kiwi303 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I haven't had much interest in following the Toyota/Subaru new sports car saga, or seen many pics, but I came across this article reading the NZ news online here in China. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10810701 I like the look of the car pictured. How do they stack up against the newer Z's? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10810701 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I believe we've already had quite a few threads about it. It's not really in the same market as a Z car, but it certainly demands some attention. At $25k here stateside, it's considerably cheaper than a 370Z. In fact I'm sure I could find a cherry 240Z here in CA for the price DIFFERENCE between the two, just to put things in perspective (it's hard to make numbers mean something when most people just get a loan and look at a monthly bill). At a "measly" 200hp it's not a show stopper compared to the 330+ in the 370Z, or even the 300+ in subaru's STI or weaker WRX at 265... But where I love the BRZ, FRS, or AG86 depending what badge and country purchased from/in, is weight. Under 2800 pounds in base manual trim it's quite a bit lighter than much else in that HP and price segment. That's just a tick under 500 pounds difference between the lightest BRZ and lightest 370Z. That's considerable, there's no way around it. The only thing this car really has to compete against is the miata, which though another 200 pounds lighter, will cost considerably more to get a hardtop, and you've got a motor that's pushing 167hp. Oh, and the BRZ has back seats which from what I hear are about as usable as mustang rear seats, which isn't bad for the weight honestly. I personally find this car a refreshing step in the right direction by the auto industry. I hope it sells like hot cakes so they get the picture and see that there's a demand for affordable, practical, well performing sports cars that aim to be well rounded, not just loud, flashy, but slow (civic si commercials making anyone else sick to their stomach?). I'm also excited to see what Ford does in the next 10 years, as they've made a pledge to remove 750 pounds from each vehicle in their lineup in the next 10 years. They've made some huge contract with, I think, Dow manufacturing to produce large scale carbon fibre materials. That gets me really excited because the mustangs, though portly, are already far lighter than their competitors from Detroit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 What I want to see is where SAIC take the next generation sports cars... they bought all the rights of the MGF and MGTF and still make them, I had a Rover MGF for a while and loved it, I'm hoping the next generation in SAIC's sports convertible lineup will be something similar. The MGF was 1150Kg, 2400 pounds or so, with enough horsepower I was still accellerating at 190Km/H when I had to brake for a corner the time I decided to wring it out to see what it did, added to excellent handling and it was a nice car for a mid 90's model. But the AG86 is mentioned as being 2600 pounds, and like lotus, a GOOD sports car is not about adding power, its about adding fun... Given modern trends of bigger, heavier, whaley-er... it sounds the AG86 is going to be a refreshing car to drive if they get the handling right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 That article is old/outdated. The 2600 pound mark was a rumored target, nothing factual. They now have spec sheets on their websites that show exact rated curb weight. 2,762 lbs/2,809 lbs manual/auto for the premium model, and 2,776 lbs/2,882 lbs manual/auto for the limited trim model. At least that's here stateside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.