Soldato
Howdy,
Thought this may be of interest to some.
My local Subaru dealer invited me to what was a demo day at Mallory Park. I had managed to miss the first email but they called me directly to ensure I didn't miss out.
Working on a bit of a full on project at work recently I didn't think I'd be able to make it, but the guys at work could see I was eager to go and we managed to make it so.
I'd not even been to Mallory before so was looking forward to trying it as a circuit.
Anyway, showed up at Mallory for around 8.30am to find only a few cars in the car park over the bridge from the track. Thought I may have been early but it turns out that not too many took up the invite for the morning session.
Signed on and had a quick briefing. Format for the day was 2-3 laps with the "professional drivers" at the wheel, followed by 5 laps with us driving. Ben Shimmin who used to pilot the Pro-R Time Attack car was one of the drivers, an ex British rally driver was another, and a female Subaru rep was another (I didn't get to go out with her but apparently she hauled ass so must have had some experience?)
Cars available were the BRZ, Levorg & WRX STi.
First up for me was the Levorg:
First impressions were it's uneventful! However it seemed capable enough in Ben's hands and I was looking forward to having as go. The 1.6 Boxer DIT engine doesn't feel particularly quick, but it was able to carry enough speed into the corners.
The chassis felt nice and rigid, it didn't really want to understeer, but certainly didn't have the power to push or provoke the rear end. It felt very stable in all but braking.
The CVT gearbox was smooth and "OK" for upshifts, but I was having to pull the down paddle a couple of times to get it down into 2nd gear.
Overall I'm sure it would make a nice enough daily car, but it doesn't bring much feeling for the drive. The older H6 Legacy Spec B was a far better car IMO. Much more involving, but I guess the Levorg will no doubt get some sort of model upgrade at some point.
Next up was the STi:
Now this I was looking forward to, a direct comparison to how my old STi drove on track, trying to ignore the lack of power and grip from its random SportMaxx tyres. Baring in mind mine had 400bhp, coilovers, ARBs, lots of front caster and camber to aid turn in, all on A048s!
First couple of sighting laps with the professional driver and already it was (as you'd expect) carrying much more speed than the Levorg and was immediately more entertaining.
My turn and I immediately feel at home, Subaru's driving position has always felt great to me with the seat at its lowest, and the pedals have always had great positioning also.
First thing to note is the steering. My old STi's steering rack was nowhere near as responsive as this, this even feels more responsive than the Spec C's I'd driven. Not only did the steering feel more immediate but the front end really did turn in so much better than I'd experienced on my old STi. I was impressed and sat there wondering how much better it would be if it had some decent tyres on it..
Power wise is as I'd expected, the 2.5 is a lazy engine, but it was carrying good speed down the straights. The gearbox was just like any other 6 speed STi, notchy and easy to use with good feel.
Through the long sweeping right hander the STi felt really well balanced, whilst being adjustable. It felt like if I wanted to give a slight throttle lift it would rotate nicely and through the S bends I did just that and it responded very well. The whole time the car felt very flat through corners too, no real pitching and very little diving on the brakes (although I was being gentle on the brakes.)
I was very much enjoying the STi, only craving more power and response from the engine. But I felt as though I could keep going round and round. At the end of my laps the pro guy said he could tell I was very comfortable and hence just left me to it without instruction, commended me on my driving and really showed interest in my feedback.
Final thoughts were that it was way ahead of the older cars in terms of chassis and handling. More power and decent tyres would make it really come alive. I can see why many say it's just like the old car, the engine, gearbox, brakes are all the same, but only driving it properly gives you the sense of the development. Thoroughly enjoyed!
Next up was the BRZ:
Errr.. no pics.
Out with Ben again for this one. He was interested to see how I felt the Levorg and STi's handling compared because they're fundamentally very similar, the STi just having some more goodies.
So first sighting laps again, Ben was messing around a bit and showing how much more adjustable the BRZ is, but also ensuring I knew the difference between RWD with a light chassis and AWD. Duh
So in the drivers seat I go. Steering has a lot more feel than I remember, weights up really nicely too. Driving position is great too.
Obvious talking point is the engine. I think power wise it's actually not too bad, but one thing it definitely needs is more torque. But it responds well to pedal modulation mid corner.
One thing you can immediately notice is the lack of grip from those Primacy tyres. Almost made the BRZ feel a bit floaty and incredibly easy to make it steer from the rear, even with TC on!
Aggressive braking with heel and toe'ing made the car incredibly easy to pitch in with a rear bias, working really well on the S bends, carrying a slight opposite lock exiting the final part of the S. Good feeling and definitely requiring more concentration than either the Levorg or STi.
My feelings on the car are that it would make a great entry into RWD performance cars, but I didn't get out grinning or anything. I think more power/torque would solve that, and again some decent tyres. It wouldn't stay standard for very long in my hands. Would love to see how it compares with supercharger/turbo kit.
After a break for lunch I was then presented with an opportunity to go out in the Polaris Slingshot. a 3 wheeler, 1 wheel drive, 2.4 powered, left hand drive, manual... trike?!
They were sharing the day with the Subaru dealers and were doing some promo filming etc. I thought I would just get some passenger laps.. but nope. They let me really have a proper go!
I had followed one when Ben was driving the BRZ and it looked almost always sideways due to the way the body moves. I expected it to be all over the shop. How wrong was I?
First thing to note, the throttle was heavy, very heavy. That, along with diving into a left hand drive car with only one wheel I was a touch nervous! I took it round half a lap before I started to build speed only to feel very comfortable very quickly.
The noise from the belt driven rear wheel along with open roof etc. gave off an almost supercharger-esque sound. Really exciting, if not that quick. The STi was quicker on the straights, no doubt.
But turn in and the sensation was something else, I carried more and more speed with every turn and was continued to be surprised that the single rear wheel wasn't stepping out on me, yes it felt light but light in a way that almost made it feel as though it was being aided in speed through the corners by only having said single rear wheel.
Stamp on the brakes, downshift a bit too quick and the rear locks for a moment, the first time I worried, the next times were deliberate as it just increased the excitement. Heading into a corner slightly sideways and maintaining that slight slide with neutral steering felt wonderful. Provoke it and yes it'll go sideways really easily, but only when you wanted it to.
I got out feeling somewhat confused as to how it had so much speed, grip and handling... with one rear wheel. I expected Morgan 3 wheeler style driving. Couldn't have been further from it. The guy who took me out in it took off his helmet when we came to a stop and exclaimed "that was awesome, you weren't holding anyone up that's for sure! Best passenger lap I've had in it!" - It seems as though he enjoyed me driving almost as much as I did! His comment about holding others up was true for others, I kept seeing the STi and BRZ catch the Polaris when driven by others, so maybe some had that fear like I had initially? Who knows.. either way I loved it.
I was asked to give my views on the car, turned out they meant on camera, so a sun burnt ScoobyDoo will likely be on their promo videos! Happy to help though. Truly a great car that is exciting and yet so different!
At "only" £22k for this particular model, it strikes me as cheap for a toy like that. I would recommend anyone in the market for a track toy to consider it!
I could say so much more about the day, I've never been fortunate enough to be able to drive around a track with 4 different cars in one day, and be able to drive in a way which I did not feel restricted either. I am very grateful to Subaru for the opportunity. But alas, I'm not that good with words so I'll leave it there and just share a few extra pics.
Thanks for looking.
Thought this may be of interest to some.
My local Subaru dealer invited me to what was a demo day at Mallory Park. I had managed to miss the first email but they called me directly to ensure I didn't miss out.
Working on a bit of a full on project at work recently I didn't think I'd be able to make it, but the guys at work could see I was eager to go and we managed to make it so.
I'd not even been to Mallory before so was looking forward to trying it as a circuit.
Anyway, showed up at Mallory for around 8.30am to find only a few cars in the car park over the bridge from the track. Thought I may have been early but it turns out that not too many took up the invite for the morning session.
Signed on and had a quick briefing. Format for the day was 2-3 laps with the "professional drivers" at the wheel, followed by 5 laps with us driving. Ben Shimmin who used to pilot the Pro-R Time Attack car was one of the drivers, an ex British rally driver was another, and a female Subaru rep was another (I didn't get to go out with her but apparently she hauled ass so must have had some experience?)
Cars available were the BRZ, Levorg & WRX STi.
First up for me was the Levorg:
First impressions were it's uneventful! However it seemed capable enough in Ben's hands and I was looking forward to having as go. The 1.6 Boxer DIT engine doesn't feel particularly quick, but it was able to carry enough speed into the corners.
The chassis felt nice and rigid, it didn't really want to understeer, but certainly didn't have the power to push or provoke the rear end. It felt very stable in all but braking.
The CVT gearbox was smooth and "OK" for upshifts, but I was having to pull the down paddle a couple of times to get it down into 2nd gear.
Overall I'm sure it would make a nice enough daily car, but it doesn't bring much feeling for the drive. The older H6 Legacy Spec B was a far better car IMO. Much more involving, but I guess the Levorg will no doubt get some sort of model upgrade at some point.
Next up was the STi:
Now this I was looking forward to, a direct comparison to how my old STi drove on track, trying to ignore the lack of power and grip from its random SportMaxx tyres. Baring in mind mine had 400bhp, coilovers, ARBs, lots of front caster and camber to aid turn in, all on A048s!
First couple of sighting laps with the professional driver and already it was (as you'd expect) carrying much more speed than the Levorg and was immediately more entertaining.
My turn and I immediately feel at home, Subaru's driving position has always felt great to me with the seat at its lowest, and the pedals have always had great positioning also.
First thing to note is the steering. My old STi's steering rack was nowhere near as responsive as this, this even feels more responsive than the Spec C's I'd driven. Not only did the steering feel more immediate but the front end really did turn in so much better than I'd experienced on my old STi. I was impressed and sat there wondering how much better it would be if it had some decent tyres on it..
Power wise is as I'd expected, the 2.5 is a lazy engine, but it was carrying good speed down the straights. The gearbox was just like any other 6 speed STi, notchy and easy to use with good feel.
Through the long sweeping right hander the STi felt really well balanced, whilst being adjustable. It felt like if I wanted to give a slight throttle lift it would rotate nicely and through the S bends I did just that and it responded very well. The whole time the car felt very flat through corners too, no real pitching and very little diving on the brakes (although I was being gentle on the brakes.)
I was very much enjoying the STi, only craving more power and response from the engine. But I felt as though I could keep going round and round. At the end of my laps the pro guy said he could tell I was very comfortable and hence just left me to it without instruction, commended me on my driving and really showed interest in my feedback.
Final thoughts were that it was way ahead of the older cars in terms of chassis and handling. More power and decent tyres would make it really come alive. I can see why many say it's just like the old car, the engine, gearbox, brakes are all the same, but only driving it properly gives you the sense of the development. Thoroughly enjoyed!
Next up was the BRZ:
Errr.. no pics.
Out with Ben again for this one. He was interested to see how I felt the Levorg and STi's handling compared because they're fundamentally very similar, the STi just having some more goodies.
So first sighting laps again, Ben was messing around a bit and showing how much more adjustable the BRZ is, but also ensuring I knew the difference between RWD with a light chassis and AWD. Duh
So in the drivers seat I go. Steering has a lot more feel than I remember, weights up really nicely too. Driving position is great too.
Obvious talking point is the engine. I think power wise it's actually not too bad, but one thing it definitely needs is more torque. But it responds well to pedal modulation mid corner.
One thing you can immediately notice is the lack of grip from those Primacy tyres. Almost made the BRZ feel a bit floaty and incredibly easy to make it steer from the rear, even with TC on!
Aggressive braking with heel and toe'ing made the car incredibly easy to pitch in with a rear bias, working really well on the S bends, carrying a slight opposite lock exiting the final part of the S. Good feeling and definitely requiring more concentration than either the Levorg or STi.
My feelings on the car are that it would make a great entry into RWD performance cars, but I didn't get out grinning or anything. I think more power/torque would solve that, and again some decent tyres. It wouldn't stay standard for very long in my hands. Would love to see how it compares with supercharger/turbo kit.
After a break for lunch I was then presented with an opportunity to go out in the Polaris Slingshot. a 3 wheeler, 1 wheel drive, 2.4 powered, left hand drive, manual... trike?!
They were sharing the day with the Subaru dealers and were doing some promo filming etc. I thought I would just get some passenger laps.. but nope. They let me really have a proper go!
I had followed one when Ben was driving the BRZ and it looked almost always sideways due to the way the body moves. I expected it to be all over the shop. How wrong was I?
First thing to note, the throttle was heavy, very heavy. That, along with diving into a left hand drive car with only one wheel I was a touch nervous! I took it round half a lap before I started to build speed only to feel very comfortable very quickly.
The noise from the belt driven rear wheel along with open roof etc. gave off an almost supercharger-esque sound. Really exciting, if not that quick. The STi was quicker on the straights, no doubt.
But turn in and the sensation was something else, I carried more and more speed with every turn and was continued to be surprised that the single rear wheel wasn't stepping out on me, yes it felt light but light in a way that almost made it feel as though it was being aided in speed through the corners by only having said single rear wheel.
Stamp on the brakes, downshift a bit too quick and the rear locks for a moment, the first time I worried, the next times were deliberate as it just increased the excitement. Heading into a corner slightly sideways and maintaining that slight slide with neutral steering felt wonderful. Provoke it and yes it'll go sideways really easily, but only when you wanted it to.
I got out feeling somewhat confused as to how it had so much speed, grip and handling... with one rear wheel. I expected Morgan 3 wheeler style driving. Couldn't have been further from it. The guy who took me out in it took off his helmet when we came to a stop and exclaimed "that was awesome, you weren't holding anyone up that's for sure! Best passenger lap I've had in it!" - It seems as though he enjoyed me driving almost as much as I did! His comment about holding others up was true for others, I kept seeing the STi and BRZ catch the Polaris when driven by others, so maybe some had that fear like I had initially? Who knows.. either way I loved it.
I was asked to give my views on the car, turned out they meant on camera, so a sun burnt ScoobyDoo will likely be on their promo videos! Happy to help though. Truly a great car that is exciting and yet so different!
At "only" £22k for this particular model, it strikes me as cheap for a toy like that. I would recommend anyone in the market for a track toy to consider it!
I could say so much more about the day, I've never been fortunate enough to be able to drive around a track with 4 different cars in one day, and be able to drive in a way which I did not feel restricted either. I am very grateful to Subaru for the opportunity. But alas, I'm not that good with words so I'll leave it there and just share a few extra pics.
Thanks for looking.
Fair play to the guy.