Subaru BRZ vs Mazda MX-5 DRAG RACE! | MOTOR

The Subaru BRZ now has a larger capacity engine but can it finally topple its rear-drive nemesis, the Mazda MX-5, at the drag strip? Don’t forget to like and subscribe! Read the article here: www.whichcar.com.au/reviews/2...
Subaru BRZ vs Mazda MX-5 Drag race video:
00:00 Intro
00:46 Tech specs
03:05 Drag Race 1
04:24 Drag Race 2
05:14 Drag Race 3
06:00 Race Stats
06:50 Roll Race 1
07:28 Roll Race 2
08:22 Roll Race 3
09:00 Conclusion
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#MazdaMX5
#SubaruBRZ
#DragBattles

[@motorofficial]

Which of these two would to you prefer to own? Let us know! You can read the article here: www.whichcar.com.au/reviews/2022-subaru-brz-vs-mazda-mx-5-drag-race

[@Telecasterland]

Bought the ND1 and powered it up more than both.

[@cdrfalcon5]

These are the LAST cars that should be judged on straight line performance. For both it's all about the driving experience on winding roads.

[@marksachse9027]

Exactly, put them through an autocross course.

[@stanmarks3950]

Two silly boys are missing the point of these cars and are playing game of stupid. These two cars are all about the emotion that is the joy of driving on back country roads @ affordable price. You can extract so much out of them and still stay on the reasonable side of legal when no one is watching is highly rewarding, leaving memories that make life worth living. Roof down MX5 is a winner, roof up F86/BRZ wins. Toyobaru brings added practicality to this equation. I have owned both.

[@Toymonkeyjr]

@@stanmarks3950 good summary

[@300bhpton]

Real shame you don’t swap drivers/cars when doing this.

[@nat22l]

2 of the best affordable modern RWD sport cars! The 275kg weight difference is indeed noticeable but the higher end power ultimately wins on the higher speed performance. Both the MX5 ND and 86 give me so much driving pleasures over any FWD and AWD hot hatches I owned the past.

[@amperformance7998]

The thing is, in practically any competitive event, these two cars would be in different classes. Moving the displacement up puts the new BRZ in an over 2000cc class. The old BRZ and MX-5 were big fish in a small pond. The new BRZ is a slightly bigger fish in an ocean. I don't think I'll trade in my MX-5, but I certainly wouldn't turn a BRZ down.

[@WheelsAustralia]

Fair take! - Mike Stevens

[@Blight-fp3vt]

There is a fair bit more than just displacement that goes into sanctioned racing classes. I don't see why many wouldn't have the both of these cars on track together without time penalties.

[@mojojoji5493]

Brz will have a huge aftermarket though

[@pkkiller_apathy4568]

@@mojojoji5493 the mx5 has a large aftermarket it's self. Baring the no turbo or supercharger on ND2 yet (ND1 has both)

[@mojojoji5493]

@@pkkiller_apathy4568 uh? Ok I didn’t say it didn’t

[@TapTwoCounterspell]

Still taking the mx5 all day long

[@fullboost]

The new BRZ is a great update.

[@motorofficial]

An absolute hoot to drive. We love it. - Mike

[@eagleheart928]

You mean the *half new BRZ righg

[@Briguy288]

I wish the BRZ's engine sounded like the MX5's

[@chrisboggs4262]

Drag racing an MX5 is like plowing a field with a helicopter.

[@screviews]

Better power to weight wins which isn't surprising but in the looks/design, gearbox, fuel economy, real sound and no rev hang departments the MX5 wins all day.

[@ryanblacklock3005]

Rev hang isn’t an issue when you’re driving hard it disappears. However around town it is definitely noticeable

[@thetacticalape8852]

Wrong. Fastest lap time wins. BRZ is also gonna be easier to live with as a daily driver and you can throw your track tires in the rear with the seat folded down.

[@freddarau]

@@thetacticalape8852 the BRZ has a slower lap time, you know that right?

[@thetacticalape8852]

@@freddarau look at lightning lap 2022. About 5 seconds faster than the fastest miata lap...

[@emmanuelperrina6105]

@@thetacticalape8852 with the same tires there will be no big difference. Also the miata has double wishbone, wich in Mountain roads helps a lot

[@zantoz1212]

Only a year plus with my Miata ND2 and im not an expert but what disappoints is that engine loves high revs. Why am I hearing such low shift changes from the driver. Don't baby it. Drive it like a sports car

[@topraman2]

Having owned both the ‘19 MX-5 club soft top w/ brembo+recaro pkg AND the ‘22 GR86, I gotta say the miata definitely feels faster off the line, more thrilling, and more fun with the top down but the GR86 is amazing at taking corners fast and in a much more stable way and is just more practical. Can’t go wrong with either though :)

[@SouthernCrossMotors]

Great stuff! And....being old-ish 😂😂 seeing 2 N/A 4 cylinder cars doing mid 14s at near 100mph is pretty cool.....

[@SilentNight115]

Even with a turbo, MX-5 was never designed for vroooming the straight away, it excels at the corners and twisty roads and being an overall blast to drive plus having topdown sexiness. Yeah it is annoying when 300+ hp SUVs try to race me from a stoplight and end up beating me since 105-120+ mph for the ND is slow af but thats not why you buy a MX-5

[@detaart]

you race suvs at the lights up to 120+ mph hmm? Sure you do.

[@keithjackson4985]

Good job. Entertaining and informative. Thanks.

[@alexinwood2723]

Cheers Keith!

[@keithjackson4985]

@@alexinwood2723 Thank you brother. You guys do a fair and honest job with your evaluations. I wish your crew health and strength!

[@stuartruberry718]

Track battle next please. Keen to see which is the more engaging

[@giannithedapperbarber]

@@Youcallthesebagels_ t nd2 will spank on the track

[@Lobo_Argent]

@@giannithedapperbarber sounds very unlikely by the numbers the new 86 puts.

[@dominikamaziing]

Great video, thanks, my 2 favorite cars and third one that is missing is Toyota GR86 but they almost the same(BRZ&TOYOTA). Cheers guys 😃

[@beizhang7799]

why don't they switch drivers Nd see the result?

[@aldotabora2371]

I'd still go for the MX5

[@mattp.7318]

So the newly re-engineered BRZ beat the existing MX5. Got it. 😉 Love em both though!

[@coreyfreeman6226]

BRZ had the same engine since 2013. Miata updated in 2018/19. 2017 and Older miatas don't even stand a chance lol

[@Michael-uy4mr]

waiting for the overall comparison between these two cars

[@trackntrail2869]

Wow, with those in car cams you can hear how LOUD the wind/road noise inside the Miata.

[@schwinnbiking]

Let's see the track challenge

[@kavalere]

Both great cars....almost bought 23 GR 86. Changed my mind and bought 22 MX-5 Grand Touring at lower price than the 86. MX-5 just looks classier. But it really came down to wanting a true roadster.

[@Daveyboy_GolfR]

The front of the new BRZ reminds me so much of the ST205 94-99 Celica. Just like most people, I prefer the more agressive front bumper of the GR86.

[@nicholasmatthews5989]

Enjoyable drag race. I always like seeing 0 to 100km/hr and 400 metres times, and the rolling races. The 6.3 sec for the BRZ is much better than I expected. :)

[@tomdoe1234]

I traded in a Kia Stinger for a Miata. It's so light and nimble. I love the high revving engine and the drop top. I never would have done that for a BRZ. If I wanted to win drag races I'd have kept the Kia it would obliterate either of those cars. Also might not have done it if I didn't still have access to a Stinger. My wife loved mine so much she bought one. Why did she get the twin turbo GT1 trim? I don't know because she doesn't drive fast, but now when I'm driving her car it's pretty sweet

[@ossiebalboa5617]

Wow loved it, thanks for doing this! Realistically on a real road you can probably add over a second to the 0-100 though.

[@todd5082]

What year is the Miata?

[@OscarC789]

Despite the Mx-5 not really built for those types of circumstances, it put up a really good fight. I love my 2022 ND2 ❤ but I do love the new 86’s a lot. Would totally own both of them. 🤘

[@motamark]

Drag racing a MX-5 is like washing a cat........sure you can do it but neither like it !

[@UnstopFooL]

This guys shifts to early,you need at least 7k rpm before go higher gear on this engines,and it looks like they shifts on 5k rpm max

[@kuladeeluxe]

Traded my 99 Miata in for a BRZ. So far so good.

[@human6593]

I saw 1000 times of start i never see perfect start 👏🏽

[@zakarneh]

Which year is this Mazda?

[@n63guy]

Really should swap out drivers between runs. Miata guy doesn't have the shifting capabilities he should.

[@sutats]

The pull at the end over the MX-5 is tremendous.

[@mattyoz0]

lol

[@Sideways_Singh]

Nice but the 0-100kph times were way off, should be getting 5.5 in the brz and 5.6 in the mx5, atleast 5.7 and 5.8 without 1 foot rollout. Maybe slow shifting & high altitude?

[@mattyoz0]

😂 you're a 🤡

[@druscanam]

I actually think the new BRZ looks a bit like a Mazda RX8, I like it. Also very similar in design philosophy too, both lightweight 2 door coups, both can be had in manual both RWD, both well priced both Japanese both naturally aspirated and both around the same power being around 170-180kw. Only difference is the BRZ engine should last more then 60,000km without a full rebuild travel twice as far on the same amount of fuel and not drink a litre of oil every 1000km. So it's a win for the BRZ 🏁😁

[@malcolmscott4150]

New BRZ very impressive 👍

[@andyh5666]

I'll have one of each thanks.

[@motorofficial]

Considering how they're priced, that's probably a realistic idea for a lot of folks! - Mike

[@Blight-fp3vt]

Are you planning on reviewing the BRZ?

[@wolfhorsky]

As an owner of mx-5 I must say - both of You made gear changes insanely bad. Sorry. I'm hating', just sayin'. It is possible to go below 6 sec on unprepared surface with ND Miata.

[@finderskeeperz8363]

It was a BReeZe! I'm content with my Limited '23 BRZ!

[@nikolai3332]

Still would take the mx5 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@manii_velle]

the thing not to forget is the brz is also the gr86 and with a turbo it will compete on the market of the supra so toyota will be on one market with 2 cars

[@KaiZen999XXX]

Almost felt like watching minivans race 😂

[@user-iz3gv5vo6b]

Why repeat the races without swapping drivers?

[@giorx5]

BRZ has 240-250PS when dynoed and Miata has less than 190PS, so...

[@richardhoulton4016]

The Miata is significantly lighter

[@TheNaqoyqatZ]

Really stupid comparison. Neither are drag cars. This is all marketing hype for best 0-60 or 1/4 time, like either really matter in daily driving. Pick the one that suits you. They are both great cars for the money.

[@wyattoutlaw2370]

These cars are fun for cornering speed not straight line speed.

[@turbro7185]

I've seen videos of stock new gen BRZ 86 beating FBO 8th gen Si and keeping up with WRX and all 🤨 I'm confused about how quick the car is now

[@amitprulovify]

Megane rs trophy vs focus st

[@themancuniancandidate2744]

Hmm. Take two cars that were never designed for drag racing or straight line performance, and....do some drag racing. What next? Taking a Rolls Royce Phantom to the Nurburgring to see how it fares against a Maybach? "Next week on Motor, more of us doing shit that makes no sense, when we will be shaving an owl"

[@andynater1885]

You two work better than Scott, he come across as condescending - nice work Alex.

[@adamkalinowski9064]

I think with the Fab 9 tune the MX-5 will edge out.

[@mrporsche4236]

6.4 0-100 for the brz. Really. I had a 2019 brz ts with a header and tune and i still couldnt get that low. Stock should be mid 7 seconds

[@Jordanball-ib3iw]

i love how the new brz wins in races but the old doesnt

[@solo-ql3se]

Barely getting away from a miata is a shame.

[@cptndave1]

Is the brz the only competitor to the mx5?? Ones a lightweight roadster the other ones not. If you could take the roof of the brz then yeah but nah.

[@BN99239]

This is an ND2?

[@richardhoulton4016]

Yep

[@mrporsche4236]

To the americans. 0-60 mph is not the dame as 0-100 kmh. Yes they can probably do 0-60 in under 6 sec maybe but not 0-100 kmh. They both hit 100 kmh in 3rd gear so thats why its that time

[@george-ng5gj]

BRZ = only car, MX-5 = weekend car

[@names-mars]

You don't by a Mazda MX-5 for straight road races. Just saying.

[@kenesufernandez1281]

❤️

[@richardhoulton4016]

Not really the point of either car.

[@VladooDIY]

Yes but, datas are data...

[@richardhoulton4016]

@@VladooDIY And sometimes data isn’t terribly relevant

[@VladooDIY]

@@richardhoulton4016 That's true. In this case, I am looking for changing my GT86 to the GR or the MX5 ....and I can't choose. Both car are so good... Even minor detail will help me pushing my decision.

[@richardhoulton4016]

@@VladooDIY You should also consider the new GR86/BRZ. It’s great. But all 3 are great

[@VladooDIY]

@@richardhoulton4016 yes, I was speaking of the new GR86, In eu, we have only the gr yaris or gr86.

[@veselingramatikov]

This cars have over 40 horsepower difference. On street there will be no difference. This shows how great Mx-5 is.

[@desso773]

I own mx5 nd and love everything especially having the open top, which BRZ is unable to offer. However, in my gut, I think BRZ is a better car if one does not consider open top.

[@mythicalducky]

Having had the pleasure to drive both cars the miata still handles better. Even if it's slower

[@emmanuelperrina6105]

@@mythicalducky double wishbone

[@Daveyboy_GolfR]

That's why I really love the RF Miata. I personally think it looks fantastic, as a hard top, while still giving you the top down option. Even if it does add a little bit of weight, you're still under 2500 lbs. BRZ or Miata comes down to personal preference, and really can't go wrong with either

[@petermartin9494]

I think the MX-5 is better in most ways but it is less practical. The MX-5 is a very high quality car.

[@Ryan-fb1ot]

Mazda Inline 6 everything next

[@mattkasicki301]

Wonder why mazda wont put the 2.5 into these miatas other than the weight factor.. hmm

[@todd5082]

I’ve been saying that for years. Mazda already has the fricken engine! They could change their motto from zoom zoom to win-win!

[@Thesaviorsway]

It would destroy the porsche boxster if it did and the transmission and differential needs to be heavier brakes heavier bigger tires and chassis would flex and distribution of weight offset....price would go up too.

[@todd5082]

@@Thesaviorsway heavier is old school way of thinking. The first Miata 1.6L eng weighed approx 290lbs at 116hp. The latest ND2 Miata eng weighs approx 287lbs but puts out 181hp. On the track there’s a reason the Miatas race and win against cars with much more hp then it has. Adding a turbo doesn’t add much weight. Therefor u don’t need massive brakes with 2,300lb cars. The Lotus Elis Cup 260 is another incredibly fast car on track with its supercharged 245hp 1.8L eng but only tips the scales at 1,950lbs.

[@alphabeta8403]

Drivers should switch next time, just incase it's NOT the driver who's losing.

[@nicholasds]

This MX5 is 1.5 ?

[@nicholasmatthews5989]

This MX-5 is 2.0 Litres, 135kW, 205Nm.

[@jull444]

"This car sounds mental inside now"... guess that dude is the reason they are pumping fake sounds into the brz.

[@ucaricare]

the miata not nd2

[@romeotrinh6415]

2.4l vs 2.0l? This is not fair fight! Mazda should go 2.5 turbo lol

[@thor_4017]

It would get hit by taxes on cc and hp. Can't giving it both and lose affordability. If Subaru used 1.6l turbo with stage one tune it would be faster than the current 2.4l brz. But possibly less affordable in maintenance.

[@petermartin9494]

The Mx-5 ND was originally intended to have a 1.5l engine. Many people say that the 1.5 was more than enough. Using the Mx-5 to drag race is just silly.

[@MasterSoda360]

Using either car to drag race is just silly. That's the point of the comparison. They are both momentum cars.

[@kgthegreatone943]

Love the new GR86

[@marksachse9027]

Neither car is purpose built to drag race.

[@00VII]

MX 5 is a better car to own and cheaper to insurance than BRZ/86 in my opinion.

[@jexhunt.307]

a mazda you should drag race should be the cx60 HAHAAH i think its faster than the mx5

[@enricollanes7655]

How many 1/4 mile runs can the BRZ do before the motor blows?

[@nicholasmatthews5989]

Based on this review, more than 3. :)

[@revaholic]

After years of emasculation, the redemption arc begins for BRZ/86 owners

[@garrettstupperware3754]

The fake engine noise in the BRZ sounds so atrocious

[@nicholasmatthews5989]

It does sound awful in this review. If I was to buy one, I would probably ask the dealer to unplug it, and then see if the natural sound sounds reasonable over a period of time. It is a pity that there is no on/off switch for it, or a sound volume control for it.

[@frankieabreu24]

B.R.Z

[@zinny999]

Show us the times? 🤦‍♂️

[@DemonHunter0069]

Mazda mx5 needs a 2.2 litre and it would trash the brz.

[@czierwo]

I like BRZ far more, and intend to pull trigger on mine some time next year. Still, great watch, both nice little cars to carve winding roads. Thanks to the channel for nice head to head races. Would be interesting to watch how an S2000 would cope against these two, in an old vs new battle. In all reality, these are not a straight line speed vehicles, but who doesn't like simple fun lol!

[@agnesnaaso8919]

Madza mx 5 will totally win the race

[@miguelcrisol3273]

there is not a big difference....,

[@richardhoulton4016]

Just sold my MX5 RF. BRZ arrives at the end of the month.

[@user-se4tk2jj8c]

Do you like the BRZ better? I am between the mx5 and GR86. I like them both

[@richardhoulton4016]

@@user-se4tk2jj8cThey are both great cars and it’s hard to pick which is best. The RF was probably more fun “road car” and is more fun more of the time, but the BRZ is more capable and far better on track. The kicker though, is that the BRZ works as a semi practical daily. The load space is on another level to the RF and the useless backseats can actually carry passengers for short trips with some front seat compromise. I’m 5’11” and have sat behind my 5’4” wife driving for a one hour trip and it was tolerable. The RF could never be your “only car” because it’s a toy. The 86/BRZ could be.

[@user-se4tk2jj8c]

@@richardhoulton4016 thank you Richard. So overall, are you happy with your decision or you have some sort of buyers remorse?

[@richardhoulton4016]

@@user-se4tk2jj8c No remorse

[@youknowme...1840]

Not fair comparison. Amateur.

[@Mav86asian]

The design of that subaru interior is so disappointing. The exterior is pretty, the interior is just terrible.

[@eyecontrol4900]

its why the car is so affordable. Nobody buys a Brz or a Wrx for a luxury interior. Even the Nissan Z and Mustang have cheap outdated interiors. Stick to Euro cars, if you want the luxury looks.

[@nicholasmatthews5989]

For me, for the price, I very much like the interior of the BRZ S. It suits the car. Sat in one a couple days ago, and I was happy. The rotary temperature controls and the push buttons below them are terrific. Very easy to adjust whilst on the go. It so much better than cars with massive screens, needing to go through menus to do any simple adjustments and thereby are a distraction. Cheers.

[@meyou8033]

One car lets you enjoy the great outdoors on a drive. One doesn’t. Drive an MX5 through any twisty forest road and you are simply in automotive heaven. The Mazda is miles and miles of smiles.

[@broshido2745]

The GR86 definitely does that too for a cheaper price and being more practical, you act like it weighs 2 tons and not 1200kg

[@meyou8033]

@@broshido2745 how does it “do that”? Unless you take to it with an angle grinder it’s got no hope of doing what I described. No hope at all. ( I know there was a drop top 86 on the drawing board, damn pity Toyota decided there wasn’t a business case. Would have been a cracker!)

[@broshido2745]

@@meyou8033 Nevermind, i thought you were talking about driving enjoyment and not about literally the outdoors, i personally love coupes, so that’s again personal preference

[@meyou8033]

@@broshido2745 Cheers mate. I thought the “ forest” reference was pointing to a drop top. Not sure I’d enjoy the same drive through a desert!

[@eyecontrol4900]

mx5 is more fun for twisty roads, brz/86 is more suitable as a daily driver. I'm 6ft, and i struggled for room inside the mx5. Brz was the better option for me.

[@plymcousa3002]

Brz win

[@lafamilia3014]

The miata driver drives worse than my mom

[@GJ-vq8fk]

Mx5 drinks 30% less fuel so mx5 wins lol

[@Sneakerkiid99]

BRZED??? ITS A BRZEE

[@yincrescentartworks6010]

Regional differences. Americans say Zee Europe says Zed

[@Sneakerkiid99]

@@yincrescentartworks6010 I think everyone in the world says ZEE besides Europe

[@johnrookjr]

Ever Headset ot British and American English? There is the answer.

[@DeadDuckers]

Mazda

[@greghill6117]

That fake engine sound 🤦‍♂

[@josephpalmisano2278]

I think I’d stick with the MX5, I’ve heard the horror stories with the old motor having issues.