Hey all -- gonna turn this into a combo thread...
Just wanted to give a huge thanks to the whole community here at ft86club. Thanks to various individuals that I met here, I was able to have a total blast with my BRZ. This was my first practical/daily build, and I had a tun of fun with it. Went through the Phantom Electric Supercharger to the JR Supercharger and then back to NA. Did a full exhaust replacement, taillights, Openflash Tablet, springs, and tracked the hell out of the car. This platform is so special, and I bet I'll be back in a few years (this time on a well-used manual...) for my true purpose-built track queen.
In with the new:
My two-week review of the M240i XDrive: (thanks to TylerLieberman for pointing out some wording issues, fixes inline)
The car has GOBS of power. Rated at ~340hp and ~370lb/ft of torque, the new B58 version of a twin-scroll inline-six spools fast, with torque delivery starting as early as 1500(!!!) RPM. This is the exact same class of engine as the M2, tuned just a tad bit more conservatively. Clocked my 0-60 w/launch control at 4.35s, completely stock in good weather, on the stock 225 run-flats (ew). The angry sound this car makes when pushing the pedal (and the evil burbling when you back off the throttle) is incredibly satisfying, but too muted from the interior. I may end up upgrading to the M-Performance exhaust, which is what is featured on the full M2.
Throttle response is good on the M240i, but nothing to write home about compared to a tuned ft86 platform. Even while boosted, the connection between the pedal and the engine just fel better in the BRZ. I believe my experience with the BRZ was a bit biased by being tuned from nearly day one, and I hear the JB4/Dinan Elite chips for the BMWs solve this minor problem. One of those are likely to be my first part for the new car.
The chassis is firm compared to a standard 2-series, but NOTHING like the ft86 platform. Coming from the super low center of gravity of the FA20 boxer combined with the Eibach Pro-Kit springs makes the M240i feel floaty, even with the M240i's adaptive suspension tightened up in Sport mode. I have a feeling my next part after the chip will be a set of sportier springs. Going to forego full suspension, as the adaptive setup on the BMW is actually quite nice to have. The lack of a limited-slip differential (another of the subtle differences between this car and a full M2) is also a bit of a downer, but the XDrive system does a pretty good job of keeping the car planted under load.
The interior (surprisingly) doesn't feel much of an improvement over the limited BRZ package. Little luxury car touches like adjustable lumbar support etc. are nice, but because I opted against nav in favor of my phone, I have the outdated iDrive headunit system which is not super impressive. Even things like the AC system/dual zone fan controls are questionable compared to the BRZ.
Overall, I am happier with the M240i, but the test drive weekend (and ultimately buying the car) reminded me of so many of the things that make the ft86 platform so special. A good portion of my M240i ownership may be dedicated to trying to bring some of the things I loved about the BRZ.
Hope I'm back soon for another BRZ build!