THERE are many milestones on the road to her adulthood the father of any daughter dreads.

Extortion based on the warning "but mum said...", tears, although mine had to punch me really hard to get me to cry, and the rasping, tin-pot growl of a boyfriend's car.

Sometimes it is the nothing-to-fear croaking of a 1.4 terminal hatchback which, so long as good rubber is fitted, shouldbe safe.

But then there are the others. Cars which convince chummy he is equipped with the bull's cajonesbut in fact leave in their wake onlookers universally making the same hand gesture. And it is not a polite one.

The chap before the Audi-owning pharmacist who has been selected as life partner drove a Subaru Impreza STI.

You could hear him five streets away which was handy because this was a man so ugly you had to close the curtains on nan.

I struggled to work out how he navigated with his head on back to front until I realised that was just his hat.

What really worried me was that he thought he could drive. But then he also thought he could speak coherently and was safe left to buy his own clothes.

Subaru has had a lot to answer for with fathers. No dad likes to think that his daughter's squeeze thinks going out to eat is doing doughnuts in theASDA car park.

That, however was then, and this is the future where you can still get a bit of lunacy but more likely will opt forSubaru's famed rural off- road ability or a touch of two-plus-two class, the BRZ.

Toyota has already updated its part of the legendary partnership, the GT86 and now it is Subaru which puts in the tweaks and touches.

The 2017 version is, as a result a better place to sit and a far from unattractive proposition in the sub-£30,000 sporting market.

The BRZ has never really reached its sales potential.

Revisions are not massive, on the outside there is a reworked front bumper and grille which give the car a bit more of a muscular attitude and LED headlights, a rear spoiler and sexy 10-spoke alloys.

By far the biggest cosmetic improvements come in the cabin.

Gone is the low-rent finish with new fascia materials, a better steering wheel and plenty of up-market leather stitching scattered about.

Just to enforce the message that this is a car for fun, a trip display has been added to the dials which meters G-forces, torque and power as well as providing a lap timer. Well you can pretend.

Look, it is not the busiest of interiors but has an infotainment touch screen and a sporting feel.

More important is that here is a driving position which hits the target.

That, though, is all incidental to the BRZ's reason for being, the driving experience.

The 2.0-litre Boxer engine has been revised to improve responsiveness and bring down emissions.

Its 197bhp takes you to 62mph in 7.6 seconds which, being in a low slung car, feels mighty exhilarating aided by chassis improvements which mean it is a superbly engaging car to push on in.

Being rear wheel drive there is predictable slithering possible for those old enough to remember what to do with it, including smile.

At lower speeds new dampers have ironed out some of the excessive bumps of daily life, use it for a regular long commute though and the distinctive engine noise begins to grate.

£24,655 buys the suitably kitted SE Lux and if you are looking at such a car the 36.2mpg won't be an issue.

The drug seller with the Audi has contrived to bring upon me grandfatherhood despite the many items behind his counter which could have postponed this daunting prospect.

However, I can't fault histaste incars and neither would I if at some time in the future he was looking to recapture a bit of youth with the BRZ.