OK SO this is not the kind of vehicle normally associated with Subaru. This is no vet-med carrier, tup hauler or rural rep-mobile – this is the two-seater Subaru BRZ.

There are not many about, though there are definitely more of its twin sibling which is genetically similar, though born to a different father, the Toyota GT86.

The BRZ has brought back an element of 'danger' to the Subaru name, which has arguably smoothed the rough edges off its WRX rally-cloned beast.

By way of differentiating it from the GT86, Subaru has used its own suspension set-up, with some other minor tweaks. And, as you would expect from a company used to and steeped in rally success, this expertise has been put to good effect in the BRZ.

The steering is light and precise, which is just as well as the hard suspension can be a bone-jarring affair on Scotland's pot-holed roads. A farm road will have you fair jiggling.

As usual with Scoobies, the mainstay is a 2.0-litre flat four petrol engine that's rated at 197bhp in the BRZ. As this has not been breathed up by supercharging or turbocharging, then it goes without saying that the power kicks in well up the rev-range, which adds up to a pretty exciting drive once you get it singing.

The engine generates its maximum 197 bhp at 7000 rpm and 205 Nm torque at 6400-6600 rpm. When paired to the six-speed manual transmission, the BRZ does 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds.

The 2017 BRZ has been updated throughout though that boxer power unit remains ubiquitous. It's lightweight, horizontally-opposed aluminium-alloy engine block gives that definitive thrum quite peculiar to Scoobies.

The low, flat profile of the engine and its positioning give all Subarus their low centre of gravity, which is all important in the driving experience and none more so that on the BRZ.

The chassis is what Subaru call the 'symmetrical' set-up, which hinges on the weight of the engine and gearbox being spread across the front axle. I can attest that this gives the perfect weight distribution across the chassis in the BRZ.

But there's a difference in the BRZ. It's not what you usually expect from a Subaru – it's merely a two-wheel-drive.

It's a back to basics two-seater sports tourer in a similar mould to Mazda's excellent MX-5 roadster (though the Subaru has rear seats fitted, you would need to be a contortionist to get comfy).

The engineers have gone out of their way to make it sound good too. A Mahle Filter Systems sound generator is fitted which synchronises the engine note and throttle application, giving a notable lift in engine roar from around 4000 rpm.

However, this has also been tuned to keep the engine as quiet as possible at lower engine speeds for cruising.

The BRZ returns a combined mpg figure of 39.8 (automatic), or 36.2 (manual) and CO2 figures of 164 g/km (automatic) or 180 g/km (manual). That transmission choice is a six-speed effort, whichever is chosen, but as a 'driver's' car, then it's the manual that gets the nod.

New for 2017, is a Track mode which is not really recommended for normal travel, though Sports mode isn't all that much different in sharpening up the engine management set-up and drive-train.

Braking power is also updated, by replacing the standard Subaru tandem brake boosters with a single 10.5-inch unit. The BRZ has ventilated disc brakes, 16-inch at the front and 15-inch at the rear.

The updated 2017 BRZ is also equipped with the next-generation advanced airbag system which uses upgraded sensors for a greater level of safety.

A 4.2-inch colour LCD multi-information display has been added into the instrument panel. This features a G force meter, steering angle gauge, brake force gauge, lap timer and torque/power curves for driver nerds.

The BRZ comes in the SE Lux version only, which means there's lots of leather and the likes of heated seats etc. Price is £26,495 for the manual, or add nearly £1500 for the automatic – but then, why would you!