Road test: Subaru BRZ tS

When your usual ride is the family estate, the promise of test-driving the ‘ultimate joy ride’ Subaru BRZ tS is an exciting prospect. The addition of ‘tS’ to the name signals the car’s refinement by Subaru Tecnica International, the company’s motorsports division no less. Think sharper steering, Brembo brakes and firmer suspension for an enhanced racetrack-ready feel.

My friend Rhonda and I are perhaps an unlikely pair to put any sports coupe through its paces. We met at book club and enjoy knitting. But we also love a drive in the country and have reached that time of our lives that’s more about unashamed pleasure than younger folk might suspect.

We meet at Launceston’s Punchbowl Park where dappled sunlight makes the BRZ’s signature WR blue coat sparkle. The BRZ is low to the ground undoubtedly, but years of yoga sees us folding ourselves into its cocoon-like interior.

While there’s a full digital instrument cluster and touchscreen for the all-important on-road stats, the temperature controls are big, brightly lit intuitive dials. Plush, super-comfortable seats have tactile suede trim and seat-warmers, a welcome luxury on this crisp wintry day. Overall, the capsule impressively combines a motorsport and five-star luxe feel.

Soon we’re hightailing it eastwards on the Tasman Highway where the firm suspension makes itself known, the rigidity and balance of the chassis making us hug the road. I’ve been anticipating the hairpin bends up to the Sideling Lookout with a measure of excitement, and rightly so. As we wind up the mountainside, the BRZ’s meticulously engineered 2.4-litre boxer engine, rear-wheel drive and pointy directional handling make for an exhilarating drive. Sunlight flashes through the tall, old eucalypts as we pass underneath, perfectly balanced and leaning tightly into the corners.

Visitors taking in the country-and-coast views from the lookout are soon doing double takes at the BRZ’s sleek lines and quiet power. When we picked up the car from the dealership, Shane at Subaru told us we’d feel like rock stars in this car.

“On the long, swooping stretches... I shift into sports mode and it’s transformative.”

Throughout the day it inspires admiration from strangers drawn to its shiny blue magnetism.

North of the pass there’s a newly resurfaced ribbon of road into prime dairy country. The absence of surface disruption brings a fresh appreciation of the BRZ’s road-hugging balance as we descend in a rhythm of smooth turns.

Tasmania’s sweeping country roads are the perfect backdrop for the BRZ, and it sells more per capita here than in any other state.

Stopping at the roadside farm stall outside Scottsdale, we stock up on apple pies and fresh cinnamon scrolls. Then it’s a slow patrol past the town’s shops through utes and trucks, and on towards lunch at the seaside.

On the long, swooping stretches of the Bridport Road I shift into sports mode and it’s transformative. The engine practically whinnies as the six-speed transmission selects gears for a more visceral throttle response. Steering which has been tight is now pin-sharp. Braking which has been firm now becomes touchy-feely underfoot. “Ooh, eat my dust,” murmurs Rhonda as we head towards the coast.