ZED'S NOT DEAD!

THE BRZ RETURNS AFTER ITS UNFORTUNATE POTHOLE INCIDENT

- ANDY ENRIGHT

SUBARU BRZ S

Price as tested $41,590 [+ORC)

This month 675km @ 8.8L/100km

Overall 1877km @ 8.8L/100km

THERE'S A LOT to be said for a car that delivers excitement at vaguely legal speeds. Many years back, I recall the ex-editor of this mag, Bill Thomas, complaining that a Mitsubishi 3000GT was too easy to drive, before being chewed out at volume across a Welsh bar by LJK Setright. "No car is too easy to drive!" boomed Setright. Think Gandalf and 'you shall not pass' and you'll get the vibe.

I'd take issue with the late Setright there. True, any car will get up on its toes if driven hard enough, but how those limits correspond to the public highway is another matter altogether. That's what makes the Subaru BRZ something to revel in. With no turbocharger, you have to work the 2.4-litre powerplant, but the rewards are well worth it, and it feels naturally at home on a twisty road where you're changing from the upper reaches of second into third and back.