Adequate/Inadequate power for DD on stock BRZ?

[rvoll]

Hey, guys/gals.... Who cares? This car is what it is.... A great handling, balanced car that is one of the most fun cars to drive. It is also one of the most modifiable cars out there. I don't care if it is not a dragster. I don't care if it is not a race car. Just put me behind the wheel and measure the smile on my face...

Face it.... A new Vette or Cayman is a better sports car. I could have purchased either one new, and in fact, test drove both. I've owned Porsches for 27 years or so. But they are serious cars. I wanted a fun car, and this is it. You get the feel of the road so much more than those cars.

Now I'm not going to modify this car (except for the tires), because I like it the way it is (I have a 2018). Yeah, I'll do some cosmetic stuff like putting in a radar detector, some front parking sensors, a phone mount and an armrest, but I won't lower the car to reduce the ride quality or put on wide tires that don't do virtually anything. But a lot of you feel good when you put in a turbo or put 265's on the wheels, or slam the car to the ground. If that's what floats your boat, then go for it. The fun thing is that you can do all of that to this car. I would never lower a Vette or Cayman or put on wider tires. That said, this is not one of the great track cars. You can have "fun" at the track, but it is not a serious racer without significant mods.

So if you need your testosterone flowing by saying this car is the fastest, then make yourself feel manly. As for me, I like it the way it is and will continue to drive it with a smile on my face....

[mjanmohammad]

Originally Posted by rvoll

That said, this is not one of the great track cars. You can have "fun" at the track, but it is not a serious racer without significant mods.

I agree with you on every point except this one. 86s are some of the most capable track cars I've ever driven. In Dallas there's an owner with a stripped/caged naturally aspirated 86 that regularly spanks the shit out of other race-prepped E9x M3s and other cars you might consider to be more "serious racers" in NASA TT3/4.

[atomicalex]

The fastest guy in my VW track club used to run a 90hp MkI GTI. He kicked the crap out of built Audis and later VWs all day long. Dude was hilarious to watch - soooo chill.

He is dusting people in his stock FRS now.

The driver is fast. The car is only a tool.

[SCQTT]

I drove my uncles new Camaro SS on Sunday. It was big and heavy and the visibility was horrible. That said the torque was intoxicating. So much grunt.

1500 RPM at 65 MPH in 6th, its like 5th & 6th are overdrives. I bet the thing will go 140+ in 4th.

The Brembos and giant tires are stupid strong.

I known its a Camaro.....but for 1/3 additional cost over the price of a twin that thing is A LOT of car.

[mjanmohammad]

Originally Posted by atomicalex

The fastest guy in my VW track club used to run a 90hp MkI GTI. He kicked the crap out of built Audis and later VWs all day long. Dude was hilarious to watch - soooo chill.

He is dusting people in his stock FRS now.

The driver is fast. The car is only a tool.

That was the point I was trying to make, I know I'm nowhere near the potential of this chassis. Sometimes I wish I had waited another year to boost it.

[why?]

Originally Posted by SCQTT

I drove my uncles new Camaro SS on Sunday. It was big and heavy and the visibility was horrible. That said the torque was intoxicating. So much grunt.

1500 RPM at 65 MPH in 6th, its like 5th & 6th are overdrives. I bet the thing will go 140+ in 4th.

The Brembos and giant tires are stupid strong.

I known its a Camaro.....but for 1/3 additional cost over the price of a twin that thing is A LOT of car.

They are doing some amazing things with the Camaro. It is like they finally realized no one gave a crap if a Camaro was almost as good or even better than a Vette and just made it awesome.

[SCQTT]

Originally Posted by why?

They are doing some amazing things with the Camaro. It is like they finally realized no one gave a crap if a Camaro was almost as good or even better than a Vette and just made it awesome.

I know. Insert eyeroll, its a freaking Camaro, I don't want to grow a mullet, but dang, that thing is bad ass.

[Rai-zero]

I could have bought a GT Mustang for not a lot more money than a tS because they slap like $8K discount on them.

But I’m not really concerned about having 400hp or doing burnouts. I’m sure most guys could’ve bought a GTi or Mustang or something with more power.

I’m more coming from the other direction, I used to own a S2000 and I don’t fit in a MX5 so the BRZ is the best/logical car.

I’m well used to owning lower powered cars and really like light weight more than big power.

I still think a car like a GTi makes sense and if I was getting one as a second car that would be fun but the BRZ is just in a different class for driving enjoyment.

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken

I personally know guys posting faster laptimes than people driving cars with twice the HP. and on the street, the power is even less useful

Sure.... still not one of the fastest cars out there.

Power is power, whether is useful or not depends on the setup and driver. It's a fun car, relatively quick.... fast? No.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

Sure.... still not one of the fastest cars out there.

Power is power, whether is useful or not depends on the setup and driver. It's a fun car, relatively quick.... fast? No.

This ^
It is not a "slow" car.
It is not a "fast" car.
"Relatively quick" is probably the best term used as it is faster than many but not fast as other.
Certainly not one of the "fastest out there" even in the corners.

[Tristor]

Originally Posted by why?

They are doing some amazing things with the Camaro. It is like they finally realized no one gave a crap if a Camaro was almost as good or even better than a Vette and just made it awesome.

Honestly the new ZL1 1LE is really damn good. Almost too good.



I've got an acquaintance that buys a car, tracks it for awhile, trades it in and gets another. I think he's been through ~25 cars for every one car I buy (since I keep mine for at least 10 years at a time). Anyway, he's currently got a ZL1 1LE, and while he was a bit elbows and assholes on the local track, he set a 20 second faster laptime than I did mainly because being on power constantly in a much more powerful vehicle meant he had on average 15-20mph faster times in every track sector than I did in my BRZ. The BRZ had higher speed through the corners, but I just couldn't accelerate fast enough when not on a corner to match his speeds. Where I was doing 81, he was doing 112, where I was doing 73, he was doing 95, etc.


Granted, I'm also new to the track and he's a more experienced driver, so continued driver mod may change the situation, but I was blown away watching his replays. That Camaro wiped the floor with what I could do in a BRZ. Of course the Camaro also costs 3x what the BRZ costs as well, for the difference in cost I could go built motor, racing pulley supercharger, and complete carbon fiber body replacement + strip out, which would give the BRZ a better power/weight ratio than the Camaro ZL1. I don't have that sort of money or I might have bought a ZL1 myself after a fantastic test drive I had when I went looking.

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by Tristor

Honestly the new ZL1 1LE is really damn good. Almost too good.



I've got an acquaintance that buys a car, tracks it for awhile, trades it in and gets another. I think he's been through ~25 cars for every one car I buy (since I keep mine for at least 10 years at a time). Anyway, he's currently got a ZL1 1LE, and while he was a bit elbows and assholes on the local track, he set a 20 second faster laptime than I did mainly because being on power constantly in a much more powerful vehicle meant he had on average 15-20mph faster times in every track sector than I did in my BRZ. The BRZ had higher speed through the corners, but I just couldn't accelerate fast enough when not on a corner to match his speeds. Where I was doing 81, he was doing 112, where I was doing 73, he was doing 95, etc.


Granted, I'm also new to the track and he's a more experienced driver, so continued driver mod may change the situation, but I was blown away watching his replays. That Camaro wiped the floor with what I could do in a BRZ. Of course the Camaro also costs 3x what the BRZ costs as well, for the difference in cost I could go built motor, racing pulley supercharger, and complete carbon fiber body replacement + strip out, which would give the BRZ a better power/weight ratio than the Camaro ZL1. I don't have that sort of money or I might have bought a ZL1 myself after a fantastic test drive I had when I went looking.

If the brz had higher speed through the corners, it's apparent he is very new to the vehicle.

[Geese1]

Originally Posted by SCQTT

I know. Insert eyeroll, its a freaking Camaro, I don't want to grow a mullet, but dang, that thing is bad ass.

My other choice before buying the BRZ was a Camaro 1SS 1LE. Was seriously considering one, but I ended up deciding I wanted something lightweight, and fun to drive year round.

While the Camaro is no doubt supremely capable, there's no getting around it's a heavier car. And I also wasn't sure how good it would be year round in snow and rain. While there are plenty of videos of the twins being driven in the winter, there are very few with the Camaro. Didn't want to take a chance with a 400+ hp car in the snow when I'm just getting back into driving rwd!

Still would love to have an American V8 at some point. Never owned one, and I'm just hoping they're still around when I decide to buy one in the future.

[GrantedTaken]

If you think the word fast only means what happens when you press the gas pedal, you have a simple understanding of cars.

Go to a track day, and a Lotus Elise is also one of the fastest cars out there. It has even less horsepower than a BRZ. Yet you don't hear silly people complain that it's slower than a minivan.