UNDERPOWERED? THE REAL DEAL!!!

[chas3wba0]

[Sideways&Smiling]

Originally Posted by Deep Six

Your wasting your breath. There is a small continent who feel that modifying (improving) these cars is somehow sacrilegious. Over and over they rant " if you need to modify this car then you just don't know how to drive". If they only knew

For those who seem frustrated with the slower lap times they read about in magazines I will tell you that a simple tire and brake pad upgrade will change those results completely. Why Toyobaru doesn't offer a " track package" just to shut the journalists up is beyond me since so many people hang their hat on what they read rather than what they do.

Yeah, I'm thinking it's mostly people who come from FWD sedans and bought the car mostly for its looks. They either aren't familiar with tuner car/track car culture or maybe they don't have the cash left, so they have to talk trash about people who DO mod the car to make themselves feel better about their purchase.

Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with not having the cash for buying an FR-S and modding it. I don't! That's why I bought an S2000 for $10k less. haha. There's also nothing at all wrong with enjoying the stock car for what it is, but give it a rest telling everyone else they're wrong for thinking it needs a little more oomph. The fact is it has great steering, handling, looks, and affordability, but it would be just THAT much better with more power. People expect more power nowadays when even FWD hot hatches are making 300hp. It's not the 90s anymore...

[strat61caster]

I think you guys are misinterpreting OP's commentary.

An enthusiast who picks this car up and knows they want to modify it and goes about it in a respectful matter is a welcome member of the community. Some guy bitching about how he got beat stoplight to stoplight by some mystical minivan and he needs a blower now is annoying and missing the point. It's a fine line but I don't think anybody is here to shit on those hunting for power, but rather that lovely vocal part of the internet that can't stop bringing up hp/weight and 0-60 times and talking about X Mustang or Y Corvette and how this car is overpriced trash and it NEEDS X and can't believe it didn't come with Z and how stupid Toyobaru is.

[CokeSlap]

Originally Posted by MokSpeed

My GS-R was a beast!

My GS-R is still a beast!

[TruRace]

I love the twins and everything they are about, but it's unbelievable the amount of fanboy talk going on. The FRS/BRZ have no competition? Really? Smh.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by TruRace

I love the twins and everything they are about, but it's unbelievable the amount of fanboy talk going on. The FRS/BRZ have no competition? Really? Smh.

Really? Name any car and I can come up with a valid reason I didn't buy it. That's all we're saying, for a lot of us there was very little question as to what car to buy. We're not claiming this is the best car available, only it's the best car available for US.

[TruRace]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Really? Name any car and I can come up with a valid reason I didn't buy it. That's all we're saying, for a lot of us there was very little question as to what car to buy. We're not claiming this is the best car available, only it's the best car available for US.

I have already named several. I can also name a valid reason why I didn't buy those cars. You are saying the FRS/BRZ have no competition, I am saying that is just simply not true.

[Davey]

So I got beaten by a minivan at a stoplight tonight, and now I need a blower...

[Davey]

Originally Posted by TruRace

I love the twins and everything they are about, but it's unbelievable the amount of fanboy talk going on. The FRS/BRZ have no competition? Really? Smh.

If you have a very, very, very narrow definition of what you want in a car and the BRZ/FR-S fits it, then yes.

No 4 doors?

No hot hatches?

No FWD?

Must have rear seats?

You get the point. I really like the car, and there aren't many cars I'd consider instead of it, but it definitely has competition.

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by TruRace

I have already named several. I can also name a valid reason why I didn't buy those cars. You are saying the FRS/BRZ have no competition, I am saying that is just simply not true.

Toe-may-toe
Toe-mah-toe



Edit: I'll quote myself so I don't sound like I'm evading the criticism.

Originally Posted by strat61caster

I agree that this car has no competition.

Strike any one of those [criteria] and you get some hefty competition...

Sure you can cross shop all day long, the bottom line is that for my desires (and many many others) nothing else hits the same boxes.

[Deep Six]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Australia?

I would love to see a track package. It should have:
High flow air filter
Header and full 2.5" exhaust with single high flow cat
Aggressive tune
Oil-to-air oil cooler
STI/Group-N bushings throughout
STI springs and struts
Swaybars as necessary for truly neutral handling
Lightweight 17x9 wheels with 245 MPSS tires
Upgraded brake pads with titanium shims
Upgraded brake fluid
Brake ducts
Full STI lip kit
Factory warranty that covers reasonable track usage

How much would people pay for that over the normal cost of a BRZ? And the sad part is, Subaru has all of these parts available to them already.

Funny how one letter changes everything

Your list looks like my build minus the solid bushings which my wife would not appreciate. Really I'm surprised that there aren't any performance upgrade options available. Not as extreme as you listed but most performance cars have options to choose from to make your car more focused if that's what your looking for. All I have seen from the factory are cosmetic and amenity options.

[Davey]

You know, the BRZ will beat nearly 90% of cars coming away from a stoplight if they other car isn't racing. Think about that for a minute.

No really, I have a friend who keeps insisting that the car isn't fast enough... "You know some jackass in a V6 Accord is going to pull up to a light in a lane that ends, and he's gonna mash it..."

And I'll let him. I really could not give a crap.

If I were interested in that kind of crap a lightweight RWD coupe with IRS isn't the ideal car for that game, anyway.

[Davey]

Originally Posted by Deep Six

Funny how one letter changes everything

Your list looks like my build minus the solid bushings which my wife would not appreciate. Really I'm surprised that there aren't any performance upgrade options available. Not as extreme as you listed but most performance cars have options to choose from to make your car more focused if that's what your looking for. All I have seen from the factory are cosmetic and amenity options.

I had harder bushings in most of my old STI and I loved it. The diff and trans whine, a little extra vibration from the engine, it sounded great with the not-too-loud-but-louder-than-stock burbly exhaust.

If I decide I'm in for the long haul on this car I will most certainly do something similar with it. Mainly contingent on having a discussion about mods with my dealer. If their position is like it was before they're not going to give me the "Oh you put a stiffer transmission bushing in because you are RACING THE CAR and your WARRANTY IS VOID" but I want to make sure before I get too far with any plans.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by Deep Six

Funny how one letter changes everything

Your list looks like my build minus the solid bushings which my wife would not appreciate. Really I'm surprised that there aren't any performance upgrade options available. Not as extreme as you listed but most performance cars have options to choose from to make your car more focused if that's what your looking for. All I have seen from the factory are cosmetic and amenity options.

It's a track package! And Group N bushings are taut, but not excessively harsh.

I could see that package being an additional $5-6K, but it's basically a well-prepared weekend warrior straight out of the box. It would really sell well, which is probably why they'll never make it.

Originally Posted by Davey

If their position is like it was before they're not going to give me the "Oh you put a stiffer transmission bushing in because you are RACING THE CAR and your WARRANTY IS VOID" but I want to make sure before I get too far with any plans.

They have to prove that the mod caused the damage. The service manager relies on customers not knowing their rights and going off of whatever they're told. And it's "caused" the damage, not "may have" or "potentially" caused the damage.