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05-31-2012, 07:51 PM | #1 |
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RallySport Direct's BRZ: The Albino Rhino
Current Mod list as of 6/27/13 Engine: Vortech Supercharger Dimple Magnetic Oil Drain Plug Prova Oil Filter Tomei ExpremeTi Titanium Catback Nameless Performance Overpipe/Downpipe Catted Kartboy Lightweight Crank Pulley GrimmSpeed Oil Cap Matte Silver GrimmSpeed Battery Tie Down Suspension: Tein Street Flex Coilovers W/ Pillowball uppermounts Tein EDFC Active Whiteline Front Swaybar 20mm Whiteline Rear Adjustable Swaybar 16mm Cusco Front Strut Bar W/ Master Cylinder Brace Cusco Adjustable Rear Lateral Links Drivetrain: PST Carbon fiber Driveshaft Whiteline Gearbox Positive Shift Kit Whiteline Rear Positive Traction Kit Cusco Engine Mount Set Cusco Rear Differential Support Brace Wheels/Tires: Work CR KAI Ultimates - Custom Blue -18x9.5 +38 Rear -18x8.5 +47 Front Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 -245/40/18 Rear -235/40/18 Front Brakes Front: Brembo GT 355x22 2-piece Rotor, 6-piston calipers - custom white color Rear: Brembo GT 345x28 2-piece Rotor, 4-piston calipers - custom white color Exterior: Lamin-X Yellow Head Light Covers APR Carbon Fiber Brake Ducts APR Carbon Fiber Side Rocker Extensions APR Carbon Fiber Rear Bumper Skirts Carbign Craft Carbon Fiber Alternator Cover STi JDM Clear Corner Lights APR Carbon Fiber Formula GT3 Mirrors APR Carbon Fiber Front Air Dam Tom's Taillights Interior: JPM CoachWorks Black Alcantara W/ Red Stitching Shift Boot JPM CoachWorks Black Alcantara W/ Red Stitching E-brake Boot Kartboy Short Shift Kit W/ Rear Bushing ATI 60mm Vent Pod Defi 60mm Red Racer Boost Gauge Prova Steering Wheel Links to DIY Write-ups: DIY BRZ / FR-S Oil Change DIY APR Door Mirror Install DIY Prova Front Fender Emblems DIY Tein EDFC Active DIY Vortech Supercharger DIY ATi 60mm Vent Gauge Pod DIY Prova Steering Wheel Install First Impressions of the car: That’s right folks, its official name is the Albino Rhino, and little did we know that the name would actually be very fitting for the little car. After getting a chance to put about 40 miles on the car today I wanted to go over some of my initial impressions as well as the impressions of the other guys here at RSD. When you get in the car, the first thing that comes to mind is how much the interior does not feel like a Subaru, and I for one actually like this. It feels like you are in an actual ****pit with the driver in mind, even though the dash is not wrapped around you, it sure feels like it is, the door panels sit very high which gives you the impression that you are sitting very low in the car. Which makes sense as you actually are sitting very low compared to most cars on the road, but unlike other cars with very low seat positions, your legs still have plenty of room, and it does not feel like your legs are stretched out in front of you and on the floor. Everything you touch on a day to day basis on the car feels great, the steering wheel is nice and chunky and has a proper feel in your hands, the shift knob and shift lever are in a great position and feel solid and shifting feels notchy and the distance between gears is nice and short. It no longer feels like you have a mile of rubber bands between the transmission and the shift lever, and feels more like the shift lever goes directly in the transmission. It gives me the impression that Toyota was allowed to run with the gearbox, as it feels more like the manual transmission Toyota/Lexus cars I have driven and not anything like a Subaru gear box. The handling on this car is where it really stood out to me, it is rare to drive a car that is very comfortable yet firm, but will still hold its own when you really throw it into a corner. When pushing the limits though the corners, the stock tires will hiss like an angry cat, but they still provided good feedback even though they felt as if they were folding over on themselves. Steering is crisp if a bit on the heavy side. Some of the guys here loved that, and some said it made the front end feel a bit too heavy. I thought it was a huge improvement over the previous Subaru chassis, but still was not quite as sharp as I hoped it would be. The handling is where it reminded me that we chose the correct name for the car, as it does not feel as nimble and light as you might expect, but it does have great grip and is very sure footed through even the roughest of corners, the tires stay planted to the road, and the torsen LSD keeps the one tire fire at bay. A mechanical LSD would be ideal, but this stock unit is whisper quiet and actually pretty effective when pushing the car through the twisties. Body roll is there, and you can really feel it when you throw the car into a tight corner, but does not feel like it takes away from the driving experience or the handling, and all in all it feels very well set up and balanced. All and all I would say the car is great right out of the box, I feel that because I followed the car even since it was only a rumor, I expected too much out of it. I was hoping it would be more raw and more focused, more responsive and more nimble. However once I got over the initial disappointment that this 25K car did not live up to my 100K expectation, I was nothing but happy with the little rhino. It’s cute, it’s fun, it will make you smile throwing it into corners, and overall the car is a great “sporty” car. I would not go as far as calling it a sports car, as I would put M3’s, Porsche’s and the like in that category. But coming from a joint venture between Subaru and Toyota, it is a step in the right direction and I think they did a stellar job on this project. I for one would be proud to own any BRZ/FR-S/FT-86, and can’t wait to see how they tweak the car in future models. I would like to put more miles on the car before getting into any recommendations in regards to modifications, but right out of the box I feel the car would benefit greatly from new performance tires and swaybars. Everything else actually feels really good to me, but that could be due to the stock tires somewhat masking the other areas of the cars that may need attention. We will keep you up to date on the modifications and our impressions of installed parts as well so stay tuned. Words by: Rick Conk Photos by: Jasmin Topalovic I also wanted to give thanks to every single person here at RallySport Direct, and all of our fantastic customers, without them this project would still be a dream, and yet it has become a reality, so I cannot thank all of you enough. Like us on Facebook!!! Last edited by RallySport Direct; 01-13-2014 at 12:26 PM. |
The Following 9 Users Say Thank You to RallySport Direct For This Useful Post: | BobDigi5060 (09-13-2012), Dr.Science (06-07-2012), ESBjiujitsu (06-01-2012), Fly Guy (06-02-2012), Hotchkis (08-21-2013), illmatic (05-31-2012), Spaceywilly (05-31-2012), supra2nv (07-06-2013), tripjammer (03-13-2013) |
05-31-2012, 07:55 PM | #2 |
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Good read!
I was wondering when you gonna get BRZ. I'm glad to see local shop got a hands on BRZ! |
05-31-2012, 08:22 PM | #3 |
Looks good gents. Sent Ben an email.
Justin |
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06-01-2012, 03:47 PM | #4 |
MUST HAVE MORE 86 ! ! !
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looking slick in white!!!!!
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WISH LIST: Whiteout FRS- Bronze 18' race rims, Cooper Zeon RS3-S tires,
Cusco Coilovers, Cusco 6 point cage, CF Lip spoiler, CF F1 Mirrors, HKS GT-86 SC 92 carmy -> 86 corolla-> Honda S2000 -> Audi TT -> Mazdaspeed6 -> NEXT UP TOYOTA FT-86!!!! |
06-01-2012, 03:55 PM | #5 |
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I love that name: Albino Rhino. Now i need a nickname for my galaxy blue limited...
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2013 BRZ Limited- GBS - 6MT -VIN #0937 ~~NYR SCCA # 18 C Street R (CSR)~~ "But there’s no mistaking the noise. This car is loud, and not in a particularly nice way. There’s no crisp exhaust note, no induction wheezing. It’s just the sound of petrol exploding in a metal box." - Jeremy Clarkson |
06-01-2012, 07:46 PM | #6 |
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Thanks guys! Just took it out for another spin, and the more I drive this car, the more I like it! Now just can't wait for it to be broken in so we can really see what it is made of!
Thanks, Rick |
The Following User Says Thank You to RallySport Direct For This Useful Post: | ESBjiujitsu (06-02-2012) |
06-01-2012, 09:20 PM | #7 |
Storm Vanguard ONE
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I've ordered stuff for my WRX from you guys in the past, so glad to see you're supporting the BRZ too!
Any word if JPM Coachworks are doing anything for the BRZ? I really think some alcantara would look lovely in this interior. |
The Following User Says Thank You to touge-n00b For This Useful Post: | blu_ (06-01-2012) |
06-01-2012, 09:35 PM | #8 |
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Agreed I was eyeing my brake and shift boot today, as well as some other interior panels.
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06-02-2012, 11:04 AM | #9 | |
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Quote:
Albino Rhino has a nice ring to it, but it doesn't really fit the BRZ's demeanor. I'd liken it more to a cat or something a little more nimble. When I think rhino, I think Camaro or Challenger.
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06-05-2012, 12:34 PM | #10 |
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Quick shot from a meet over this weekend
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06-07-2012, 09:11 AM | #11 | |||
Congrats RSD, the car looks great!
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Cheers, Alex |
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06-07-2012, 10:13 AM | #12 | |
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06-07-2012, 01:56 PM | #13 |
Curious cat.
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Rallysport direct. I know you guys from the Evo world (oddly). Great to see you in the game!
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06-08-2012, 01:30 AM | #14 |
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