Great post.
But if you read my original post, I said exactly that, this was the absolutely best car you can buy in that price range.
Further, if you read my update from a week ago, I posted that I had put a deposit down on a FRS, due in a few weeks. Still keeping the Cayman for comparison giggles.
However, your point about perspective informing perception is duly noted. You being raised on German muscle is going to be very different from the kids coming to this from Japanese FWD econoboxes.
Not directing this at you, but I'm surprised at the people who thought my Cayman / Toybaru comparisons are unfair. They are totally fair. They set the Cayman as their benchmark, it is perfectly fair to ask how well they succeeded. Furthermore, if I've said anything at all, it's about how close they've come and how awesome it is.
And for what it's worth, all of the newest Porsches (991, 981) with electric steering have the same problems as any other new car with electric steering. There is a loss of granular, fine, mechanical feel coming from the road surface and they all tend to be a little over-assisted. This is not about precision, it is purely about feel. Whether that makes any difference to track use or lap times is open to debate.
And whether it makes any meaningful difference is up to the person buying. For me, it DOES make a difference, but my experiences inform my perception.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
I think a large part of the impressions you get when driving a new car and comparing it to what you have previously owned comes from your expectations of what "good" is. If you were raised on German sports sedans/coupes (M3s, Caymans, 911s etc), you have a very different perspective from someone who has been acclimated to British sports cars (Lotus (both old and new), Triumphs etc) versus Japanese sports cars (S2000, NSX, Miata, Z).
FWIW, my experience has been 12 years of BMWs in various states of modification, size and power. Those cars have had anywhere from 170 to 507 HP, Dinan to KW V2 suspensions with massive sway bars, Cushy 18-way power seats to M-Sport Seats. Each had its own personality but also all had a common theme.
Our BRZ is a totally different animal. Every subjective piece feels different, but is better only when compared to other cars that have a similar theme. For example, while I find the power to be just about perfect for a car like this (maybe would like an extra 50 crank-hp and 40 lb-ft), the throttle response is, compared to my current M5, absolutely garbage. While I find the suspension to be absolutely confidence inspiring, much moreso than my M5, my friend (M3 and 135i) and I agree it has lower absolute limits (maybe we are wrong on this, maybe its the crap OE tires, maybe its the limited time we have had the car).
To that end, I think the inevitable comparison with the Cayman S is unfair. Even if you get past the fact that Porsche had double the budget to work with in deciding what to invest in, there is a lot to like about the FRS/BRZ. When you factor in price, I am sure I can make the FRS/BRZ a much better car in all performance aspects and still save money - even compared to a low mileage 2009 Cayman S (I think 2009 was when they did the updates).
I'll go ahead and say this - BRZ, out of the box, the best sub-30K purchase price car I have ever driven - by far! Better than almost any used option I can think of. An E36 or E46 M3, used with some mods totaling under 30K may be a bit more fun, but only because of the power. And you would get no warranty, new car scent, of blemish free exterior. A sub-30K Cayman S will likely run your wallet dry pretty quick.
Anyway, just some thoughts I had. Feedback welcome.
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