtracting speed with the brakes. The car is about carrying speed and momentum, and will surely be snapped up by auto crossers and track day enthusiasts alike. Our drive was brief, but the takeaway message is that the BRZ is a scalpel in the current rear-drive knife fight.

The 2013 Subaru BRZ will be available in seven colors (black, pearl white, silver, dark grey, dark blue, world rally blue, and red) when it goes on sale in May 2012. Expected volume for the BRZ is in the neighborhood of 3600-4000 per year and the cars will be built alongside the Toyota GT 86 and Scion FR-S at Subaru's Gunma Main Plant. Prices are said to be "very close to the WRX" for base model (Premium), so expect $24,000 for Premium models and roughly $27,000 for the BRZ Limited. As precision surgical instruments go, that's a pretty good deal.

We drive Subaru's new $25,000 baby.

Kuzu City, Tochigi, Japan—It’s rare we get to test a new sports car aimed directly at those who want a sports car but don’t have Porsche money in the bank.

This one is, of course, the long-anticipated Subaru BRZ, as in Boxer, Rear-wheel drive Zenith (as in peak, not the television set). Jointly developed with Toyota (and to also be sold as the Scion FR-S in the U.S.), the BRZ was mostly engineered by Subaru and mostly styled by Toyota, with companies tweaking the other’s efforts to personalize the machine somewhat.

Getting right to the driving—look out, Miata. With the exception of the brief, unfulfilled “Solstice interlude,” Mazda has owned the small sports car market and with good reason. Great car, the Miata, and Mazda has never taken its eye off the ball when it comes to keeping it pure and honest.

Strong Off the Line

Mazda finally has real competition. From the start, the 2.0-liter flat-4 pulls smoothly, and is flexible enough to drive off at 1500 rpm in 6th gear. It’s more fun, of course, to be down a few notches in the smooth, lightweight 6-speed manual transmission. The engine pulls strongly from 3000 rpm to the 150 lb.-ft. peak at 6600 rpm. Redline is 7400. Subaru says the BRZ hits 60 mph in less than 7 seconds with the manual gearbox. Along the way, you’ll find the exhaust to be as exuberant as the engine.

Considering cars of this ilk, I think of a road that connects Highway 1 with 101 in Northern California, a twisting, climbing-then-falling two-laner among the redwoods. What you want there is a machine that not only handles with ease, but also has the sort of torque character that means you aren’t shifting every other corner. In 2nd gear? No problem, stick with it. In 3rd? That’s okay too. Instead, enjoy the drive, the even turn-in—there’s just a bit of confidence-inspiring understeer—and the good balance even when the road might dip into a rut in the apex.

The ride is a proper match to the handling, isolated for both quality and sound, and yet not separating you from the driving experience. On a straight highway where exhaust sound and handling aren’t important, shift up to 6th and the exhaust falls away for a reasonably calm highway ride. Keep going and we’re told you could top out at more than 135 mph. Overall, it’s a good dual-character machine that’s fun on the weekends but won’t beat you up during the week. Early mileage estimates peg the BRZ at 30 mpg on the highway.

Do It Automatically

At risk of sounding heretical here, you can have just as much fun with the automatic. Paddle shifters are standard, and when you shift the mode from D to M for manual, the mapping tightens up. Nice rev-popping to match downshifts and, again, the torque minimizes the amount of shifting you’ll be doing.

The Miata does get points for being a roadster, where the BRZ is only a coupe. We’d put money down that at some point there will be a soft top BRZ, but don’t hold your breath.

Besides, it’s a very handsome coupe. The Subaru and Scion are basically the same design, and hint at a sort of 7/8th-scale modern rendition of the original Datsun 240Z...and we mean that as a compliment. The Subaru and Scion share the same taillights, but the Subie gets HID headlamps. Unfortunately, both designs have the non-functional grille at the tops of the front fenders. The roof is a “double bubble,” not in the classic Zagato sense, but “flat bubbles,” taller on the sides for added headroom and stiffness.

The roofline’s side curve peaks right about where the driver gets in, so entry and exit for anyone around six feet is easy. You’ll snuggle right into the well-bolstered seats, which should be as comfortable for long runs as for tight corners. Outward visibility—with a minor exception in rear view—is quite good for a car of this size.

Inside Line

In this day of hard interior plastic/low-cost interiors, Subaru has done a reasonable job of making certain everything you touch has a comfortable feel to it. There’s leather on the shift ****, emergency brake handle and steering wheel, the last adjustable for rake and reach.

Three gauges are straight ahead, the center a tach with a digital speedo, the analog speedometer to the left, fuel and temp on the right. HVAC controls are in the center stack, configured with ***** and levers that are large enough that you can easily operate them, even with gloves. No mysteries, no fiddling around.

There are two possible negatives inside. Subaru may call this a 2+2, but that’s being optimistic. It’s more like a 2+ kids. Subaru points out, howevever, that with the folding rear seatback you can fit a pair of golf bags or four racing tires, helmet and tools in back.

The other area of concern is the radio/navigational system. Kudos to Subaru for making navi standard at this price, but the system is clumsy and requires a lot of time with eyes off the road.

Tech Basics

We’ve already written about the technical basics of the BRZ. The 200-bhp, 2.0-liter, fuel-injected flat-4 that sits well back and low in the chassis, all the better to lower the center of gravity and reduce the polar moment of inertia. You can have either a 6-speed manual or the aforementioned 6-speed automatic gearbox, and a Torsen limited-slip differential is standard as are 17-in. wheels and tires. Front suspension is MacPherson struts; the rear is a double-wishbone layout with Impreza roots. Steering has electric assist with a ratio of 13.1:1 through a 14.4-in. steering wheel.

Price? Nothing final, but we believe the $25,000 sports car ball has just been lobbed into the Miata’s court.

What is it?

The Subaru BRZ represents nothing less than the return of inexpensive, fun, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports cars. Sure, there have always been fun, front-engined, rear-drive sports cars, but they weren't cheap. Now, for an anticipated sticker price of less than $25,000, you can get a 200-hp flat four stuffed low and back on the front end of a smooth coupe body. You can have a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, too, the latter with paddle-shifted manual mode. And you get a Torsen limited-slip rear differential that keeps both back tires spinning as long as you want them to spin.

Subaru engineers got those 200 horses out of two naturally aspirated liters using a variety of methods, but the coolest is the presence of two separate fuel-injection systems. There's a more or less conventional port fuel injection that spritzes fuel into the intake, and then there's a high-pressure direct-injection system that atomizes premium gasoline directly into the combustion chamber. The result is a nice, progressive power curve up to the 200-hp peak at 7,000 rpm (fuel cutoff is at 7,400 rpm) and a mesa-like torque plateau that hits 150 lb-ft at about 3,000 rpm and then again from 5,000 rpm to 7,000 rpm.

The Subaru BRZ is a defensible purchase, too, since it seats four and even has a trunk ("See, Baby, it's practical! Ahm only thinkin' of you!"). The rear seats technically hold an adult but would be better for kids--a rear-facing child seat fits back there, too. It's not as practical as a sedan but it's still functional for four. Rather than say the trunk can hold two golf bags, which it can, Subaru prefers to point out that you can carry a complete set of wheels and tires for track days.

What is it like to drive?

If driven wimpily, you will say the 2013 BRZ understeers, which is true. But if tossed gleefully into corners like you really mean it, you will find that the BRZ first understeers and then oversteers, depending on how sensitive you are to the car's balance. Our first laps around Subaru's Tochigi handling course and giant skidpad were done a little too gingerly, since it was still a little damp and there is just about no runoff on the road course. There's where we felt the understeer. Subsequent laps, driven with greater throttle input, demonstrated a delightful balance that allowed us to hang the tail out by lifting off to bring the back end over then getting back on it to keep it hanging out there. The transition was as easy and progressive as we wanted to make it.

This is a car waiting to be drifted. After only a short time behind the wheel, we were able to drift easily around corners, and on the very safe runoff-galore skidpad we hung it way out all the way around the 300-foot blacktop circle. Slide the BRZ too far and it will spin, which we did, but just push the clutch in and spin back on track and drive some more. Unless you're in the automatic, in which case a spin is embarrassing as you try and find the start-engine button on the dash before the flag-waving track worker wakes up.

Weight distribution is 53 percent front/47 percent rear, more or less, which might explain the initial understeer. Ultimately we might prefer not to have that initial understeer. But you won't be able to blame your clunky driving on this car. The Subaru BRZ will be a track-day favorite for club racers across the country, an easily justifiable expense since you can drive it to work the rest of the week.

Do I want it?

Yes, you want it--how could you even ask a question like that? This thing is only going to cost $25,000 and it's really fun. Plus the Subaru BRZ is a practical daily driver that won't beat you up but neither will it let you down if you find a nice twisty road to drive on. What else is out there for this price that's fun, besides the nearly identical Scion version of the same car, called the FR-S? Other competitors that might fit onto some semilogical list include the Mini Cooper, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Honda Civic Si and the Hyundai Genesis coupe. The base Genesis coupe starts at about the same price and sort of matches the drivetrain configuration, but the others are either front-wheel drive or less practical. And there are muscle cars out there, too. So many choices. Suffice to say it is a great time for fun cars.