Bristecom's 2017 Subaru BRZ Performance Package

[vintagemxer]

Originally Posted by Bristecom

Well, after 5 years of waiting I've finally got myself one! As some of you may know, I held out on the Scion FR-S mostly due to limited options and uncertainties about the power being sufficient for me. When the 2017 86 was announced, I was devastated by the looks of the thing. But my hopes were renewed when I saw the 2017 BRZ refresh. And when they announced the performance package, I knew it was meant to be!


Initial Impressions:

So today I purchased my red 2017 Subaru BRZ with the Performance Package (after placing an order back in September) and it's even more impressive than I thought! The car seems lower than I remember and the aggressive lines and wing scream, "I'm aerodynamic!" It looks like a race car! And even though I've only driven it a little bit with caution due to it being cold and wet out (and the car being brand new), it makes me smile because I can hear some whining and chattering and snarling noises from the car. I think these things give the car so much character and help you pretend that you are in a race car. Yeah, I'm a boy racer at heart... deal with it!


I am almost certain the Brembo brakes bite harder than standard brakes. I've been driving an Evo X for the past couple of months and the BRZ PP's Brembos feel even more aggressive/powerful than the Evo's Brembos! Almost no pedal travel and very aggressive bite (but still easy to modulate). Again, very racy feel!

And then there's the ZF Sachs dampers. Well, comfort is largely subjective I believe but for me it seems to strike a very good balance. They're responsive while giving good feedback without being jolting. However, at 85mph, it felt a little loose which is something I remember on a previous test drive. The front seemed to wallow around a bit but that may be due to a number of factors like tires or the light weight (without gobs of downforce). But nothing too bad... I need more time to assess this.

And the wheels... originally Subaru said they'd be black for the US market but they're actually gunmetal like the Japanese models. I had very mixed feelings about the wheel design and color but now that I've seen it in person, I am very pleased. The color/tone is unique and they appear high quality without looking too aftermarkety or attractive to thieves (hopefully).

I really like the new interior. The leather spots are definitely more plush than before and I prefer the new steering wheel to the old. I always felt that the old one felt a bit odd with the thicker middle section but this is totally a preference thing. The new HomeLink mirror design is nice too with minimal bezel.

So yeah, my first impressions are very good. Frankly, I was starting to think that I was losing passion for cars and wouldn't even find it worth it. But after being with it today, I think it has and will reignite my passion for a long time to come.

Thank you Toyota, Subaru, and Subaru of Jacksonville and to all those on the forums who shared their information over the years!

First (kind of crappy) pic:

Normally not a fan of Red ...but Dayumm that IS a good looking car

[Bristecom]

Originally Posted by NLS8520

Congratulations! I understand how long that wait has been. What coating product are you going with for the mentioned wheels/car??

Opti-coat... I can't wait to get it on there but I've been so busy with work and stuff lately.

[blackstripe77]

Would appreciate some weights when you get the chance to take the wheels off the car! Thanks!