Mistople's 2023 Steel GR86 - R&T Build

[mistople]

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

After selling my 2017 BRZ and moving onto an ND2 (sold), and then an Elantra N (still have it), I'm so incredibly excited to take delivery of a 2023 GR86 Premium MT in Steel. I was lucky enough to snag this allocation in a neighboring state in the exact spec I wanted: Premium MT, Steel, no options besides floor mats, at MSRP. I'll call that a win at the time of writing.

This car likely won't be modded to the degree of my last BRZ (build thread) but I'm still excited to address some of the deficiencies of the new platform and to further improve what's already good. I'm a dad now, with another on the way, so I have less time to tinker than my slightly younger self.

That said, I will absolutely be taking this to the track. But this time I'm going to keep the limits of the car lower to start. I jumped to sticky tires and a JRSC on my last car which took the car way out of my skill and comfort level on track. It took the fun away as I started chasing seconds instead of enjoyment. I also still want to enjoy the car on the street without stressing about it being too low, too hardcore, and so on. I guess I'm old and boring now

Haven't had any time to get proper photos yet. But here she is just around 450mi in.





Stay tuned for initial 7/10ths track day prep!

[mistople]

Copying over my post with first impressions and comparisons to the ND2/Elantra N from this post:

I just picked up a 2023 Premium MT in Steel for MSRP with no options other than floor mats. It cost me $32,384 + TTL. I couldn't find one near that price or in that color locally, so I ended up flying out of state to buy and pick up the car.



For context, I've owned a 2017 BRZ PP, a 2020 ND2 Miata, and a 2023 Elantra N (which I still have). I'll use those for comparisons here and there.

The drive back was mostly highway but had mountain roads along the way. So I feel like I got a decent first taste of what it's like.

What I like

No car in the price range handles like this out of the box. I'm particularly impressed with the sensation from the rear and as you accelerate out of corners. I always felt my 2017 BRZ had a bit of a disconnected rear feeling. No such problems here. It really feels like it's rotating underneath you in a very natural way. It's especially rewarding after driving an FWD platform for the last year. The ND2 is similarly agile and connected but rolls so much in stock form that it isn't quite as confidence-inspiring. It also dances over rough roads and feels like it can't retain traction in those conditions by comparison. The Elantra N is very good at speed but feels heavy and, more importantly, LONG. It feels like you're driving the front of the car, not the whole car. The N feels like it kind of wants to drift wide when cornering and I never really got used to that sensation. But there's no arguing that isn't an absolute weapon—just a different formula.

The steering feel is still great. The recent complaints that have been popping up feel way overblown to me. It feels like my old BRZ but maybe just a little lighter. It's better than the ND2 in terms of feel and directness. The N feels the most artificial of the three.

Suspension is surprisingly comfortable on rough roads. I expected worse and I know things will change in the winter on these particular dampers. It feels like a good balance for stock. It rolls a bit but nothing extreme. I'm sure the car would feel much more stable after coilovers and alignment but I'm sure just an alignment would be a good step in the right direction. There's a bit of instability on initial turn in but once things weigh up it feels very locked in. The N is much firmer even in the softest setting. the ND2 is soft but doesn't ride well over bumps even so.

The shifter is great. Like the old one but better and less picky in certain gear transitions. No complaints. The ND2 shifter is probably subjectively easier and better overall but lacks character in a way. I prefer the bolt-action feeling of the GR86.

Engine torque even during break-in conditions (4-5k and below for me) is noticeable. Passing in 6th is a non-issue and it feels so much faster under normal driving conditions.

The cabin is a nice place to be. It feels just nice enough and isn't trying to prove anything. Head unit is at least twice as fast as the big tablet-style version of Subaru's infotainment found in Outbacks etc. I fit in it easily unlike the ND2 which was just an inch or two too small for me at near 6ft tall. The seats are great. I like them better than the Recaros in the ND2 and the bucket-ish N seats.

The car is almost objectively nice to look at. Hard to argue since it's not particularly offensive unless you hate duckbills. I don't feel like a douche driving it around unlike the N or my red miata.

What I don't like

I admit I was surprised how much the engine still sounds like a tractor. It feels very unrefined and raw in maybe not such a good way. It's probably not much different from the FA20 in that regard. It's better once you get some revs going but it's kind of a let down around town. What's subjectively worse is that, because there's no real exhaust note until you're up in the revs more, you're hearing all of the mechanical things going on. Many of those things aren't super nice to listen to. Lifters, transmission noises, some odd clicks and clacks, etc., make it feel very raw. I like this and I don't like this depending on my mood. Not new to this gen however. For comparison, the ND2 and Elantra N powertrains are on another planet in terms of smoothness/refinement. But they pay the price of feeling somewhat disconnected from you. I basically only hear exhaust and turbo on the N. I miss the raw engine sounds sometimes. The ND2 is a masterclass but it lacks any real character and sounds very buzzy and small w/o exhaust mods.

As was the case with my 2017 BRZ, this is not a particularly easy or forgiving car to get rolling. The throttle and clutch feel leave you guessing a bit. This would be an area I'm specifically looking to address with modifications. It feels harder to rev-match downshift and heel toe than any of the previous manual cars I've owned. But it's also true that I'm still new to the car so go figure. The ND2 made you basically kick the throttle to get the revs up enough to downshift. I guess every car has it's quirks.

I was surprised to find the brakes requiring quite a LOT of pressure to stop the car under heavier braking conditions. I recall my PP brembos being similar but I've had more than a few "oh shit this isn't stopping that fast" moments already. It could be that it just requires force by design, or it could be that the stock PP pads were really that much better. I'm not including comparisons to track pads I used on the PP which are a totally different ballgame. It can go the other way—The Elantra N brakes feel very on/off but feel like they could stop a train. Too early to tell if that's just artificial boosting or they are indeed that much more capable.

[mistople]

I've just finished breaking in the car and it's been an absolute joy. Currently sitting at 1,2xx miles after a handful of mountain and country road drives. It's been great getting familiar with the car in stock form and to finally get to use all the revs!

The car has continued to grow on me and I'm really enjoying it out of the box.

My feelings on the throttle response are largely the same even though I'm much more used to it by now. I still want to try a pedal commander or similar assuming I don't tune the car for a while. I had also considered leaving ASC on given that it wasn't bothering me in the 0-5k range. It definitely gets considerably louder past that. Enough to make me want to pull it and get a mild-ish exhaust.

The other thing that became obvious soon after break-in was that the throttle seems heavily biased towards the first 1/3 of the pedal travel. It seems like they did this to make the car feel faster than it is. Not a huge deal but worth noting. I wouldn't mind a more linear throttle curve.

From a handling perspective, I've really started to feel like the magic of this car, at least out of the box, is in how you can feel and control the rear end with the throttle. I always felt like I couldn't tell what the rear was doing in the 2017 BRZ. The GR really reacts mid corner and corner exit to throttle changes. It feels like you can steer it without turning. On the other hand, I'm less crazy about the feel on turn in. There's a bit of softness/floatiness that I look forward to addressing. I'm curious to see what a mild alignment/camber will do. And then someday coilovers and maybe bars for fine tuning.

The brakes are fine once you get used to the more organic pedal feel.

With that, it's time for an afternoon in the garage in preparation for some casual lapping days:



For oil, I used to go with Motul 300V. It's become more expensive and I've heard good things about this Castrol Magnatec. Went with 5W-30 as a starting point. OEM Subaru filter and a bulk order of crush washers.

For brakes, I decided to start with the CSG CP pads since this will more of a street car with stock levels of grip. I'll report back how they do on 7/10ths lapping days. Motul RBF660 for fluid. I've also finally picked up some of the Motive kit for bleeding brakes by myself. I've always had a shop do it so it will be a good learning experience to do it myself.

Also pictured is my old STi(?) shift knob that I took off my old BRZ. It's the same design as OEM but red = more HP so of course it must go on.

Finally, I replaced my old helmet with an HJC H10. It's light, affordable, and seems well reviewed. Fits well for me coming from an Arai.