FWD vs RWD Sport Compact Shootout
Once upon a time the Honda Civic Si held a dominant position within the sport compact world. But these days its not only been dethroned in the performance department by the Mazdaspeed3, it’s in serious jeopardy of being pushed even further back in the pack by the likes of the new Ford Focus ST. And if that’s not enough to make the execs at Honda flop a sweat, suddenly there’s not one but two serious contenders for the sport compact title that are motivated by their rear wheels. We are, of course, talking about the Subaru BRZ and its twin brother from Scion.
FAST FACTS: 2013 Subaru BRZ |
1. - A 2.0L direct-injection boxer 4-cylinder makes 200-hp and 7000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 6000 rpm. 2. Compared to the FR-S it gets firmer shocks but softer springs 3. Priced at $25,495 to start, $2,000 extra gets you the Limited model with fog lights, a trunk lid spoiler, heated side view mirrors, heated front seats, Alcantara trimmed upholstery and automatic climate control |
BENCH RACING
Hypothesizing about a car’s pace around a race track or down a drag strip – a hobby know as ‘bench racing’ among go-fast enthusiasts – is a time-honored tradition that Colum and I could not avoid here. I turned a 1-minute 28.5-second lap in the standard Civic Si coupe last summer, and given the stickier rubber and firmer suspension setup on the HFP version, I felt it would go at least 2-seconds a lap quicker and likely beat the BRZ in the process.
FAST FACTS: 2013 Honda Civic Si HFP |
1. A 2.4L 4-cylinder makes 201 hp at 7000 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 4300 rpm. 2. Honda Factory Performance package includes 18-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer tires, a lowered and stiffened suspension, and a body kit 3. Si HFP models are limited to just 500 units and priced at $26,185. |
I then countered that the Civic has a sizable torque advantage (170 lb-ft at 4400 rpm vs. the BRZ’s 151 lb-ft at 6000 rpm) that would offset the BRZ’s weight advantage, and that the Civic’s super slick shifting 6-speed transmission and highly effective Torsen limited slip differential would go a long way to overcoming the disadvantages of a front-wheel drive layout.
Colum then came back with some technical jibber jabber about the BRZ’s direct-injection 2.0-liter engine actually having a much broader powerband than the numbers suggest.
Apparently Subaru’s engineers intentionally flattened its torque curve so that most of its grunt comes on around 3000 rpm, a fact that would help the BRZ overcome an almost half-liter displacement disadvantage (2.0-liters vs. the Honda’s 2.4).
Source;
http://www.autoguide.com/car-comparisons/2013-subaru-brz-vs-2012-honda-civic-si-hfp-2165.html
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