I didn't like the steering wheel buttons anyway.

I'll be uploading all of my NAIAS pics tonight hopefully (lots of BRZ and some FRS pics).

Noticed one thing in person that I never noticed in pics (I'll post the examples later). The FRS headlights buldge past the front bumper while the BRZs sit "behind" the edge of the front bumper. I greatly prefer the BRZ there as the FRS headlights look like they don't quite fit.

URL for my NAIAS pics (not just BRZ/FRS stuff) for those who care: http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/naias/

Sorry for the large pic, it's from my NAIAS gallery.. but here's one thing I do NOT like about the FR-S over the BRZ (and I never noticed it until seeing the car in person). THe headlight on the FRS extends past the front bumper, where as the Subaru headlight sits behind the edge of the bumper. To me, it makes the FR-S headlight look unfinished/aftermarket/poor fitting/etc. My web host has been flaky the last 24 hours so hopefully it'll be stable soon :(

Example of the FR-S:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/na...0585978016.jpg

BRZ by comparison (not the same angle but it's obvious that it doesn't stick out like the FR-S:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/na...2879228481.jpg

Good specific comparison Dave.

That facet has been the defining characteristic of the FT86 since the first concept. Where it broke down IMO is when they went from triangle/edgy headlights of the concepts to the rounded squish of production lights, the way the headlight used to point down into the angle cuts in the nose now look more awkward. Subaru kept away from that design language by simply making the front end more full and giving the front end a bit of cheek.


While I'm thinking of it, the panel gaps around the trunk lid were a bit spacious.

Good pic from Dave showing that:
http://www.itrexpo.com/users/dave/na...1008572467.jpg

+1 Blacking out the chrome bezel in the tails is going to be at the top of my list once I get the car.

Which sucks for me because the headlights/taillights are the two things I always like to keep stock and never think about modding. Hopefully someone can figure out a stock-looking "Red-out" taillight solution.

I'm just glad the US spec taillights have less chrome than the rest of the world.

Wow, didnt know other markets had more chrome in the taillights so I just checked. I'm now also glad we didnt get that much chrome in the lens. lol

Nice pics. You and I must have crossed paths up there. I was there most of the day on Thursday. To be honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the show. The last Cleveland car show I went to had more prototypes and exotics to look at. But, I guess my biggest disappointment was that the FR-S and BRZ were one of the "hands off" displays. Hell, you could climb all over cars that cost up to four times as much (Audi RS8, Nissan GT-R and Corvette Z06) but don't sit in the new Scion and Subaru? Come on!

Still, it was great to see the machines up close instead of all in photos and vids.

I didn't even notice the gaps. They do look pretty big. Hopefully just a preproduction thing :)

Honestly they aren't that bad in person. The USDM ones I mean.

We probably did. I was wearing a black Toledo Walleye hockey t shirt, maybe I'm in some of your pics :)

You couldn't get into the GT-R though, which I thought was stupid.

I talked to Subaru at length about not being able to get into the car. They had a few reasons that were probably less BS than expected.. first it's a preproduction car, so material quality and fit and finish may not match or be at the same level as the production car. Makes sense if true, as you'd give some buyers that "what a POS!" thought before that car comes out based on the preproduction examples issues, and you could, I suppose, miss some buyers that way. Second, they auto show cars will be just that, and they want to keep them pristine for now. I'm sure you saw all of the other long term car show cars, they were thrashed. Scuffs everywhere, seats in horrible shape, etc.

So all in all I guess it's understandable until they have the production cars laying around.

I should have gone back at the end of the show yesterday. I got a "maybe in the last 15 minutes of the show, if it's dead, we'll let you get in the car" but I was down in Toledo, OH by then :( I should have driven the hour back up just in case, but seemed like a long shot that would have cost me 2 hours and 12 bucks plus parking...