This Is The Analysis Of The Video That Jalopnik Also Just Showed You

The nice people at BEST Motoring have produced another one of their entertaining pseudo-races. This one features the GT86/BRZ twins vs. the current Miata. It can be watched and enjoyed solely on its own merits. If that isn’t enough, and you want to hear some thoughts regarding the setup of the race, the performance of the respective vehicles, and the showmanship involved, click the jump.

The finishing order and best laps:

Toyota GT-86 – 1:46.0
Subaru BR-Z – 1:47.1
MX-5 Fabric Top – 1:48.6

Now for the observations:

• This test was rigged to favor the Miata. Not in the obvious sense of putting the Miata P1 on the grid, although that was done, but in the sense of having the Miata driver turning the fastest, most careful laps. The guys driving the twins (one of which is noted drifter Keiichi Tsuchiya) are goofing around and throwing time away — most obviously in Lap 3 where Tsuchiya is screwing around to make the finish closer. The Miata driver is putting his head down and hitting his marks. It’s safe to assume that the true gap between the twins and the MX-5 is more than the 2.6 seconds per lap shown in the video. The Jalopnik commenters who are frantically typing “OMFG TEH MIATA IS LIKE SO CLOSE DESPITE HAVING NO POWER LOL ITZ TEH BEST” are failing to understand this.
• Obviously the twins are identical. Tsuchiya had the inside line and never gives up the advantage from there. Don’t freak out. The lap time differences are entirely due to showboating and the fact that the BR-Z had to make the pass on the Miata in a tougher spot.
• The twins won’t drift. Yes, they will slide a bit, but when the Drift King himself can’t get the GT-86 more than a bit sideways despite having an open track and a free hand to do so, that doesn’t augur well for suburban hoons. Luckily, it doesn’t really matter.
• Nor are they particularly quick. Those digital speedometers are in kph, which means that these cars can barely break 100mph around the track. Raw speed isn’t the focus, obviously. Still, it’s worth remembering that these cars will be easy meat for V-6 ponycars… even on a racetrack. Understand?
• I want to go race in Japan. Obviously these guys are goofing around, but… they drive around with their hands on the shifter like they are in a reboot of the American Graffiti franchise, they steer approximately, they wander back and forth on the track, they coast 100 feet on neutral throttle on every entry… I remind you that Ralf Schumacher won a lot of Formula events in Japan.

Watching this video doesn’t do a single thing to dull my desire to own a Scion FR-S. If anything, the sheer fun everyone is having is quite infectious. My application to be one of the “First 86” was denied, but maybe I should go have it out with the local Toyota dealer anyway. It’s what Gan-San, who is sadly missing from this video and who would have given all these pups a solid thrashing, would do.