[etherdude]

I purchased my 2015 FR-S with optional TRD exhaust and Intake. After 30,000 miles, I put the OEM back on with a K&N insert. The TRD stuff was all sound and fury signifying nothing (except highway drone). The most important daily driver performance enhancement was to replace the OEM tires (Primacy or Turanza) with a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports (now Pilot Sport 4S).

When I bought my 2020 Hakone Edition, I swapped the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's from my FR-S to the Hakone and put the Primacy tires on the FR-S. The OEM exhaust on my 2020 MT car has a more pleasant sound than the OEM on the 2015.

In my case, I did not want the GT suspension package since I already had 16x7 winter wheels with snow tires that would not have fit over the Brembos. The Sachs dampers would have been nice, but given the amount of winter driving I do, the TRD springs would not have been welcome.

A couple other nice things about the Hakone: It comes stock with an armrest, has bronze painted 17x7 wheels (same as stock but different color), and has leather key-fob covers that match the tan accents in the interior.

The Hakone Edition is more about appearance and comfort (relatively speaking) than performance, which suited me just fine.