Alex's 2013 WRB Subaru BRZ Limited

[Alex]

Hello and welcome! My name as you've probably already guessed, is Alex, and this is my member's journal for my 2013 WRB BRZ Limited.

Current Mods:

Engine/Power:
- GReddy Evo3 Cat-back Exhaust
- HKS Super Hybrid Filter

Interior:
- Cusco Spin Turn Knob
- 35% Window Tint

Exterior:
- JDM Clear Side Lens
- Perrin Front License Plate Relocate Kit
- Perrin 2'' Shorty Antenna
- HT Autos Front Lip Spoiler
- DistantXtremes Chrome Head Light Bulbs
- DistantXtremes Chrome Tail Light Bulbs

Wheels/Tires/Brakes:
- BBS Forged '02-04 WRX Optional Rims 5x100 17x7(+55)

Current Picture:

[Alex]

I'll start off with a bit of my background story and what this car means to me. First off, before I could drive, my brother modded and drifted a 1985 AE86 Corolla GT-S. He currently has 2, one hatch and one coupe. I would always attend the events and by the time I was old enough to drive, I was ready to get into racing as well. I was fond of the AE86, but it wasn't the car for me. I had a thing for Subarus. So in 2008, I found my very first car, a completely stock Rally Blue Pearl 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS Coupe. I've had the Impreza for four years and have been modding and autocrossing it since I got it in 2008. I love it and still own it today and very active in autocross with the Impreza.

My 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS(as it sits today).


Me and my brother learned of the Toyota/Subaru concept way back in 2009 and knew something awesome would come of it. We've followed it through the years and excited to see it finally here! I like to think of this car as a combination of the AE86 and GC8. Mine being N/A and a 2 door Subaru, while the AE86 having the design and RWD. You may be getting flash backs of Initial-D right now, but needless to say, he will be going with the FR-S, while I stick to the BRZ! I pre-ordered my BRZ Limited in February after seeing one in person at the Washington D.C. Auto show. I was #1 on my dealers list, RK SUBARU in Virginia Beach. Order went in March 1st, and a few months later on May 29th, it had finally arrived! I purchased the car and finished all the paperwork on the 28th of May, so all I had to do was pick it up. So thus begins the journey of the first BRZ delivered in southern Virginia.

The day my BRZ arrived:


Literally right after we finished paperwork and I was handed the keys to my BRZ, we went straight to the Toyota/Scion dealership were my brother picked up his Whiteout Scion FR-S 6MT. All the workers at the Toyota dealership came out to check out the BRZ and FR-S side by side to see the differences and admire a truly spectacular car. They even moved one of their cars so I could park right in front of the FR-S, haha! Got a quick shot with my iPhone at the Toyota dealership.



After owning it and driving it for a few days, I love it. It's everything the reviews say it is. The handling is superb right out the box and everything just feels right about the car. The only problem I had was the blind spot, but what do you expect from a small sports car. I'm a small enough person to fit my head out the window, so it's not a huge problem. Here are a few photos of me with the BRZ! I love it!





My 2013 Subaru BRZ First Impressions:

Drive - This car is a feather on wheels! Just like the reviews in the major magazines, this car is a real drivers car. The handling right out the box is spot on and doesn't feel a bit out of control, even if you get the tail loose a bit, which I've gotten it loose a couple times. Step on the gas and the car just goes. It's so light that it feels like a feather, even though it only has 200hp. The best thing is that the car is so low, that there is hardly any body roll in tight turns. I love it! It's very smooth on the roads and very nimble. You can definitely feel the difference between the RS and the BRZ, but both handle great. If I were to choose which is better comparing both cars as stock, then the BRZ would of course be better. It would take a lot of mods for an RS to compare with the BRZ's out of the box performance. But enough comparing it to the RS, what this car really feels like is a 1970's Datsun/Nissan 240Z. Having owned a restored 240Z for a year in 2010, I can say this accurately. Again, not a lot of power, but both being lightweight, which makes up for the power loss. Both fairly easy to launch and not difficult to toss loose, while still being able to control the car the way you would want it to. Seeing the fender lines while behind the passenger is nostalgic to the 240Z, because you would always know where your front tires were. This is the very same with the BRZ and I love it!

Now onto how the BRZ feels during some aggressive driving. After taking it to my local autocross, I finally was able to test out this car without any holding back! First off, the car was surprisingly quicker than I had expected on the faster straight parts of the course and the car handled like a champ. With the VSC Sport mode on, the car is a bit squirmy coming out of corners, that is if you are pushing the car, but the entire time the car still feels and is in the control of the driver. Good right?! Yes, very good. It was incredibly fun to drive this car and put a smile to my face the second I took of from the start. Taking the turns with very to little body roll on stock suspension is simply amazing! The only downside I saw was the lack of acceleration from 2nd gear coming out of a sharp sweeper. I know people talked about a dead zone and this is were it's at. I almost feel that if I had drifted the turn, it would have been quicker. I didn't want to throw it into first though as it would put it into high RPMs and cause it to loose while already committed into the turn. All in all though, this car was a blast to drive and I enjoyed the car very much! With a good set of tires, this car will become a very popular competitor at any event.

Interior - I really like the interior a lot on the BRZ. The seats sit low and hold you in just right. The steering wheel is good, but not the greatest. The diameter is small which I like, but the thickness when putting your hands around is a bit too thick. You can still get a full grip, but maybe not as firm as some might like in certain spots of the wheel. The layout of all your buttons are easy to reach and to turn on in the center console. The gauge display is very well done, easy to read and find all your indications. The navigation is a pretty cool feature. You can use bluetooth with your phone and save all your contacts to the car's system. GPS is standard and has a slot for an SD card to update new maps. I like that the car comes with four months free of XM radio too, haha! Pedals aren't bad, took a while to get used to at first, but easy once you've gotten used to it. Shifter is awesome. Already feels like it has super short shifts even for stock, which makes it a blast to drive. The view from the windshield is pretty cool. I love looking at the pumped up fenders from the inside since they can really show you where your tires line up. The only bad thing about the interior is the driver's side blind spot. Trust me...you won't see shit unless you stick your head out the window or have your mirrors set up just right. Oh...did you say something about the backseat? I don't know what you're talking about...I personally don't think I will have any use for the back seat as far as passengers go, but who knows, I may find use for it someday. The fact that you can fold them down though, is fantastic for those who can haul all their track equipment around.

During my seat time at autocross I was again very pleased with this car. My helmet fit fine in the car as well as my passengers who requested ride alongs. Visibility was excellent and I could clearly see everything in front of me, letting me get very close to the cones and shaving off time. In the sharper turns the seats held me in great. I hardly moved at all. Next thing, the steering wheel felt awesome as well. The grip and the diameter of the wheel are spot on in the BRZ. I really don't have any complaints or concerns about the Interior at all during aggressive driving. Nice job Subaru/Toyota!

Exterior - Whats not to like? The exterior is very clean with smooth line all over the car. Toyota did a good job with the design of the car I think and the front end does seem to fit more like a Subaru-like car, opposed to the FR-S's more aggressive looking front. I won't say a lot about the exterior, because the pictures of the design speak for them selves(although the car looks much lower in person), but the fender piece on the BRZ is a little lame I think, since it's not an actual vent, but a cheap plastic cover. It doesn't look bad, but I wish it had some function. The HID headlights are very cool, with adjustable settings from the interior. Daytime runners are another cool feature to have on the car as well, giving it a more higher end look. I wish the kept the clear side markers over the USDM amber ones those, but they are easy to swap out for the clears if you have $100 to blow. Driving on the roads is fun, lol! People break there necks to check it out, haha. I'm scared it may cause an accident soon if people aren't careful looking where they are going at the same time! I'm being dead serious too there.

Engine/Power - The engine compartment is pretty nice. You can pop the aluminum hood with one finger it's that light. Everything seems to be pretty easy to reach and the oil filter is right on top! The only thing I can really say about the engine is that it's kinda noisy, lol. The stock exhaust tone isn't too bad at higher RPMs, but an aftermarket exhaust down the road will really make this baby scream! One cool thing is the sound tube located in the engine bay. This is something new to me and I have to say I quite like it. It gives the driver a reminder they again, they are in a true sports car when they hear the sound of the engine leading into the interior when put into higher RPMs. As mentioned above, during aggressive driving this motor is pretty preppy. It is surprisingly pretty quick on the straight parts of the track, but coming out of a hard corner in 2nd gear, the car lacks the power to get back up to speed which was a bit disappointing. But overall the car is still a blast to drive purely on the handling capabilities alone.

[Lonewolf]

That's cool that you and your brother own the twins...

What else do you have planned after tint?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf

That's cool that you and your brother own the twins...

What else do you have planned after tint?

Well I use my Impreza to autocross, so I'm not sure just yet as to how many performance parts I am going to put on. But I do plan for lowering springs and an exhaust once more have been released so I can explore my options. I want the clear side markers...I'll get those if I get some cash to just toss towards them. I've already ordered a license plate re locator for the front plate, so that's one thing on it's way!

I am thinking about autocrossing the BRZ later this month to get the feel of it's true capabilities with a friend who owns a Firestorm FR-S. Other than that, I'm just going to enjoy the car for now, keep it as clean as possible, and try to stay out of trouble with it, haha.

[Guff]

Congrats to you and your brother!!! Is he on the forum?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Guff

Congrats to you and your brother!!! Is he on the forum?

Thanks! And yes, his username is JDMrolla.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by Alex

Thanks! And yes, his username is JDMrolla.

Ahhh, I think I recognize that name! Tell him to post up his impressions!! If he hasn't already, that is.

[Jay Grey]

Nice review & pics... Congrats!

[Alex]

Here is a shot with the 35% window tint that was just finished. I have the Perrin License Plate bracket on pre-order and I may get the clear turn signals, because the amber ones are just ugly looking since that's the only orange on the car. But I've been thinking about getting the Nameless axle back exhaust too. So maybe more updates soon!

[crx300x]

Congrats on the car! I'm still waiting for my VIN from RK. I guess the GBS is just a little too rare of a color. haha Is 35% the max allowable tint in VA?

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by crx300x

Is 35% the max allowable tint in VA?

Think so. It definitely is in Maryland.

[crx300x]

I figured it would be. I know some states are VERY picky about tint and others don't care. I know Montana doesn't care but then again, they didn't have a speed limit until 1999. haha

[Alex]

Originally Posted by crx300x

Congrats on the car! I'm still waiting for my VIN from RK. I guess the GBS is just a little too rare of a color. haha Is 35% the max allowable tint in VA?

Actually it's not. You won't get a receipt if it's all the way around. I'm not sure what the minimum is for VA, but 35% is legal in the rear, but not on the driver and passenger door windows. Hopefully you'll have a VIN soon. I'm sure Lynn will let you know asap when she gets it.

[KI_ZN6]

Love the World Rally Blue, I hear it's hard to locate this colour compared to others because the allocation of WRB is reserved for alot of corporate activities and events.

Nice ride bro!