​​TopSpeed.com Calls the BRZ The Last Great Analog Sports Car​ 

Comforts and conveniences to experience something real, uncomplicated, and rewarding as you tap into skills often lying dormant in everyday life. Sports cars may seem like they are about performance, but as is apparent in this TopSpeed.com review of the 2026 BRZ, modern performance cars and light sports cars are entirely different things. We elaborate in this Ewing Subaru of Plano blog post. 

Technology has done wonderful things for high-performance cars. Modern automatic transmissions shift faster than any human could and offer far more gear ratios than six, which is about the most performance-oriented drivers are willing to keep track of. Turbochargers add significantly more power for a given engine’s displacement. All-wheel drive systems – something Subaru knows more about than anyone – constantly distribute torque between the front and rear depending on conditions. Sensors monitor all kinds of factors to help central processing units make decisions about conditions the driver is never aware of.  

These and other technologies can create vehicles with incredible levels of acceleration, handling, and braking, and that is great if your only goal is lower lap times or the highest speeds on a favorite course. After all, some people take massive motor homes with every type of convenience to campgrounds and enjoy them very much.  

But if the goal is the sheer fun of driving, the problem is that most of these systems create a buffer between the driver and the car’s actions. Turbos respond to driver input, but also to exhaust flow. All-wheel drive systems mean the driver is never completely clear about how much the front tire traction is tasked with steering and propelling the car. Adaptive suspensions mask road conditions, and so on. In addition, these cars can be so casually competent in their performance; you may have to risk life-threatening speeds just to feel involved. 

That is why the BRZ is as simple as it is and why TopSpeed.com hails it as an Analog Sports car, which basically means that most digital processing is left out, particularly when it comes to driving feel and vehicle/road communication.  

The BRZ keeps it simple as a non-turbocharged, front-engine, rear-drive, lightweight sports car. It is powered by Subaru’s 2.4-liter horizontally opposed 4-cylinder engine, producing 228 horsepower @ 7000 rpm and 184 lb-ft of torque @ 3700 rpm, which is plenty for a car that weighs 2,800 to 2,862 pounds. Sure, it would be relatively easy to increase power by 30-50% with a turbocharger, but that would muddy the connection between the gas pedal and vehicle response. And a turbocharger’s low-end torque would reduce the incentive and visceral thrill of hitting that 7000 rpm horsepower peak. 

TopSpeed.com states that the engine “feels unapologetically mechanical today” and adds that the horizontally opposed configuration keeps the engine’s weight down low and its flatness allows it to be pushed back toward the firewall. This reduces weight in front of the front axle, and the resulting lower polar inertia makes the car naturally adept at changing direction quickly. The suspension is simple but effective, and, as TopSpeed.com puts it, “doesn’t need aggressive electronic nannies to keep things composed.”  

 They go on to say, “Combined with the low-mounted boxer engine and Torsen limited-slip differential, you get a balance that feels adjustable and playful rather than overly planted or numb. It is designed for you to feel it rotating naturally through corners, and it makes you think about how much throttle to open instead of relying on computers to sort everything.” 

The BRZ is available with a 6-speed automatic, and if you want a sporty car that must also slog through freeway traffic jams to and from work every day, that may be an option. But the manual transmission – one of the few that remain – is far more in keeping with this car’s fun-to-drive mission.  

And then there is the rear-wheel drive. No one knows more than Subaru about the traction optimization benefits of all-wheel drive. But in this case, the rear tires are dedicated solely to propelling the car. The front tires are dedicated solely to determining direction, which leaves it all up to the driver’s feet and hands, respectively, to balance things out. Credit Subaru for choosing driver engagement over maximum grip in this type of car.  

Outside, the car speaks to its mission with tight proportions and simple details, while eschewing overt vents, scoops, or aggressive wings and aero add-ons. The theme continues in the cabin. There is a touchscreen for navigation, phone connectivity, and a variety of media sources – the car isn’t for luddites – but it is just 8 inches and well out of your road-viewing line of sight. The digital gauge cluster may seem overtly techie for the car’s mission, but, as TopSpeed.com points out, it “allows you to view G-meter readings, torque outputs, and lap times alongside your speed and revs,” which would be crowded with analog gauges.  

TopSpeed.com summarizes their BRZ review this way: “In a market where everything is becoming faster but arguably more detached, the BRZ does hold on to something that is becoming very rare: a feeling that the car is working with you, not ahead of you.” At this point, you probably already know whether the BRZ is your kind of car. If it is, or you think it could be, confirm your inclinations by visiting Ewing Subaru of Plano for what promises to be an engaging test drive.