The Subaru BRZ tS is cool. It's like the skinny kid at school who has no muscle yet can tackle anyone to the ground in a game of footy. It sits low to the ground, has a sleek silhouette, new springs and shocks, beefy Brembo brakes and has funky red seatbelts.
Festooned with STi badges and a tidy rear wing it is about the closest thing to a rear-drive STi vehicle the Japanese brand makes… today.
It may be down on power but in the right conditions (pouring rain), the meaningful changes made to the Subaru BRZ tS's chassis give it the dexterity to keep up with the big boys on challenging roads.
We've tested the BRZ's twin, the Toyota 86 in, ABDC before (2015) but the Subaru is significantly different with new STi coil springs, Sachs dampers, Brembo brakes and 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
It also adds STi strut braces under the bonnet for a bit more front end rigidity.
Can it take the title of Australia's Best Driver's Car 2018? In a word, no, but the Subaru BRZ tS earned it place in this field with strong praise from judges.
Powered by a four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine, the Subaru BRZ tS desperately needs a turbocharger. Or maybe the six-cylinder Boxer from the Liberty. But in its defence the six-speed manual is engaging and the car's rear-drive power delivery gives it an honest feel, especially through corners.
The horizontally-opposed (aka 'Boxer') cylinder configuration adds little to the experience with an unpleasant, scratchy voice at high revs. Peak power is 152kW at 7000rpm, while 212Nm of torque at 6400 to 6800rpm means you have to rev the bejesus out of the engine to build speed. Hill climbs are not ideal and by way of comparison the Mercedes-Benz E63 S 4MATIC+ has four times the torque (850Nm). Yikes.
It could be argued that the challenge of squeezing every last iota of thrust from the underwhelming engine has its rewards but the reality sometimes leaves the driver feeling dispirited as other cars blast away.
The Subaru BRZ tS takes the dubious honour of being the slowest of all cars from a standing start at ABDC 2018. It records an 8.8sec 0-100km/h time on the airport runway, compared to its claimed 7.4sec run. The pedals are nicely spaced, the clutch short and punchy and the six-speed gearbox is involving… the engine is not.
Best described as a wheezy, harsh, slow-revving donk, the Subaru BRZ tS's naturally-aspirated boxer four feels at least four year's past its use-by date… But during several phases of testing, the maxim "it's not what you've got, but how you use it" made the BRZ far more formidable than its fatigued engine would suggest.
On the open road the new shocks and springs conspire with the super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport tyres to deliver a seriously engaging experience, the Subaru BRZ's nose tipping into corners with precision.
Almost every judge praised the Subaru for its tactile steering, flat cornering attitude and high levels of grip and on one winding section of rain-soaked bitumen, it was almost impossible to catch, maintaining impressive mid-corner speeds.
The car's lack of roll and pitch and impeccable balance are even more evident on the race track where it felt more confident than a poker player with a trio of aces. The upgraded Brembo brakes are fantastic too, with virtually no fade and loads of feel.
Unflappable is probably a good way to describe the Subaru BRZ tS on the race track, where its lack of grunt was countered by high levels of cornering engagement.
There are three cars in this year's ABDC field that are more affordable, the Suzuki Swift Sport Turbo, Renault Clio RS 200 Cup and Hyundai i30 N. All of them are quicker in a straight line but none offer the rear-drive engagement levels of the $43,270 Subaru BRZ tS. It's not the fanciest car on test and some of the plastics and interior finishes look a bit dated but in terms of pure "seat of your pants" fun, the BRZ represents good value.
The Toyota 86 can be had for a lot less, about $10K less, but this iteration of the BRZ/86 is probably the most involving manifestation yet. It's also quite comfortable, taking no penalties for ride quality despite the stiffer chassis.
A traditional, affordable, somewhat raw sports car, the Subaru BRZ tS comes with a neat touchscreen infotainment system, red seat belts, an STi steering wheel, upgraded colour trip computer and supportive sports seats.
There's a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty which is below average nowadays – many companies offer five or even seven years. Service intervals are every nine-months or 15,000km, whichever happens first, and one year roadside assistance is lumped in.
The Subaru BRZ tS was widely praised by all judges for its steering and chassis balance, strong brakes and engagement levels. While the chassis was tighter than a toddlers grip on its mothers hand at the first day of school, the BRZ's engine let it down.
Comments such as "more torque would complete this car," "power is hardly plentiful," "the engine lacks grunt" and "dude, where's my torque!" convey a sense of frustration from judges who clearly loved driving the car, but knew it couldn’t go for gold because of its lack of muscle.
Ultimately, the BRZ was an unlikely candidate to take out ABDC top honours but to find praise in the manner it did shows just how relevant this car is to everyday consumers looking for an affordable and gratifying driver's car.
Price: $43,270 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 152kW/212Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (ADR Combined), 13.2L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 194g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
0-100km/h: 8.8sec
0-400m: 16.342sec @ 144.4km/h
Lap time: 1:42.992sec