Forza Motorsport 6: 500 miles a day

Subaru's classic JDM 4WD grand tourer, the Alcyone SVX, is undoubtedly one of the most requested rides to be featured on Forza Motorsport 6 and with the release of the Alpinestars Car Pack, we have been given the chance to try out this classic Subie noteworthy of its "500miles a day" slogan. Why? Because it said so in the TV commercial back in the 90's. Anyway, so what's it all about the SVX?



Launched in 1991, the Alcyone SVX served as Subaru's flagship grand tourer coupe with the slogan "500miles a day".

Apart from its Giugiaro-inspired styling and its glass-to-glass round-canopy, the Alcyone SVX comes with a water-cooled 3.3L boxer-six engine and Subaru's first variable torque distribution electronically controlled four-wheel drive (VTD-4WD). The engine produces 230HP of power and 228lb-ft if torque while mated exclusively with a 4-speed automatic gearbox. It comes with strut suspension on both front and rear wheels as well as ventilated disc brakes.

Despite the heavyweight body, the SVX drives just like a luxury grand tourer with its comfort and accessible handling suitable for the long-distance cruising ahead.



It's kinda shame that despite its futuristic styling reminiscent of its arch-rival, the first-generation Mitsubishi Eclipse, its auto-only gearbox is what made the SVX failed as a sportscar made for the discerning car enthusiasts looking for some alternatives to the R32 Skyline GT-R and no matter how far you'll go, the SVX doesn't feel as exciting to drive as today's WRX STi or BRZ, but despite its massive flaws, the SVX remains a future classic not by its fanbase and its Giugiaro-penned styling but it's the rarity that makes it hard to find one nowadays. I kinda admit I was swooned by nostalgia because every time I drive the SVX in game, it kinda reminiscent of the classic commercial. Makes me wanna fall asleep and dream that I'm seeing the SVX's Japanese commercial again and again and again, day in and day out.

Anyway, no time for nostalgia trip because I head on the Top Gear Test Track on a rainy day to compare against other coupes Subaru made throughout its history.



What I brought here is the past and present Subaru coupes the SVX will face today. On the top, it's the perfect version of the Impreza Retna called the 22B STi, styled in honor of the WRC-winning rally car, and in the bottom, it's the Subaru BRZ, a rear-wheel drive coupe built in collaboration with Toyota. Relax, this is just a Toyota 86 in Subaru's clothing.

Anyway, since it's raining outside the track, I'd expect the 4WD Subies will perform just the way it was made, especially the SVX, because the BRZ's a rear-wheel drive and rear-wheel drives can be problematic in the rainy weather...or is it? You see, despite the BRZ being short on power compared to the SVX, it's surprisingly lighter even though it comes with rear-wheel drive. So, without further ado, let's drive these two-door Subies round the Top Gear Track, even when it rains!



After a lap round the Top Gear Track, the results are in. The SVX did in in 1:41.825 while the 22B STi did it in 1:36.916, and the BRZ in 1:40.754.

The conclusion; even though the SVX failed to meet its sportscar credentials in Subaru history, it still is a not-so-bad grand tourer that you can enjoy for as much as the driver likes. I wanna drive this car for just 500 miles a day. Whoop! There goes the commercial. Ha ha ha... Still, it's good to have the SVX part of the FM6 car roster.

Forza 5: The Toyobaru Coupes

Well, I maybe a bit three months late for that but hey, better late than never to have myself an XBOX One and a game of Forza Motorsport 5 so how can I start this? Oh yeah!

YES! Top racers everywhere are wetting their pants down to excitement as Forza Motorsport 5, exclusively on XBOX One, is now in commission and here I am, investigating stuff like...REALLY LOUD STUFF! REALLY FAST STUFF! REALLY SLOW STUFF...ASIAN STUFF...AMERICAN STUFF...EUROPEAN STUFF...AND REALLY PAINFUL STUFF!!!



Let's begin with those Toyobaru coupes in question; the Toyota GT86 and the Subaru BRZ. Since their debut at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show and sales in Japan started in the spring of 2012, these two RWD sports coupes shared one thing they had in mind; to bring a smile on any boy racer's face.

Some myths pointed out that even though they looked the same, the mechanicals are meant to be the same, like Galileo's theory of falling bodies where objects, regardless of size and weight, will fall at the same pace. Sure, they both have the same FA20 boxer engine but the thing is...what's the difference between them? Oh come on, some people pointed out that the suspensions are different between the 86 and the BRZ and to find out, let's head out to my only lab I called the Top Gear Test Track. Let's find out...

First up, the GT86. This is the car Jeremy Clarkson described as one of the best handling cars in ages, probably thanks to those skinny tires that made it a bit less grippy but how does it fare?



So, what about the Subaru BRZ? I'd reckon it could do the same thing...



Both of my drives are complete and I had the result. In the 86, I posted myself a 1:35.580 lap time while in the BRZ, my lap time round the Top Gear Track was 1:33.368? Oh that can't be right...probably because of my iffy driving but if my iffy driving ways were out in the equation, both of these cars would be neck-and-neck but still, there is a main reason why because for the BRZ, they want the suspension to be more matured and more honed for cornering while the 86 wants to be more less grippy and more tail-happy.

Perhaps no wonder both of these cars do participated in different motorsports but nevertheless, I think it's safe to say that both the 86 and the BRZ are a good start to FM5.

Dad turns his 86 into McQueen character for his kid

This car-related article, as posted from Autoindustriya, looks quite interesting for our inner kids. A car enthusiast turned his Toyota 86 (GT86/Scion FR-S) into a character from Disney's Cars for his three year-old kid. Lightning McQueen is the main character of the two Disney Cars movies and as that car nut told, he saw pics on the net about cars decorated in Lightning McQueen's livery and he even told that his son would be cool if he rode Lightning McQueen to school.

He enlisted tuner Speedway Engineering to make his kid's dream a reality, well sort of. And aside from mimicking McQueen's looks, his 86 got tuned to have over 300HP of power thanks to the added turbocharging and ECU mods.

Here's the clip that sums it up...



Report: http://www.autoindustriya.net/blogs/father-turns-toyota-86-lightning-mcqueen-son

Baruta Body Kit for 86/BRZ

Baruta Subaru BRZ

Classified themselves as "tuners", those rear-wheel drive TOYOTA 86 and SUBARU BRZ sport coupes enjoyed their fame and fortune among die-hard car enthusiasts ever since they both showed up in the open last year. There's more to this 86/BRZ modification trends because the folks from LIBERAL showcased the Baruta body kit available for both the 86 and the BRZ coupes.

The price list for the exterior parts as shown from the official website as follows

- Front Bumper Spoiler (BRZ only) - 157,500 Yen
- Rear Bumper Spoiler - 84,000 Yen
- Front Lip Spoiler (requires front bumper) - 47,250 Yen
- Side Spoiler - 68,250 Yen
- 3D stainless molding - 68,250 Yen
- Wide side mirror - 15,750 Yen
- Carbon short antenna - 6,825 Yen
- Carbon antenna cover - 10,500 Yen

VIDEO: Toyota 86 drift car with a Corvette V8?!

ExtremeDrivingTV, a YouTube channel featuring extreme driving from Japan and the "Engrish" subs that leaves us puzzled, showcased what's up for D1 Drifter Manabu Orido's Toyota 86 drift car and you wouldn't believe what you just saw...

Manabu's 86 drift car was rigged with a Corvette V8 engine, but to be specific, a 7.0L V8 engine you would expect on the Corvette Z06. Reason for this cool engine swap is because last year, Manabu became a victim of power shortage and engine troubles on his 86 drift car so he decided to put in a new engine! The 7.0L V8 Corvette engine that powers Manabu's 86 drift car is smaller and 50kg lighter than the previous Lexus V8 engine. It also comes with a genuine dry sump as well.

Find out how does this new engine sums up by watching this Extreme video...

VIDEO: See how the Toyota 86Q was made

Of course, the Toyota 86Q, which is a mini-me one-off version of the Toyota 86/GT86 (Scion FR-S) sports coupe, which was launched last year alongside its Subaru BRZ twin, really is a Daihatsu Midget truck with some sporting credentials. Yes, they've used the chassis from a Midget truck and then loaded some 86 credentials to make it look like the miniature version so mini, it looks like it's a toy car life sized. Question is, how long did they made this one-off?

To find out, ExtremeDrivingTV has a video clip on how long did the 86Q was made. Wanna know how long? Watch the clip and find out and apologize to their English subtitles because it feels like it's been Google Translated...

Forza Horizon: Pure Handling Delight

I didn't realize that this is happened. This is REALLY REALLY happened in the world of Forza. It seems that Subaru's first ever rear-wheel drive car, the BRZ, showed up as the star car of the February Jalopnik Car Pack and wow! Would you look at that, the FR-S twin from the Pleiades has finally been showed up to the party...

Better late than never but never mind the buzzcocks anyway because there is more than that when it comes to talk about the BRZ's arrival on Horizon...

A New Beginning

First and foremost, some people say they see some differences because both the FR-S (that's 86 to you and me) and the BRZ have slightly different faces. You can see them from their trapezoid-ish grille, the bumper design, and the headlight designs. As for the rear, well, everything's the same.

I See...No Difference

Some people say that in terms of handling, both the FR-S and the BRZ are the same but analysts say that their behaviors are different rather than being genetic twins from the Toyobaru cooperative. Analysts said that the BRZ has been given some mature suspension setup while the FR-S is focused to be more tail-happy so in short, the BRZ is a serious version of the fun-loving FR-S. While the FR-S does the troublemaking like a street fighter, the BRZ has some spartan driving manners. Despite that, they both love to drift in the open road.

Don't mind the Skyline on your right

By the first time I get inside the BRZ, I'm still ain't bovvered about this car even though it's just the Scooby version of the FR-S but after driving this car for several hours, I am relieved that the BRZ was deserved to be in Car Heaven, something that wants to spend all day partying at the ultimate automotive sandbox that is Horizon. I thought I'm going to hate this because of that moment that was foretold last year but all is forgiven when the producers gave the Subaru BRZ a chance of stardom in the world of Forza. You wouldn't even bothered driving one of these and give it some mods like every "Speedo Boys" do to their Japanese imports in Colorado. Wait a minute, why did I keep saying that? Speedo Boy? Forget about that...

Hidden in plain sight

BRZ doing tunnel runs...

It's good to see the Subaru BRZ featured on Forza Horizon via DLC but sadly though, I'm not sure if I'm going to like it or not. Despite that, let's just stick to the part that I like this car probably because it's boxer rear-wheel drive idea has some party animal instincts to rock the ultimate car enthusiast's sandbox only on XBOX 360.

GT5 meets Pride of Boxer, the Subaru BRZ

An old friend...

This is the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and yes, I drove this one a few years ago on Gran Turismo 5. I also drove it on other racing video games. And Top Gear reviewed this one alongside the Lancer Evolution X. So, why I am now driving it again? There is only one reason why I'm driving it again, I LIKE IT!

This car is what Subaru does

In every tangible way, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is better than this but in every intangible way, the Pleiades kicks the diamond's bottom. Sure, it doesn't corner well, brakes are bit sluggish, not quite quick on the straights but it was one heck of a ride. That car really have the versatility of the Lancer Evolution with the lunacy of the, well let's just say, the Nissan GT-R. The Impreza STi is the greatest Subaru in all of human history. It is!

This car is what Subaru does...except that now what Subaru does is this as well...

What's this? An 86? No wait...

It's a Subaru BRZ! 

This is the BRZ, the most interesting and the most amusing Subaru...ever made...

This is the first ever two-door Subaru coupe since the Impreza Retna and the Alcyone/SVX went off the map in the 1990's. Never knew to say that Subaru now makes a two-door coupe again ever since they stopped making the other two in the past. And, this is the first ever Subaru with a rear-wheel drive layout but it's now what you've expected to be because this is just a Toyota 86 in Subaru badges. Ahem, yes, although both the BRZ and the 86/FR-S look the same but are there any differences?

There are so many inquiries around the world that what is the difference between the Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ. Tell you what, some experts said that the Toyota 86/Scion FR-S was made to be sporty while the Subaru BRZ is more of a softer version. A Toyota-Subaru joint venture is quite a fantastically complicated idea and here in Gran Turismo 5, the 86 caters most Toyota fans everywhere. What about the Scooby fans? Maybe they did answered the concerns and they give Subaru fans a chance to try out the Subaru BRZ but how can I say about the BRZ?

The first strike

You know what, this is going to be as different as the Toyota 86 even though both of them have the same experiences...I know...

While the 86/FR-S is all about balanced and fun enough to misbehave, this BRZ misbehaves a lot but I think driving the BRZ feels like I am the sort of idiot spend so much time listening to that stupid TARDIS sound. Yes, the BRZ is the only Subaru you can make it dance thanks to its RWD layout but regarding my taste, this is going to be as ridiculous as those PS3-exclusive costumes from THE IDOLM@STER 2....I know...

You can make this Subie dance...

The question is, does it feel like a Subaru?

Does it feel like a Subaru? I think not. What a silly question...

It's about as pretty as
a STRATOS BUTTERFLY..

As diabolical as a Dalek...

The 2.0L Boxer 4 engine generates about 200PS of power, 205Nm of torque, and a noise that can tickle a Time Lord's tingly bits. The only way you can have more fun in the BRZ is to poke it with a sonic screwdriver while wearing a bowtie and a fez...I know...

Proud of Boxer Rear-Wheel Drive Zenith

After spending a few minutes with the BRZ, I'm delighted to say...the BRZ is horrid. HORRID. I am starting to hate this BRZ because it is now becoming a car that is certified "IT'S MORE FUN IN GRAN TURISMO" and it's true. Don't go looking for some cool stuff to make the BRZ more interesting and because it's becoming the only car you can play it with your PS3 controller, this car is becoming an ideal waste of time unless if you're a girl and the type of clothes you're wearing are nothing but Stratos Butterfly, Burning Performer, White School Swimsuit, Cutie Insect, Rainy Suzuran, Dressy Alice, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Full Bloom Yukata Dress, or Devilkin Swimming Suit.

If they were softdrinks, they were Coke and Pepsi

 

Do you like 86 or BRZ?

If I was working on Consumer Reports, best to put the BRZ on the "DO NOT BUY" list because for me, it's now a "IT'S MORE FUN IN GRAN TURISMO" car and only a Time Lord would wanna have fun on this as much as the next guy. If you need more fun, best to recommend the 86/FR-S. That's all.

ALERT! Strong Demand delays Subaru BRZ delivery to early next year...

2013 Subaru BRZ

This isn't how we cock about. It's true! Due to the strong demand to Subaru's first RWD sports coupe, the BRZ, Fuji Heavy Industries said that the delivery for these will be delayed through early 2013.

Subaru's BRZ is the first RWD sports car in joint partnership with Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries. It went on sale in Japan since March 28, 2012.

Those who are planning to buy the BRZ, bad luck because you have to wait 'till next year. Those who already have one, no harm done...

Scoop: http://paultan.org/2012/04/13/subaru-brz-domestic-deliveries-delayed-to-jan-2013/

So, with BRZ delivery pushed through next year, would the TOYOTA 86 be affected? Oh my...

Subaru pitches in Meisa Kuroki for the BRZ's TV commercial

2013 Subaru BRZ meets Meisa Kuroki

Well, I can't believe it. In case you haven't know, Subaru pitches in Japanese actress, Meisa Kuroki, as the endorser for the new BRZ sports coupe. You may probably remember Meisa Kuroki from last year's Andalusia movie and from the Japanese Nestle Kit Kat commercial but you wouldn't believe she really fits her personality with this car.

The Subaru BRZ was released last week and it is scheduled to go on sale at the end of March 2012. This is the first rear-wheel drive sports coupe in joint agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation. This is the TOYOTA 86 with the Pleiades' point of view. The BRZ naming implies as "Boxer Rear-Wheel-Drive Zenith".

Subaru BRZ (ZC6)

Over the years, Subaru makes 4WD cars that is proven to be the trademark of this Japanese carmaker. Cars like the Legacy, the Impreza, the Forester, and the Exiga, spanning several years using the same layout that truly becomes the "beauty of all-wheel drive". What will Subaru happens if they went to a completely different direction by creating their first RWD car in collaboration with Toyota?

2013 Subaru BRZ

Meet the BRZ, Subaru's first rear-wheel drive sports coupe that truly sent this brand to the opposite direction. When I say opposite, well you get the idea. This car is a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru, and this is how they see the TOYOTA 86 in the Pleiades' point of view. At first glance, it looks the same as the TOYOTA 86 but take a second look and you'll see that the front bumper is completely different, or think of it as an inverted version of the TOYOTA 86's front bumper. The 86 emblem you found on the TOYOTA 86 has been ditched in favor of something that I can't understand what it is. I have no idea how can there will be some minor alterations to make this BRZ more identical to the 86 (Hachi-Roku), but still, this design looks completely sleek in every direction.

2013 Subaru BRZ interior

The similarly identical interior of the BRZ is how you get the same feeling from the TOYOTA 86 but you'll see that the steering wheel is different as are the instrumental panel. What bothers me is when the SLS AMG-style tachometer from the TOYOTA 86 has been ditched in favor of somewhat conventional or somewhat similar from the old Mazda Axela. Guess you have finally spot the differences between the TOYOTA 86 and the Subaru BRZ!

2013 Subaru BRZ

So, what about performance? The BRZ is equipped with a new 2.0L D-4S BOXER engine, which is a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru, and they called it FA20. The new FA20 engine develops 200PS of power and 205Nm of torque. It promises about 12.4km/L to 13.4km/L of fuel economy based on Japan's JC08 mode test cycle. There are two transmission types available such as a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed Paddle Shit transmission. Those who are looking for some hardcore fun should prefer the 6-speed manual transmission because it completes the BRZ's characteristics.

Colors available for the BRZ are Satin White Pearl, Dark Grey Metallic, Lightning Red, WR Blue Mica, Sterling Silver Metallic, Crystal Black Silica, and Galaxy Blue Silica.

My Comment:
So, is this going to be a five-minute argument or a full half-hour? The point is that Toyota already made the 86 for people who are so enthusiastic about JDM cars but why would Subaru making its own take on the TOYOTA 86? Don't you know what that is? This would have been my car!

Anyway, sales for the Subaru BRZ will start in Japan this late March 28, 2012. Yeah, that car would be the first to go on sale in Japan this spring, earlier than the TOYOTA 86's April on-sale date. Gosh, that's insufferable...

Photo: Fuji Heavy Industries