The quick answer to the question in the title is surprisingly good. But why not just buy a Corvette if you’re after a V8-powered sports car? That’s what host Zack Klapman tried to find out in The Smoking Tire’s latest video.
Featuring a Subaru BRZ that has been heavily modified to house an LS3 small-block V8, the car in question comes from seven years of development. It’s also a car that’s very well sorted, according to Klapman.
Making 500 hp (507 PS/373 kW) at the wheels on pump gas and more still on E85, the BRZ comes from an owner who tried to get 400 hp (405 PS/298 kW) out of Subaru engines and kept blowing them up at the track. Eventually, he just decided to give in and LS-swap his car.
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“So what we’ve got, is a car that weighs under 3,000 lbs, is shorter, narrower, and has a smaller wheelbase than a C7 Corvette but makes more horsepower, has more brake, and is just the most playful—oh my god—and it talks to you!” says Klapman. “This thing just wants to wag its ass.”
Better still, it’s communicative. The throttle is responsive, the pedals are spaced perfectly, the brakes are joyous, and although the steering is a little light, it’s pretty darned good, too.
“This has way more sensory input and stimulation than any C7 Corvette that I’ve been in. I mean yeah, it’s a stripped rear interior, it’s got solid bushings everywhere, visceral. Visceral! Want to talk about driver engagement? This is driver engagement,” says Klapman before laughing maniacally.
He admits that there are some compromises that come with the car. The cabin smells so powerfully of gasoline that Klapman chooses to open the window even though he’s wearing a winter coat. And he admits that it is a touch overpowered, but is that really a problem?
As to why not just buy a Corvette? Well, the owner likes the BRZ and this car is a labor of love. As Klapman puts it, the Corvette is a good answer to the question “what V8 sports car should I buy?” But it’s not the only one. And even though some other answers involve compromise, they can be much more interesting.