[Dok Henz]

Hey Rai:

Originally Posted by Rai-zero

But really dislike the rear wing so much that I would look into a wing swap, not sure what that involves.

I initially disliked it, too, particularly since I'm nearly 50 and the thought of stepping out of a car with so much aero and that huge park bench on the trunk made me a little uncomfortable. However, I plan to track it, and I trust that the STI engineers know just a little bit more about aerodynamic tuning than me... so instead of me adding a bunch of aftermarket (or even OEM) stuff to it later, and personally trying to tweak things, I figured I'd get one already set up by the pros.

Originally Posted by Rai-zero

If they offered the car with the standard wing, I would more likely buy it.

I thought the same thing. As far as a wing swap - Because I was so turned off by the wing before I saw it in person, I considered a number of options as well: removing it and plugging the holes with rubber pledgets for reinstallation for HPDE events; buying another trunk lid with the standard wing and swapping out the trunks for track days; doing a trunk swap with another BRZ owner. I don't think I'd recommend drilling hole for the standard spoiler and swapping the two out, but that's another option.

However, after having seen it in person, and driven it for a couple hundred miles, my plans to somehow rid the trunk of the wing have faded. The overall look is growing on me.

Originally Posted by Rai-zero

Does the rear wing make it hard to see out of the rear window?

No. Sure, it takes a little getting used to, but after ~100 miles, it's like the thing has disappeared from my vision. The magic of our brain's visual processing.

Originally Posted by Rai-zero

Can you give me an idea how the better tires work, how do you compare it to the Limited with PP.

The tires are much stickier. So much so that others have complained that they rob the driver of the fun of the PP being a bit tail happy, with its standard "Prius" tires. Personally, I prefer the kartlike precision of the tS set up, and don't miss the occasional oversteer during power-on turns, and that seems to be the main difference with the tS wheel/tire set up. What I am happy about is the Pilot SS4's improved wet road performance; I don't have to worry as much about the rear end getting away from me during turns in the rain.

Originally Posted by Rai-zero

Besides the wing, tires/wheels what else does the tS have (I guess it's tuned better handling how is that?)

There are a number of additions, including the aero package and wing, 18" wheels with wider and stickier rubber, better brakes (but also on the PP), different front V-braces, STI springs, Sachs dampers (also on the PP), and flexible draw stiffeners. I've heard they've retuned the suspension to make it ~5-10% stiffer for less body roll compare to the Limited, and my gut (and butt) tell me this is true. The ride is a bit stiffer than my Limited (but still comfortable in daily driving), but I think the already amazing steering has been dialed up a notch: it's incredibly precise.

I haven't done the math to see how much it would cost to have all the tS extras installed on a PP, but I suspect it would be much more than the difference in MSRP. Plus, this way, you get the expertise of the STI engineers in tuning it from the factory.

Additionally, I prefer the tS interior to the Limited. Yeah, the red seats are flashy, and the red seatbelts are nifty (and Porsche would charge you ~$1000 to do that), but all the "metal-finished" plastic dash pieces are black rather than silver, which looks better overall. I suppose you could swap those out on a Limited though... or you might not care. Perhaps I'm justifying the extra $4000 I spent...

But like Xxyion says:

Originally Posted by Xxyion

The tS is mainly for people who are going to be tracking the car heavily. Its the most track ready version of the car you can buy from the factory. If you are going to be mainly DDing this car or just using it as a weekend car and not really taking it to the track, then a PP might be better for you.

I think he might be right, given what you hope to do with the car. I suspect you'd get just as much fun from the PP as the tS, and the standard tires would allow you the tail-happiness that some drivers pine for. And if you don't like that sorta thing, a simple upgrade to stickier rubber is an easy and inexpensive upgrade.

My only caveat, don't discount the tS until you see it in person. That made a huge difference for me... the wing is growing on me.

Hope that helps, and doesn't add more confusion to your decision. Peace, and good luck!

Dok