[dem00n]

This car has changed my life. These entry level sports car are incredibly important, their purpose is difficult to comprehend to anyone who hasn't owned one or driven spiritedly on an empty mountain road. They serve as an entry point to the enthusiast world. Autocross, track days, spirited driving, all these worlds open up to you with a sports car. Spare me the arguments that all of that is possible with a regular car, this is entirely true; I've seen people cut steaks with butter knives.

*TLDR, the 2nd post contains info on cars reliability, issues and current status*

May 2012, the driveway consisted of a 2001 Infiniti I30, 2012 Audi A7 and a 2006 Chrysler Town and Country wearing an awful blue. Come to 2017, it has transformed to a 1983 Porsche 944, 2014 Audi RS7 and a 2013 Scion FRS, the other two cars are completely and utterly inspired by the FRS.
I bought the car July 2012, I crashed it in August 2012. Inexperienced spirited driving is the worst type of spirited driving. Mechanical damage was minimal, cosmetic damage was okay but the emotional damage was far worse. Crashing the car was the best mistake now that I look back, it fueled me to become a better drive; a host of Auto-x and track days flooded me afterwards. I didn't want to become a good driver, I had to. I'm still not there yet, nor will I ever be able to convince myself I am.

The people I'm targeting with this thread are those who want to buy a car like and are curious about the lifestyle it can offer you. Here is a list of things I have learned thanks to this car.
1. How to work on cars - I did my first oil change on this car, I did all my first real modifications on this car. From brake pads, headers to fully swapped suspension, I've done a lot on it. This knowledge has led to other cars, thanks to this car I've had three consecutive project cars.
2. How to drive fast - This car is better to learn to drive fast than any Miata. It's simple, it's all that wheelbase baby. From my experience, the short wheelbase in a Miata isn't entirely friendly to oversteer, the FRS and BRZ are far friendlier on learning to react to understeer and catch oversteer than a Miata is (stock form). This car is amazing from the factory, you really don't need to change anything on this car in order to go to the track, save for brake pads and an oil cooler for longevity . Those shitty Michelins will teach you grip management, something I didn't understand until I switched to 200 treadwear tires.
3. Communication - The front nose will tell you when you're braking too hard, the ABS will let you know when you've messed up your braking (sometimes) and the steering talks to you unless your understeering in the rain. Plow baby plow.
4. Look around you - On the track they will teach you to look far ahead of you, past the middle point of your windshield to anticipate the next corner. Where your eyes go, hands will follow. This is correct for the most part, but you should also look around you as well or you might miss a few things, such as pot holes and years. Look ahead first, then look around, then back. This is life lesson we must always remind ourselves….


This car is gorgeous, it's just plain striking. The OEM wheels don't do justice, simpler wheels will exploit the body lines and focus the eyes elsewhere.



I have no regrets with this car. Do i regret buying the automatic? No. The manual is a better car, but the automatic is good on its own right and will keep up on the track. Heel and toe on the 944 is a special moment every time, but the turn in on the FRS with some negative camber is just as special.

Did i have a thirst for more power? Yes, the headers and a tune helped a good amount, but in the end of the day i don't want to drop $5000 on a car that has so many miles. About that engine though...