Front Bumper and Suspension
 

Has anyone souced a GR86 bumper for their BRZ? I'm curious what sort of hassle and cost I should expect. I can get GR86 shocks, springs, and front roll bar but what rear roll bar should I get to mimic GR86 handling? At this point it seems impossible to buy a GR86 so I'm trying to build one.

This seems like so much time, money, and effort to waste rebuilding essentially the same car. I guess I can understand it if you just have to have a GR front bumper, but swapping everything else out is pointless. The BRZ is actually a much better driving car on the street and puts down a hair more Gs on a skid pad. If you plan on sliding the car a bit more and thats your reasoning for doing all this, then just go full aftermarket.

Every review I've heard makes the BRZ sound too soft for my wants and the GR86 perfect. I prefer stock suspension to aftermarket for durability and not having to dial in preload.

It's not turbocharged, so buy a different car.

Considering all of the side-by-side comparisons on a track put the cars within 10ths of a second of each other, the differences are really small.

As I understand the differences, they aren't a matter of being "soft" or "stiff", but more on cornering and reaction to changing direction. The GR86 is supposedly a little more "twitchy" and tail-happy whereas the BRZ is a little more stable and has a touch more understeer dialed in to keep the tail from coming out as easy. Granted, I've not driven a GR86 to see for my self.

Either way, the BRZ will easily bring the tail around if you drive it right. The shocks and springs might be a bit different, but the BRZ is far from being a "soft" car. When you buy one you might want to drive it in stock form for a while and then simply try to change the characteristics you don't like with aftermarket parts rather than trying to re-create a GR86 from a BRZ platform...if that is even possible.

I understand your frustration with not being able to find a GR86. Even now, I don't think I've seen more than 1~2 on the road. BRZ's are rare too, but I've had far more sightings. Around here you won't find one on a dealer lot and they aren't sure they can even get one. The few allocations floating around all seem to be for automatics, which disqualifies quite a few people

I was in your same boat Lelandjt. I was swoon by reviews like EDD and the like that claimed the BRZ lacked the magic of the GT, but got the BRZ because it was available, and planned to GT-afy it. But after DDing it, I don't want to anymore. It just drives so nice. It's plenty playful and sporty feeling, and the ass steps out with ease. I came from a Fiesta ST which I was basically able to huck into a right angle corner as fast as I wanted with little to no consequences aside from a mild slide of the rear. Not in the BRZ, haha. Turn that nose in for the apex and mash the gas and you're in drifto ville. I take corners much tamer now after drifting it twice on accident.

I like the suspension, it makes 18's tolerable on the crack and pothole laden streets of San Diego. If the GT is anything like my FiST was, I'd likely have gone with 17s.

Give the BRZ a chance.

I have a 2022 BRZ and wanted the GR86 as well but couldn't find one at MSRP. Here is what i did, I left the front suspension alone and bought take off suspension from a GR86 and the rear sway bar (which is just a 2017-2020 BRZ stock bar). The car definitely rotates better now, did 2 track days so far. One track day stock and one with swapping the rear parts over. Here is a video, as you can see the car rotates easily now, I am very happy with this setup!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu3P9R0Wbqk

Not sure on the toyota, but a BRZ bumper isn't very expensive. I've got one on order from the dealer for a few hundred dollars or so. Only problem is availability. No ETA on it, and its already been a couple months since I ordered it. I image the toyota situation would be similar.

Did my own investigation, I only searched for the bumper.

I actually like the BRZ's ride, that was what genuinely sold me on getting the new one. So I personally won't bother touching the suspension.

As for bumper, 75-80% of the cost is just the bumper cover. It's all the small things like the grille, tow hook cover, the corner fins, etc that make up the rest of the cost. My quote was under $900 CAD, not including taxes through my local dealer. Though I wouldn't use the conversion, this car maybe one of the few times I've seen Canadian prices look better than USD.

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