Forced induction's affect on the nature of the 86
 

I just wanted to share my opinion on how forced induction affects the nature of the car. Last weekend I took the car around Watkins Glen as part of their thunder road tour. It was three laps behind a pace car, no passing allowed, but I was able to open it up through a few sections and really got a good feel for the car on the limit. Let me preface this by saying I haven't done the same in a N/A car, but I think the car really needs the extra power. It has so much going for it chassis-wise already, but the extra torque you get from FI makes the car feel so more grown up.

I know there are a lot of people out there that say you'll blow up your engine if you put forced induction on it, but i think there is definitely a right way to do it. Not too much psi, especially at lower RPM, and supporting mods like a catch can will help keep the engine internals happy. Honestly, the car doesn't need a whole lot more power to really liven it up, but a little bump is exactly what the car needs.

If you are on the fence about getting forced induction, go for it already!

Changing the nature of the engine is a big deal to some. Like how the NA Caymans and Carreras are now smaller displacement FI engines, and for the Cayman with two less cylinders, some will cry foul, even if performance has improved. The current Cayman S is faster than the previous gen GT4, yet no one cares. Many miss their NA flat six. They miss ringing out the power, being forced to wind up the engine, to hold the engine in high revs to keep it in power and maintain momentum.

I’ve gone FI for a number of reasons, but there is an argument not to go FI too, and for many, especially those not needing track, straight-away acceleration, who just want enough power to enjoy on the street, who want the challenge of ringing out all that a car has to offer, pushing it to its limits, the twins have enough power, and the engine’s characteristics are part of the enjoyment.

Having been in both places I felt with FI I had a self imposed restriction on how hard I pushed my car. Out of fear of going pop. As NA I love wringing it out for power. Both are fun though.

I must say I was surprised at how good the throttle response is. I was expecting some turbo lag but it wasn't there. I guess the fact the 12.5:1 2 litre limits you to a small and easily spooled turbo and that the static compression stays a high 12.5:1 at low rpms both really help.

That's a good point. I have owned cars that are easy to get to their limit and one can get a lot of satisfaction from keeping it there. I do tend to leave the traction control on because it keeps me from being too much of an idiot on public roads. I imagine I wouldn't be so apt leave the TC on without the supercharger.

*wringing

But, yeah... this car needs more power and boost is the cost effective, smart answer.

I’m not necessarily saying it *needs* more power... more like the whole platform is just *begging* for it. All of the dynamics are there and the engine can take a few pounds of boost no problem. For the price/effort/pay-off I think people should seriously consider it.

I met up with a forum member a little while back who had a series.yellow that was pretty much a track toy. I ‘forced’ him to take my car for a quick spin and I could tell he saw the light. If you can swing the financial end of it, I don’t think there is any better mod out there.

This. I've nearly gone FI a couple of times, but I enjoy being able to really wring the car's neck without worrying about the motor going... or getting arrested :D

There *are* times where the extra power would be fun, like moving through interstate traffic a bit easier. But in general it gets around just fine, and on the back-roads driving (most of what I do) I find I rarely can be pedal down for very long before I'm at illegal speeds, even NA (just header & tune basically) - so I'd really be frustrated with any more power. YMMV - on track if you're experienced and competing with some 'big boys' you'll certainly want more, just depends on where you are, what you do, and how much you're willing to risk/spend.

I think it depends on how and how much boosted. Since low rpm torque is not that high, I can say after thousands of miles that my JRSC engine with CARB tune is totally fine with wringing out for power from a reliability perspective. But, using the full power on public roads is reckless behavior given that car reaches unacceptable speeds above legal limits so quickly now.

If one wants to keep the nature of 86, I think a centrifugal/Rotrex supercharger is the best method to go FI. I still need to rev up to extract the power. It just gives linearly more power (and torque) as I rev up. It is the same car for me, just magnified. At low rpm, driving experience is closer to stock. Some want quicker throttle response (or low rpm torque) then twin-screw or turbo is what they want. But that changes the nature of 86 closer to a muscle car and increases the risk of engine fail.

FI affects the nature of 86, because you 'll drive it in general differently. Not that much of revving the engine, switching to correct gear etc.

How will FI make me rev less, or use the wrong gear?

That sounds like a driver error, not a FI problem.

I have it in my head that everything would just come quicker.


Shifting gears, reaching certain speeds, powering out of corners, etc.

Because it will! Trust me, I know everything about FI :bonk:

The platform definitely needs more power. That said, and just to offer a slightly different perspective, I have bought TWO WRX's (a 2015 and a 2018), and I'm glad Subaru did not put that engine into the BRZ. While more power would be great, there are so many issues with the tuning that engine that I have no doubt it actually would make the car worse. I do hope I find a centrifugal blower and pro tune in my future...