[Ryephile]

Thanks everyone for the warm reception. I'm just trying to be as honest and helpful as possible.

Originally Posted by Bristecom

I wonder if that high speed cornering instability you get is from the MacPherson strut design. Every MacPherson strut car I've driven gives me a floaty feeling from the front at higher speeds which I dislike.

I wouldn't go blaming the Mac struts. They don't inherently contribute any particular characteristics per se; it's the total design and the engineers' placement of the pivot points and damper curves that combine to create the feel of the car. IMO the BRZ's fundamental layout and design is sound. If I had to affix blame somewhere specific it would be the damper tuning. I'm confident a quality set of well-tuned coil-overs would transform the car and give it a well-planted feel. That's just my hunch; I'd love to collaborate with aftermarket tuners to sort out the car, it'll just have to be from the outside looking in instead of with a horse in the race.

Originally Posted by DEC1

......
And honestly I'm having a hard time reconciling your review against all the others from similarly (or perhaps more) seasoned writers and reviewers...like MT's article that calls the BRZ #1 against FRS, VW GTI, Mustang, Miata, and Genesis (which came in last btw)
In any case, good luck in your search for perfection.

I appreciate the compliments. I can't expect to be compared to professional media personalities, so I'm flattered you even went there. What I feel important to point out, however, is that MT article kept all the cars solely on the racetrack. I can relate to the BRZ feeling confident and precise at the limit, however there are precious few media articles portraying how the BRZ feels driven rationally on normal public roads, and in that typical environment many cars can feel differently than when driven in anger on the track.

Originally Posted by eikond

[snip]I'm really glad I got to meet Ryan.. he's a great guy. It was really neat to get to talk cars with someone so knowledgible and experienced.

.....

Sounds like Ryan likes the car, but would prefer to wait for an upgraded version before he makes the purchase. I'm sure he won't be the only one to do that. ....

It was excellent to meet you too, and I hope we can hang out again in the future! For the record I do appreciate the car for what it is, and I do think it'll put a smile on the face of many drivers and enthusiasts.

If I had a wish list of what to tweak on the BRZ, it would go something like this:
*Modest supercharger setup with associated intake and exhaust to offer more and sexier engine music along with about 40 LbFt more torque across the board.
*Something along the lines of KW Variant 2 coilovers to give the chassis more control and a better ride on rough surfaces. A bit lower ride height so the stance looks good too, assuming it doesn't kill the roll-center geometry. Whiteline correction kits if need be.
*Fixed wheel offset so it doesn't have the dreaded "Mustang tuck". Don't need hella-flush, just a more balanced aesthetic.

Originally Posted by armythug

Honest review I can appreciate that. So which other cars do you have in mind that are better? Which other cars would you consider owning?

Tough question! I don't think there's anything better per se anywhere near the price range. I went and drove a Coyote-engine Mustang GT and that was a blast but the scale of that car is simply too big for me, and the ergonomics are archaic. I also love the Corvette but the interior is embarrassing. The Miata is always on my list but I'm going to wait it out and see what the ND is going to become, as the NC is my least favorite generation. I love the Boxster and Cayman, however buying a new one is financial suicide and buying a used one is a crap shoot for reliability. Basically the only sane way to own one is an extended warranty CPO, which makes it the kind of car I'd rather drive a friends than actually put in my garage. The biggest tempt out there is the possibility of the VW Bluesport. Mid-engine, convertible, and turbo-Diesel pretty much checks every box of awesomeness...but it's vaporware at the moment.

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that a BRZ STI and/or FR-S TRD come to fruition, or the aftermarket makes a legitimately good supercharger kit [calling BOE!] that gives the FA20 the grunt it deserves.


whew, long winded!
Cheers,
Ryan