Dodge Challenger vs Subaru BRZ

In celebration of their final year turning perfectly good 305/35ZR20 Pirelli P Zeros into black stripes and circles on pavement, the Hemi V8-powered 2023 Challengers come in several “Last Call” special-edition models. Based on the R/T Scat Pack, the Challenger Shakedown and Swinger versions are limited to 1,000 examples each. Dodge will build 3,000 SRT Demon 170 models for the U.S. market, each making 1,025 horsepower. The rarest “Last Call” 2023 Challenger is the Black Ghost, limited to 300 units.

Verdict: For better and for worse, the 2023 Dodge Challenger is a time capsule, sending drivers back to an era where horsepower was the ultimate goal and fuel economy was a merely trivial anecdote. As it enters its final year, the Challenger offers more power than ever before, giving a dose of muscle-car performance heavy enough to match its irresistibly cool looks.

Subaru performance has traditionally boiled down to three letters: WRX. But for almost a decade, Subaru fans have gotten familiar with another three-letter code: BRZ.

The Subaru BRZ is unlike anything else in the automaker’s lineup. Subaru is known for building practical cars with all-wheel drive (AWD) and turbocharged engines, but the BRZ throws all of that away. It’s a willfully impractical two-door coupe with rear-wheel drive (RWD) and a naturally aspirated engine, aimed at providing the most satisfying driving experience.

The first-generation BRZ was introduced as a 2013 model, so the sports car was due for a redesign. The 2022 Subaru BRZ gets a restyled exterior and a more powerful engine, as well as more tech features than its predecessor. As before, the BRZ is twinned with a Toyota product. Its previous counterpart was the Scion FR-S; it's now the Toyota 86, which was renamed GR 86 as part of its redesign (and is covered in a separate review). Subaru is taking orders for the new BRZ now, but deliveries aren’t expected to begin until late October or early November.

Subaru keeps the 2022 BRZ lineup simple, with just Premium and Limited trim levels to choose from. We spent a day with the higher-tier BRZ Limited, driving it on winding Connecticut roads as well as the race circuit and autocross course at Lime Rock Park.