Posted Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 8:40pm
The first-generation Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86/Scion FR-S were fun cars that emphasized the subjective driving experience over cold performance numbers. Hey, if you can slide around in a rear-wheel-drive coupe with a manual transmission, who cares if you’re doing it at 10 mph, right? It’s theater of the mind, people. But now that we’ve tested the new 2022 Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, we’ve affirmed that you can have it both ways—lightweight, naturally aspirated, rear-drive purism can coexist with competitive acceleration. And grip. The Toyobaru twins are still minimalist and affordable, but now they deliver a 5.4-second zero-to-60 mph run and a 13.9-second quarter-mile at 101 mph.
