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MotorTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 Here we are again with two inexpensive
00:07 front rear drive performance cars.
00:10 These represent some of the purest driving experiences
00:12 you can get on the market.
00:14 You recognize of course the Subaru BRZ
00:18 with its 200 horsepower flat four in that nice blue paint.
00:22 But now we have the new Mazda Miata.
00:25 It may have 155 horsepower,
00:28 but it's been redesigned from the ground up
00:30 to be one of the purest driving experiences money can buy.
00:34 Is it any better than the Subaru BRZ?
00:36 This week on Head to Head, we find out.
00:38 (upbeat music)
00:43 (dramatic music)
00:47 Woo hoo!
00:49 (laughing)
00:54 This is the manliest thing I've ever done in my life.
00:57 (dramatic music)
01:00 You might be surprised to learn
01:03 that the car with the less power wins the drag race.
01:06 The Miata with its low weight and quick ratio transmission
01:10 hits 60 in 5.8 seconds
01:12 and does a quarter mile in 14.5 at 94.2 miles an hour.
01:18 The BRZ's heavier and doesn't launch as well as the Miata,
01:22 reaching 60 in 6.3 seconds.
01:26 (engine revving)
01:27 And the quarter mile, nearly half a second slower
01:30 than the Miata at 14.9 seconds at 94.6 miles an hour.
01:35 The Miata edges out a breaking advantage,
01:40 stopping from 60 miles an hour in 111 feet.
01:42 It takes the Subaru BRZ 116 feet.
01:47 Though the BRZ offers a bit more precision
01:52 and flatter handling, it's half a second slower
01:56 around the figure eight than the Mazda Miata,
01:58 taking 25.7 seconds on its lap.
02:02 The Miata was easy to maneuver,
02:06 although it had a lot of body roll.
02:08 Still, it was faster overall,
02:10 with a 25.2 second lap around the figure eight.
02:13 Well, the weather isn't cooperating,
02:21 but we're in a Miata, so we're gonna drive
02:25 with the top down anyway.
02:26 And the water comes in, screw it.
02:31 The new Miata, it's smaller, it's lighter,
02:39 and it has less horsepower,
02:41 so the pounds per horsepower thing
02:43 kind of averages out anyway.
02:44 This whole car, though, is about fun as a driving experience.
02:50 It always has been.
02:52 And after spending a decent amount of time
02:54 driving this new version, I can say
02:57 it definitely still holds true to that commitment to fun.
03:00 This is a car that's all about
03:02 enjoying the experience of driving,
03:05 regardless of the speed, regardless of how hard
03:08 you're pressing on it in the corners.
03:09 It's just about top down motoring enjoyment.
03:13 And this is a fantastic looking car.
03:19 You have to admire it from the outside.
03:21 I mean, it really is probably the manliest looking Miata
03:24 they've ever made.
03:25 What I like is the interior.
03:26 The layout is very driver focused.
03:29 It's very nice to hold onto.
03:30 The materials are very good.
03:31 The steering wheel feels great in your hands.
03:33 You have a big tack.
03:35 You can see right in front of you very clearly.
03:38 Much like the last Miata, this car is very playful.
03:42 It moves around a lot, which you notice
03:43 when you start pushing into it, there's a lot of body roll.
03:48 The car kind of pitches and rolls around
03:50 to sort of amplify the sensation of cornering.
03:53 It makes the Gs feel more pronounced.
03:57 The roll is kind of a disappointment
03:58 because this is the club spec, which gives you
04:01 a locking differential.
04:03 But it also has on top of that Brembo brakes,
04:06 Bilston shocks, and BBS wheels.
04:09 And you'd think that if you're going to spend
04:10 that kind of money, and it's good value for the hardware,
04:14 that the car would be a little bit more, I guess,
04:16 buttoned down or tightened down, stiffened up
04:19 to make that performance, make that hardware work.
04:22 Now this car feels small because it is.
04:26 And it makes it feel nimble because it is.
04:29 Now the balance of this car is extremely nice.
04:32 It feels very neutral.
04:33 It never seems like you run out of front end
04:35 before you run out of rear end.
04:37 And when you do, it's pretty controllable,
04:40 assuming that you have your corner planned out in advance.
04:44 And as Miatas have always been cars
04:47 that are about teaching you how to maintain momentum
04:50 through corners, when you screw up
04:53 the entry of a long series of corners ahead of you,
04:55 you feel the mistake.
04:56 The repercussions play out through the next series
04:59 of corners.
05:00 But that's one of the things that
05:01 helps you learn to get it right the first time.
05:04 The locking diff in this club sport
05:06 does a very good job of letting you change the car's
05:10 behavior on throttle.
05:11 On a tighter corner in second gear,
05:14 you can really feel the rear end of the car
05:17 help turn when you get onto the throttle.
05:18 You can genuinely steer it with the throttle.
05:20 It's really nice in that regard.
05:24 We have an extremely close ratio short geared gearbox.
05:28 It's not an overdrive box.
05:29 Its gear is one to one.
05:31 And as a result, it makes up for the lack of horsepower.
05:35 Gearing is the best solution to fix a low power car.
05:40 It's mechanical horsepower, I guess.
05:42 The shifter is very nice to latch onto.
05:45 And it feels really good going from gear to gear.
05:47 A nice mechanical satisfying feel when you change gears.
05:51 [ENGINE REVVING]
05:54 Now, I like this car for the same reasons
06:05 I've always loved Miatas.
06:07 It's small.
06:07 It's playful.
06:08 It's more about joy than about being serious
06:12 in terms of your driving experience.
06:14 But it's those things that make this car so satisfying to drive,
06:18 those sort of intangible traits that you know when you feel it,
06:22 but you can't really put a number against.
06:24 It's very much a toy.
06:26 It still has that toy-like quality where you just can't
06:30 really take it seriously.
06:32 And you can't take yourself too seriously while driving it.
06:35 I mean, it's a Miata for crying out loud.
06:37 [ENGINE REVVING]
06:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:45 Purrs.
06:49 Subaru purrs.
06:52 Yeah.
06:53 Yeah.
06:54 It's interesting going from the Miata to the BRZ.
07:00 The BRZ is obviously a bigger car.
07:04 It can do more stuff.
07:05 It has more functionality because we have two back seats.
07:08 We have a larger trunk.
07:09 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:12 What's interesting, though, is that this car feels slower.
07:20 It has more horsepower, but it also has longer gearing.
07:23 And as a result, it actually feels slower.
07:26 There's also a dead spot in the power band,
07:29 at about 4,000, 4,500 RPM, it seems.
07:31 I think dyno curves have shown that, too.
07:34 That when you're driving this car fast,
07:36 you spend a lot of time in there when you're shifting
07:39 and whatnot.
07:40 And that dead spot really affects the way
07:42 the power delivery feels.
07:45 Feels like there's a bit of a lull.
07:47 In terms of pure handling, though,
07:49 I think I like this a little bit more than the Miata.
07:52 And that's a statement that takes some explanation.
07:55 It's going to be the small differences that
07:58 separate them, because the Miata is so good at being a toy.
08:02 That's the reason why we gave it the win over the FR-S
08:05 a handful of years ago.
08:08 This BRZ, though, is sharp in its handling.
08:11 It's accurate.
08:12 It's slower to my butt, but the balance is very nice.
08:17 It doesn't have that roll that the Miata does.
08:20 It doesn't feel as playful.
08:22 This is a car I want to push harder.
08:24 I want to drive faster.
08:25 The Miata I'm content with at moderate speeds,
08:28 because I'm having fun.
08:29 This is something that sort of engages me
08:31 in a different emotion than the Miata does.
08:33 The Miata's joy.
08:34 This is a bit more thrill and seriousness.
08:38 The Miata definitely has the better drivetrain.
08:42 The shifter feels better.
08:43 The clutch and pedals, all that stuff feels better.
08:47 The Miata sounds better than this flat four.
08:49 [ENGINE REVVING]
08:53 This car feels a little bit more happy
08:58 to let go of its rear end.
08:59 But when it does so, it's this really nice, easily
09:02 controllable slide that's more fun than it is intimidating.
09:07 You kind of want to initiate these little bits of oversteer,
09:09 because they're so easy to do and so easy to control.
09:12 [ENGINE REVVING]
09:14 Yes.
09:16 That feels good.
09:17 These two are very close in terms of what they can get you.
09:21 But they are very different, too, in what their goals are.
09:24 Where the Miata's a bit more about enjoying
09:27 the experience of the drive, this
09:28 is more about targeting your apexes,
09:31 and nailing them, and getting out with the most speed
09:34 as possible.
09:37 I'll say this.
09:38 You can't go wrong with either car here.
09:40 Both cars are going to give you a really satisfying drive.
09:45 Both cars are going to be super fun.
09:47 Both cars have been set up so well in the way they handle.
09:51 They don't have a lot of tire.
09:52 They don't have a lot of power.
09:54 But they have such terrific balance with what they do have.
09:59 You'll probably be one of the slower guys on the road.
10:02 But you'll be having more fun than the guys
10:05 with their Corvettes and their M3s,
10:06 because you don't need to be on the ragged edge
10:08 to enjoy driving these cars.
10:10 And for people who say these cars are slow,
10:14 I will say you need to go faster into corners.
10:17 Because if you go faster into corners,
10:19 you will find that they are just as fast as you need.
10:24 But next, let's head to the track
10:25 to find out which one's more fun and which one's faster.
10:28 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:35 It's the last sweeper.
10:38 It's Streets of Willow in a 2015 Subaru BRZ.
10:44 Run this thing through the gears.
10:46 Quick, slick shifter.
10:48 7,400 RPM red line with a shift light, like a race car.
10:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:56 Nice, firm brake pedal.
10:58 Really excellent braking feel.
11:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:04 It's a drifty car under power.
11:09 Notice that I use just a little bit of power.
11:13 Car becomes very balanced.
11:15 It handles in such a nice way.
11:18 You know, a little slow entering a corner there.
11:21 Coming into the bowl turn, I crank the wheel
11:24 and not much happens.
11:26 There's a revised suspension for 2015.
11:29 And I think it may be to increase
11:31 the stability in corner entry.
11:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:37 Bouncing through the middle of the track,
11:39 suspension does a great job of soaking up
11:42 what are really enormous bumps.
11:46 Shock strike and excellent balance
11:48 between control and comfort.
11:50 [ENGINE REVVING]
11:54 Very impressive.
11:57 The Subaru is definitely better balanced under power
12:00 than it is off power.
12:03 Look at that.
12:04 Hardly any steering necessary to get around a sweeper
12:08 under power.
12:10 The engine loves to rev.
12:12 It's a high RPM power band.
12:15 Smooth.
12:16 It's that boxer flat four, inherently very smooth.
12:19 [ENGINE REVVING]
12:24 Tremendous bite from the brakes.
12:28 Again, I really like the braking feel entering turn two.
12:33 Look at that balance.
12:36 So nice.
12:39 Excellent pedal placement for matching revs on a downshift.
12:45 The Subaru feels kind of planted.
12:48 There doesn't seem to be a strong impression of body roll.
12:51 Feels as though the car has a low center of gravity.
12:54 And the lean is not very much of it.
12:58 And I like that.
13:00 I like that.
13:03 Really good in transitions as a result
13:05 of that lack of body roll.
13:07 Like this, we go left and then back right.
13:11 Not a whole lot of roll.
13:12 You see, there's not all that motion
13:15 that is pretty common in most street cars on a racetrack.
13:19 The Subaru BRZ is really comfortable on the racetrack.
13:23 [ENGINE REVVING]
13:29 What an enjoyable car to drive on track.
13:33 Just love it.
13:35 You can really pick your apexes with the BRZ.
13:38 Just a terrific car.
13:40 I recommend it to any enthusiast who likes a lightweight handling
13:44 car in the traditional sports car style.
13:47 [ENGINE REVVING]
13:54 [LAUGHING]
13:55 [ENGINE REVVING]
14:00 The BRZ handles so well, you can probably
14:03 tell it's an easy car to have a casual conversation
14:06 while going fast in.
14:08 That's the sign of a good handling car.
14:11 Very rewarding.
14:12 This is a car for someone who appreciates true sports
14:16 cars that are long on handling, maybe not
14:19 quite so brutal on horsepower.
14:22 Really rewarding for the driver.
14:27 A great driver's car.
14:28 [ENGINE REVVING]
14:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:34 [ENGINE REVVING]
14:38 [CAMERA SHUTTER]
14:39 Entering the front straight at Streets of Lido
14:42 in the brand new, all new, Mazda MX-5 Miata.
14:47 I've won a national championship in a Mazda Miata.
14:50 I've won IMSA Continental Series races in a Mazda Miata.
14:54 And I'm getting to try the brand new car right here
14:56 on the racetrack, which in many ways, the Mazda Miata is bred for.
15:01 [HONKING]
15:04 Let's talk about the elephant in the room, people.
15:06 The top is down.
15:09 I love it.
15:11 I like the convertible.
15:13 And that's a huge advantage.
15:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:17 Feels so light.
15:20 Right off the bat, there's that impression of a lack of mass.
15:25 And boy, do I like that.
15:27 It's so light, it makes the wonderful BRZ
15:30 feel like a Lincoln Continental.
15:32 I'm not kidding you.
15:34 Steering inputs.
15:35 Look at me.
15:36 I'm driving with my pinky in the air.
15:38 It's just an extension of my body.
15:42 That Miata personality is still there.
15:45 Still very much a Miata.
15:48 That balance.
15:49 I'm just tickling the gas pedal.
15:51 And it's making the car come around the corner,
15:54 working both tires almost exactly the same rate.
15:57 Very light, slick shifter.
15:59 Better than ever.
16:01 Goes through the gears pretty quick.
16:04 This engine is not as much of a revver as the BRZ.
16:08 It's actually got kind of a broad torque curve.
16:11 I'm down in third gear in the bowl corner.
16:14 And it's pulling hard at 4,400 RPM.
16:17 Into the box.
16:18 Late brake zone.
16:21 Tremendous power under braking.
16:23 I'm sure the Mazda is generating a lot more G-force.
16:28 I can feel it in the seat of my pants.
16:30 Some of that is a result of the lightweight.
16:33 A lot of it is a result of the more aggressive tire.
16:37 I love that long sweeper in the Miata.
16:40 So balanced.
16:42 Takes so little effort to drive this car fast.
16:44 And you can drift it.
16:49 And smile.
16:50 I like that.
16:59 What's great about a Miata is this car is a toy.
17:02 It's not trying to be anything more or less than a toy.
17:06 Something for fun.
17:08 Put the top down on a beautiful sunny day in the desert.
17:11 Drive it hard around the racetrack.
17:13 And it's so lightweight, you're not using up brakes.
17:15 You're not using up tires.
17:17 You're not even using up much fuel.
17:21 In these S's, I feel a very clear difference.
17:24 And this is in feel.
17:25 That roll one way, back the other way,
17:28 especially in the transitions.
17:30 The BRZ has far less roll.
17:33 In the Miata, it's quite dramatic.
17:36 Rolling back and forth.
17:37 And this is the club model.
17:39 This is the sporty one.
17:41 Look at the tail.
17:42 You see that rotation?
17:44 The Mazda has less understeer on the way into a corner
17:47 than a BRZ does.
17:48 See this?
17:49 You can just kick it loose right on the way in.
17:52 With a BRZ, that's almost impossible.
17:54 When I release the brake, it's like the Mazda turns itself.
17:59 Whereas the Subaru generates some understeer on the way in.
18:02 That is the biggest difference in the handling characteristics
18:05 of the two cars.
18:07 I don't feel understeer anywhere, folks.
18:10 Especially under power.
18:13 When it comes to driving, this is a tough one.
18:16 Both cars are fantastic on the racetrack.
18:20 I really enjoy them.
18:22 I like the broad torque curve and the light weight
18:25 of the Miata.
18:27 The BRZ, I like the lack of body roll.
18:29 And it's low, planted feeling.
18:32 Frankly, if we don't count the top here,
18:36 it's really hard to pick one over the other.
18:39 I love them both.
18:40 But I think I'm going to have to go Miata.
18:44 I don't like the body roll.
18:46 But I do love the more balanced feel on the way into a corner.
18:50 And especially, new roll, you know, the light weight.
18:55 I love the light weight of the Mazda Miata.
18:58 Now we're going to head for pit lane.
19:04 Put the top up.
19:05 Go for the pure lap time.
19:07 It's not as good for your sun tan.
19:10 But it's quicker that way.
19:11 And we'll see how these cars compare
19:13 in terms of how fast they can get around the streets of Willow.
19:16 [ENGINE REVVING]
19:19 [TIRES SQUEALING]
19:23 [ENGINE REVVING]
19:27 [TIRES SQUEALING]
19:32 [ENGINE REVVING]
19:35 [TIRES SQUEALING]
19:39 [ENGINE REVVING]
19:43 [TIRES SQUEALING]
19:46 [ENGINE REVVING]
19:50 [TIRES SQUEALING]
19:53 [ENGINE REVVING]
19:57 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:00 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:03 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:07 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:10 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:14 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:17 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:21 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:24 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:28 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:31 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:35 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:38 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:42 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:45 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:49 [ENGINE REVVING]
20:52 [TIRES SQUEALING]
20:56 It's easy to see the Miata winning this head-to-head.
20:59 It's faster in every metric, from acceleration to lap times.
21:03 And it's fun to drive, too, just like the promise it delivers.
21:07 The BRZ's no slouch, though, and some on staff
21:10 actually preferred driving it more than the Miata,
21:12 thanks to its body control and stiffness and overall precision.
21:17 Still, it's hard to argue against the fact
21:19 that the Miata is faster everywhere,
21:21 including where it counts-- the racetrack.
21:24 The Mazda Miata wins this episode of Head to Head.
21:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:30 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
21:54 [APPLAUSE]
21:57 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:00 [APPLAUSE]
22:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
22:08 [APPLAUSE]
22:11 (upbeat music)