Quote:
Originally Posted by iShaveWithKatana
The FT86/BRZ was the natural go to replacement for the now discontinued RX-8, and I do like what I've seen about it, but as the reviews come in, I'm growing less confident that it's in the same league as the RX-8 in terms of handling or stock straight line performance.
Of course, the FT86/BRZ is going to be much easier/less expensive to add FI to if one is so inclined, and that's huge, it will get better fuel economy, it should prove reliable, and the boxer motor is a proven platform from which to make great leaps in terms of power. I'm cheering the tuners on when it comes to FT86/BRZ mods.
I think the car has a lot of potential, but in stock form, it was teased for a long, long time, and like with everything so teased, there are some letdowns that have started to make themselves known if the early reviews are to be believed. But as they say, the real test will be in the actual driving, when these twin vehicles are more widely available, and real people report in.
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Your comments about the RX8's strengths are spot on, and the FT86 ought to offer similar driving dynamics. Can you elaborate on what you see as letdowns for the FT86? On paper, they're very close according to Motor Trend:
Code:
Metric RX8 BRZ
0-60 MPH (s) 6.4 6.4
1/4 mile (s@MPH) 14.8@94.3 14.9@95.5
skidpad (g) 0.88 0.90
slalom (MPH) 67.1 - (Insideline's BRZ slalom = 69.1)
Granted, Motor Trend's testing methodology may have changed since 2003 and to be fair to the RX8, that was the loaded version (the base model is lighter and marginally quicker). Also
Car and Driver did 0-60 in 5.9 sec and the 1/4 mile in 14.5 sec @ 96 MPH for the RX8, though they might've been testing a JDM early production version (that comparo mentioned 250 HP).
Anyway, the FT86 ought to be almost as quick. In both cases, they're momentum cars, which generally don't put up impressive numbers. More important is that the RX8 was widely praised for being much more fun than its times indicated, and the FT86 is getting even more praise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZDan
FR-S/BRZ will be 300 lb. lighter weight than the RX-8
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The difference is 289 pounds if you compare a fully loaded USDM RX8 (3065 pounds) to the BRZ Limited. But if you compare other trims, the difference is considerably less. What
I posted at NASIOC a couple weeks ago (FWIW since it was about the 2004 RX8):
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Deslock
Adjusted for inflation, my 2004 RX8 base 6MT's street price (also just above invoice) was more than the rumored FRS' MSRP by ~18-25%. Even the rumored BRZ Limited's MSRP is less than the 2004 base RX8's street price, and comparing MSRP to MSRP favors the FT86 even more.
As far as curb weight goes, scales vary, as do magazine and manufacturer numbers. FWIW:
2004 RX8 6MT curb weights (pounds):
2889: JDM base
2933: USDM Sport (based on various magazines)
3029: USDM loaded 2013 FT86 6MT curb weights (pounds):
2624: JDM 86 RC (stripped model, no A/C, no speakers, 16" rims)
2668: JDM 86 G (16" rims, 2 speakers)
2711: JDM 86 GT
2711: JDM 86 Limited
2762: USDM BRZ Premium
2776: USDM BRZ Limited Notes: JDM 86 comes with a puncture kit instead of a spare, JDM GT and Limited have 6 speakers (USDM gets 8). See http://toyota.jp/86/001_p_001/spec/spec/index.html. |