King Tut's Full Blown Turbo BRZ WRB
 

11/18/2013: The car is sold to @Superbrz13

11/11/2013: The car is FOR SALE:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51135

So I sold my Cayman R two Thursdays ago, and that got me really looking for a BRZ to replace it as Subaru of Gainesville, who I ordered from still could not give me an ETA. I was lucky enough, through the help of this forum, to find one at a very small Subaru dealer in Curwensville, PA. I drove up on Friday to buy it and drove it home on Sautrday. The car now has just under 2,000 miles on it, and I love it.

Grip: After hearing the complaints of the tires being 215 width "Prius" tires, I expected there to be very little grip, but I was very surprised at how much there actually was. I was able to take corners at some impressive speeds with no squeeling or complaints from the tires. I am sure their limitations will be shown on a track, however.

Brakes: Very solid pedal feel with good initial bite. I have seen the reviews of the brakes being weak at the track, but anyone who goes to a track day and doesn't at least replace the fluid with a higher boiling point fluid and the pads with some street/track or full track pads is asking for trouble.

Clutch and Shifter: Both feel great. The shifter gives you a very solid engagement feel and lets you know you found a gear. The clutch takeup is a little high, but I have adjusted just fine.

Engine: I have heard complaints about the sound not being that great, but I really enjoy the sound of the engine. You really don't get any exhaust sound, so that may be where they are complaining. The power is okay is the best way I can put it. You can feel the torque dip prior to 4500 RPM, but everything feels great above that. I do find myself looking at the speedo in gears and realizing that everything sounds and feels great, but we really aren't accelerating nearly as fast as I am used to with prior cars. The one downside I have found is that under hard shifts from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 that either some kind of clutch delay valve or engine mapping seems to cut power to prevent drivetrain shock when I shift the car very hard.

I will have to research this to see if others are experiencing it, but I have found this in other modern manual transmissions, and find that it could be the downfall of the modern manual transmission. I believe one of the reasons manufacturers are moving towards DCTs is that they have control over how the power is applied. Now they are finding ways to control that same power even with a manual transmission and clutch pedal which really upsets me.

Interior: I love it. The seats are more comfy than the Cayman R's while still providing great bolstering. I found the navigation to work really well on the drive home, and I think the maps look great. There are some nice additions like the leather padded areas on the doors and all the red stitch work. The "comfort access" works great, and I love not having to take the key out of my pocket.

Exterior: I love the look of the car. I love the way the rear fenders bulge, I like the design of the headlights and tailights. I like the LED DRLs and the HIDs provide plenty of lighting. I am not a huge fan of the OEM wheels, but that is already being fixed by a set of 18" WedsSport TC105Ns with some 245/35/18 Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

Useage: I plan to daily drive it on all days except when I need to head out on range and then will use my Tundra. It is getting Seriously good gas mileage at around 32 MPG when I daily drive it which is better than the highway rating of 30 MPG. I may end up autocrossing it or taking it to a couple track days in the future. It might also eventually end up as the replacement for my SpecE30. I find it to be about as close to the driving experience I get when driving my SpecE30 as you can buy right now. It weighs a little bit more and makes a little more HP while having a proper LSD.

Build Costs:

Full Blown Turbo Kit $4,900
Full 08-12 STI Brake Swap $2,200
Advan RG-D 18" Wheels $2,800
Michelin Pilot Super Sports $1,000
BC Coilovers $900
EcuTek Cable and License $625
Visconti Tune $600
FA20Club.com Tune $500
ACT Clutch and Flywheel $600
Detail and Optiguard $675
FBM Oil Cooler $600
FBM Radiator $300
APR Brake Cooling Vents $300
GFB Electronic Boost Controller $300
Cusco Rear Camber Arms $525
JDL Overpipe and Midpipe $450
RAYS Lugs and Advan Center Caps $350
AEM Wideband/Boost Failsafe Gauge $300
D3PE Catch Can $300
Perrin Antenna, Bushings, and Shift Knob $180
PTP Turbo Blanket $150
Toyota GT86 OEM Armrest $150
MSL Single Gauge Pod A Pillar $100

TOTAL $18,805

http://brz.ridedomain.com/front_driver.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/front_passenger.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/rear_driver.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/driver.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/passenger.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/front.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/rear.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/front_wheel.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/rear_wheel.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/engine.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/interior_driver.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/interior_door.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/interior_center.jpg

http://brz.ridedomain.com/seat.jpg

Looks Great! Congrats.

Congrats! Very nice BRZ. But the Porsche is a really good car. I got on a Cayman S and the ride did good.

Will you write your opinions Brz vs cayman?

Cayman R for a BRZ??

Cayman R is my dream car...why did you decide to get rid of it?

Exactly, why??

KT, Thanks for your "true" evaluation of OUR cars. I find it interesting that anyone would leave a "superior" car in place of a $25k car! Keep us /me informed.
( yes it is understood that you purchased a BRZ LTD. The extra $$ does not change performance) Great pics BTW. Plz update us once your replacement wheels are installed.

Congrats!

To put it simply, to use the equity in that car for other purposes, mainly my racing budget. I have owned $60k+ cars for awhile now, and while I loved each and every one of them (E92 M3, C6 Z06, Cayman R), I have realized that I don't have to have one as a street car to enjoy my driving experience. They are all faster and will out perform the BRZ in every way, but does that really make the drive to and from work any more enjoyable? Does that make a nice Saturday morning drive down some twisty roads anymore enjoyable? I think the answer is no. I think the BRZ is damn near as enjoyable as the Cayman R at less than half the price.

yeah I had a E90 M3 and feel the same, hoping to get BRZ relatively soon.:happy0180:

That makes complete sense.

If I had the funds, I'd have gotten a Cayman R as my experience with that car was amazing - I have never felt so confident behind the wheel of a car before. But similar to your logic, I figure I can get similar enjoyment from a BRZ at a much lower price point.

Congrats on the new addition to your stable. :thumbsup:

:thumbup:

WRB really is a stunning color.

Congratz on the find! The car looks awesome and I agree completely with your rationale. It's a great time when we can buy a brand new car that's such a joy to drive at this price point.

Congrats! I'm glad to hear that you find the BRZ is an acceptable replacement for a Cayman R! Definitely a good way to have fun daily and free up some money for racing :)