Forza Motorsport 7: Not the same...!?

While JDM fans mourn the deletion of production Toyotas and Lexus on FM7, the majority of 86 sympathizers who can't cope with the loss of Toyota's 21st century JDM hero are making due with its Subaru equivalent, the BRZ. Question is that even though the BRZ is a Subaru version of the Toyota 86, does this car had the same feeling or not?



Built in the same factory as the Toyota 86, the Subaru BRZ is the company's first-ever rear-wheel drive car, breaking Subaru's tradition of making four-wheel drive cars in its lifetime. This is also Subaru's first two-door coupe of the 21st century since the Alcyone, the SVX, and the Impreza Retna. Under the hood, the BRZ is powered by a 2.0L D-4S BOXER engine, which is a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru, producing 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.



A Hachiroku fan driving a Subaru BRZ might say that even though they're made from the same factory, he or she believes that BRZ's driving style doesn't match Toyota's 21st century JDM sportscar and I have a clear reason why. The moment I taste the BRZ on the road, I have a clear impression that heritage is what separates them apart because while the Toyota 86 follows the tradition of Toyota's successful sports cars, the BRZ breaks the Subaru tradition like a village idiot in a family of geniuses. That's why more and more believe that the 86 and BRZ are not the same when it comes to its audience impact rather than performance and handling likewise.



Well, since the producers kicked out most of the Toyota-made cars, including our favorite, guess this is no other choice but driving Subaru's take on the Hachiroku whether we like it or not as I shall now demonstrate it by driving this car round the entire Long Beach track, even though this city course is sponsored by Toyota, which is a shame for us.



The Subaru BRZ maybe a treason to Subaru's heritage or despised by most Hachiroku fanatics for not living it up to the 86's promises but hey, at least they made a fun and affordable rear-wheel drive car we can live with and I agree with that. Although I still going to miss the 86 in every tangible way, this Subie keeps me company for the time being in FM7.