BRZ in Braintree, MA 4/9/2012

[(K)]

Received an email from one of the dealers I visited today regarding a BRZ at Quirk Subaru. It's a small window (half an hour) during working hours on Monday the 9th, 11:00am-11:30am so I'm not sure if it's even worth going to see it. I figured I should post in case anyone was interested and was around the area.

Then this message, in response to me asking about future showings (I assume my email was forwarded to another GM):

Haven't contacted SoA and SoNE yet for tour dates or the like, this is just what I got from area dealers.


UPDATE 4/9/12
As promised, my impressions of the car:

Love it. Carry on.

Actually there's more to it (lots more).

Seeing it in person, it's not as small as I visualized it to be. I wasn't expecting Smart Fortwo or anything, but visually similar to a 2nd gen Miata (don't know why, I just did). From eyeballing it, I would say it's just about a 3rd gen Integra. As stated earlier, it was a GBS Limited with the manual transmission. We had some overcast and cloud cover during its visit which gave it a darker shade of blue which instantly reminded me of the 7th gen Celica's Spectra Blue, but with more contrast. In direct sunlight it REALLY stood out. The lame iPhone 4S pictures show a slight purple for some reason (similar to Ford's Sonic Blue), but I was never under the impression of any purple when I saw it. You really do have to see this color in person. The car has a handsome front end with those LEDs and projectors, not to mention the "eye brows" above the projector. The bumper itself has a nice lip and it's definitely a charming characteristic of the car. Can't say the same for the rear end...I know some folks have voiced their dislike for those Altezza/Euro tail lights and I don't blame them. It really doesn't bother me all that much, but it's definitely something I planning on messing with in the future. I tried to get a glimpse of the spoiler and how and where it was mounted on the trunk, but the gaps in between were padded with a black, spongy, weatherproofing foam. Though, I have no doubts about it being bolted on to the trunk, as opposed to double-sided tape. When opening and closing the trunk, you can feel the weight of the spoiler on it, I doubt tape alone would be able to hold that on. The trunk itself is 36" at it's widest opening and 55" from alcove to alcove (this is shown in another thread). If, for some reason, you plan on taking this car north (south, east, west, wherever your preferred slope is), you would only be able to bring one other person and their gear with you. The seats HAVE to come down to fit all of that equipment, so you can't sit others in the rear.

Inside the car was an experience in itself. I'm a 5'7", 140 ish lb Cambodian guy, with a size 8 boot and a 30 waist. That's about as big as we get . It took a little messing with, but I got my seating position to near-perfect (for me). I it! To me, this is one of the most critical aspects of a car and it can make or break the driving experience. I had full visibility over the hood, the mirrors, and the sides. For the short time I was seated, it was comfortable. The seats wrapped around like a glove and I felt like the seats were made for ME. The Alcantara gripped very well and the only downside I can see is when you need to shuffle around for your wallet or something. You're not getting your wallet without getting up. I have no experience with Alcantara so I can't tell how much of a beating it can take, someone feel free to chime in. Fit and finish was superb up front (I didn't bother to look out back), everything looked like it belonged there with no miscellaneous, unsightly gaps and all of the controls are within the driver's reach. I wanted to make it clear that the interior is far from spartan but it is simple. By "simple" I mean clean and functional without extraneous knobs and buttons (Acura TL, anyone?) to clutter up the console. Everything is where it's supposed to be, especially the tach; front and center. I originally thought the gauge sweep would be pretty sweet, but it's out of place because the tach is the ONLY thing that sweeps. Not a big deal, but I'll probably turn it off. Maybe turn it on to impress the little woman.

On to the good stuff! The following is all personal, opinionated assessment:

Ergonomics aside, the next thing I wanted to touch on was the mechanicals. Though we weren't allowed to drive the car, it didn't stop me (and others) from dry shifting and making race car noises. OK maybe I was the only one (making engine noises, anyway). Coming from a soft and sloppy grandpa Solara (and previously, an immaculate and meticulously maintained V6 Accord manual, if I do say so myself), the shifter felt slightly stiff. Not WRX* stiff, but slightly stiffer than a 370Z. Shifts were direct and linear, you can feel the gears engaging while moving through the gates and there's no rubbery vagueness like that on the WRX*. Shifts weren't as smooth as I had hoped, but definitely better than a G37 (which I would rank as average). On a scale of 1-10 (1 being a low score), I'd give it ~8.5 (S2000s and various other Hondas I've driven would score at 9.0 - 9.987). You can row through the gears confidently without fear of missing so it's more than adequate for a daily. You'll have to ask others for their take on track-worthiness as (sadly) I have zero track/competition experience . The clutch felt somewhere in between an IS250 (soft) and a 370Z (moderate/resistant), I quite prefer it. Unfortunately I won't be able to give feedback on clutch uptake, just feel, because they wouldn't let us drive...I SHOULD have tried to find the friction point with the car on and the Ebrake engaged but the thought didn't cross my mind. Someone in the group might have attempted, I remember hearing the car almost stall out but not move anywhere. I REALLY liked the pedal placement. True to their word, they distanced the brake and gas pedal just far enough for a comfortable and ideal heel-toe. The steering felt solid for something that's electronically assisted. Not BMW solid, but I don't think anyone will be disappointed.

* I test drove a 2010 WRX that was modified (Invidia exhaust and maybe aftermarket shifter) a few weeks prior, I'm basing it off of that.

That's it from me. I apologize if there was something specific you were looking for but couldn't conclude from this post. I didn't/couldn't focus too much on other aspect, my very first instinct was to sit down and go. That latter wasn't afforded to me so I made do with trying to get a feel for the car while static. Just being in the car gave me a general sense of what it'll be like once in motion. I'm eagerly looking forward to that day. Even with it's (objective) lack of power, the car really is focused on the driver. That's pretty much what I'm looking for. Of course it'll be a matter of time before the HP bug starts to bite, but I doubt I would be seeking anything considerable, just enough to supplement what's already there for daily usage.



(Some pictures)






In the above picture, ground clearance to the rocker is 7". I mentioned it to Corey and John that I would have to redo the driveway to get up and over it. I'll be starting that project next week...

[Sovran]

Lousy timing. I don't think I can persuade myself to drive 30 minutes each way during the work day to see a car for half an hour. Unless I could drive it, which I seriously doubt.

[charger500]

Yeah you can't drive it, same thing when they brought it here to us last month. Only the dealer principal can take it for a spin around the block. Still at least nice to see one in person and see the build quality, etc.

[(K)]

I doubt they'll let me drive it either, I'm actually around the area that day by coincidence, just not too sure about the timing. Maybe I'll catch it, maybe I won't.

Corey, you had one at your store?! I wasn't made aware of this, I feel so betrayed.



Kidding.

[Turbowned]

Awesome! I'm 15mins from there, so I'll swing by. Anyone else going?

[M-17]

Originally Posted by (K)

Corey, you had one at your store?! I wasn't made aware of this, I feel so betrayed.



Kidding.

HA!!!!

[(K)]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

Awesome! I'm 15mins from there, so I'll swing by. Anyone else going?

Looks like I'm headed up tomorrow. I'll barely make it in on time but at least I'll be able to stick around for the half hour and swing back out for lunch.

[NRGBalanced]

I just got a call from Cityside Subaru in Belmont, MA. They will have the car starting at 1PM today (4/9/2012). No word on test drive or otherwise. I figure that's where the car's headed after Braintree. I'm going to head down there for my lunch time. See anyone else there?

[(K)]

Originally Posted by NRGBalanced

I just got a call from Cityside Subaru in Belmont, MA. They will have the car starting at 1PM today (4/9/2012). No word on test drive or otherwise. I figure that's where the car's headed after Braintree. I'm going to head down there for my lunch time. See anyone else there?

I can confirm that. The rep (Jeff) said he's headed to Cityside Subaru right after. It's a Galaxy Blue Silica Limited in MT. One thing I forgot to do while I was there is sit in the backseat. For what it's worth, I measured 4" of legroom in the rear with the passenger's side slid back and reclined. Just enough to be out of the driver's field of vision while looking forward and not block any views while turning your head.

The Alcantara seats were a new experience for me, I never really ventured outside of fabric and leather. It has a positive feel and definitely not for those who are fidgety; they're "grabby".

I'll leave an "impressions" post when I get home. I have some bones to pick...

[Spaceywilly]

Hesitant to post this because I want to have it all to myself, but oh well... it will be at Patrick Subaru around 5pm

[Turbowned]

I can say I was pleasantly surprised seeing the car in person vs. pictures! The engine bay looks less packed in real life, making it easy to work on. The interior feels better than I thought, although those painted silver bits still must go! I liked the leather on the door panels and the rubberized trim on the door sills. Leather/alcantara seats felt great; even more supportive than I thought! The wheels look better in person than in pictures, which is good because I won't be able to afford replacements for a while. The LED DRL's look good, and the car looks great from all angles! The nav/stereo unit seemed easy enough to use, and the voice command system seemed to work well, though I didn't play with it too much. I just hope someone comes out with a center console armrest cover to cover up the cupholders when not in use. I also noticed the e-brake is awfully close to the driver. Hopefully e-brake sliding won't be awkward with it!

It was nice to meet you, Ken. I hope we'll be driving around in these soon!

[Sovran]

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

Hesitant to post this because I want to have it all to myself, but oh well... it will be at Patrick Subaru around 5pm

It figures that this is the one day I can't get out there. Oh well.

[(K)]

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

Hesitant to post this because I want to have it all to myself, but oh well... it will be at Patrick Subaru around 5pm

Don't be selfish! There's plenty go around lol...I think we had a dozen people including dealer techs, sales people, and customers. Everyone got their personal time with the BRZ and the consensus was positive. To be honest I was almost tired of seeing the car after the first 15 mins...I REALLY wanted to take it for a spin (in regards to all definitions of the word).

Originally Posted by Turbowned

I can say I was pleasantly surprised seeing the car in person vs. pictures! The engine bay looks less packed in real life, making it easy to work on. The interior feels better than I thought, although those painted silver bits still must go! I liked the leather on the door panels and the rubberized trim on the door sills. Leather/alcantara seats felt great; even more supportive than I thought! The wheels look better in person than in pictures, which is good because I won't be able to afford replacements for a while. The LED DRL's look good, and the car looks great from all angles! The nav/stereo unit seemed easy enough to use, and the voice command system seemed to work well, though I didn't play with it too much. I just hope someone comes out with a center console armrest cover to cover up the cupholders when not in use. I also noticed the e-brake is awfully close to the driver. Hopefully e-brake sliding won't be awkward with it!

It was nice to meet you, Ken. I hope we'll be driving around in these soon!

Corey, it was a pleasure to meet you and your friend John! I completely agree about that e-brake, my arms aren't even that long but I still found it awkward to reach "under" to pull at it. I did manage to find a good seating position and it was everything I had hoped for.

Side note: I thought it was funny how Toyota managed to sneak their "T" logo/pattern all over the car. It's not as obvious as the FR-S, but it's there.

[M-17]

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

Hesitant to post this because I want to have it all to myself, but oh well... it will be at Patrick Subaru around 5pm

I'd make the time for it, that is if it's really going to be there and I'll be allowed to see it.