Doug Demuro’s review of my personal 2018 BRZtS

[Rai-zero]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-BfMHT633o[/ame]

road test starts at 18 minutes, how many times does he say this car feels quick? at least 3 times.


The BRZ is somewhat quicker.

[Decep]

i dont think i heard him rev it past 4k rpm

[wild03]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

...
MSRP of the V6 ILE is 32,XXX. This thread is about the tS which has a MSRP of 33,XXX.

True, but the tS trim comes with certain upgrades. is the camaro equivalent? brakes, suspension, etc.

the reason i mention the limited was because it has the same engine as the tS

my question still remains unanswered, what are the equivalent cars tot he BRZ.

for example, Mazda rx-7 or rx-8, honda s2000, miata, saturn sky...come to mind just not sure if they land on the same price range. for example the sky red line model makes 260hp with the 2.0L turbo engine, in 2006 msrp was $29.7K which adjusted for inflation according to inflation calculator is $37K in 2018...so that is out. Sky 2.4L NA engine makes 177hp...etc.

These models are discontinued but is there anything like that currently in production?

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by wild03

True, but the tS trim comes with certain upgrades. is the camaro equivalent? brakes, suspension, etc.

the reason i mention the limited was because it has the same engine as the tS

my question still remains unanswered, what are the equivalent cars tot he BRZ.

for example, Mazda rx-7 or rx-8, honda s2000, miata, saturn sky...come to mind just not sure if they land on the same price range. for example the sky red line model makes 260hp with the 2.0L turbo engine, in 2006 msrp was $29.7K which adjusted for inflation according to inflation calculator is $37K in 2018...so that is out. Sky 2.4L NA engine makes 177hp...etc.

These models are discontinued but is there anything like that currently in production?

Yeah, the ILE includes better cooling, LSD, brembo brakes, revised suspension.

You already listed the only rea affordable, lightweight, rwd car still in production already and that is the Miata/Fiata.

[Rai-zero]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

Yeah, the ILE includes better cooling, LSD, brembo brakes, revised suspension.

You already listed the only rea affordable, lightweight, rwd car still in production already and that is the Miata/Fiata.

Agreed MX-5 but it’s a tiny car. Drove it and was super fun and I was actually able to fit inside but with roof up one inch headroom, and just getting in/out was similar to Duog getting into the back seat of the BRZ.

The BRZ has to be 20% bigger in every measurement than the MX-5 (my estimate) and while that’s not a huge metric it matters to someone who is 6-2 200 pounds.

IMO the closest size car is the Cayman which (I know costs 2x) but take away the price and they are spot on within a few inches and a few pounds in every measurement. Same engine 2L flat four.

IMO the tS could handle more power no debate, the debate is does 205hp make it a turd? I say no, I’m ok driving at whatever speeds it can dish out. Doug even said in the Integra review that’s ok it’s not super fast because you can drive it more to the limits of the engine and heck not really as likely to get into trouble you might from stupid speed (See Mustangs leaving coffee and cars video).

[yurikaze]

So as you guys may or may not know, when Subaru does a special performance version of their cars, they set them up at tracks in the local market. The JDM tS was IIRC setup at Tsukuba, whereas the USDM tS was setup at Willow Springs raceway. I did a trackday at Streets of Willow this weekend, and I've got to say, I'm super impressed. In stock form with upgraded tires and brake pads as my only changes, I was the sixth fastest (including every run group) with only heavily modded S2k's, modded BOSS302's, and an NSX being faster (and even then, I could stick with the NSX for several laps, he was just able to put power down earlier because of the mid-engine layout).



If you're driving it correctly, your revs are never dropping below 4500rpm, and it's always in the powerband.
Trust me when I say power was never an issue, coming out of the final turn onto the long straight (Counter-clockwise) the tS held so much speed that it would stick on the tail of much more powerful cars, and then be able to out-brake them at the next corner.


When the car is actually used for what it was designed for, it is extremely capable. In general, it was around 6 seconds per lap faster than the standard 86 twins that also had upgraded pads and R-compounds.
In addition, it can embarrass many cars costing much more.

Complaining that the tS isn't any good because it's not any quicker in daily driving is like complaining a scalpel makes a horrible butterknife. You're simply using a great tool for the wrong purpose.

[mrg666]

I watched the reviews before buying the car. Chris Harris' review sold me my car. I don't waste my time with more reviews especially from pedestrians.

[GrantedTaken]

Originally Posted by yurikaze

Trust me when I say power was never an issue,

Yup, it's all about driver skill.
"Needs power" are the words of fools.

[Tokay444]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

I'm willing to bet he knows more about cars than the majority of people on here.

That's not saying much.

[SuperTom]

I agree with Doug people have been asking for a little more umph and each year we get more easy bolt-ons and stickers for $35,000. Mazda took the time to completely reengineer the Miatas internals to get more umph and barely raised the base price. We get more red trim and badges.

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by mrg666

I watched the reviews before buying the car. Chris Harris' review sold me my car. I don't waste my time with more reviews especially from pedestrians.

I would have used the word plebeian

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by SuperTom

I agree with Doug people have been asking for a little more umph and each year we get more easy bolt-ons and stickers for $35,000. Mazda took the time to completely reengineer the Miatas internals to get more umph and barely raised the base price. We get more red trim and badges.

Yeah there comes a point where they cant really do much more without addressing the bottleneck, which in this case is the power output.

It was fine when the car came out, and is still fine now but all these suspension tweaks are now exposing the bottleneck that is the lack of power.

The car is only as good as its weakest link.

[Tristor]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

Yeah there comes a point where they cant really do much more without addressing the bottleneck, which in this case is the power output.

It was fine when the car came out, and is still fine now but all these suspension tweaks are now exposing the bottleneck that is the lack of power.

The car is only as good as its weakest link.

And yet, I kind of wish I'd waited and bought a tS instead which would mean all I'd need to do is put FI and an exhaust on it, and I'd be set. Instead I bought a non-PP MY17, which means I needed to do brakes, wheels, suspension, before I even worried about power and I spent more money doing it than the cost difference between the tS and the non-tS car. The tS is a /great/ deal if you are already sold on a BRZ, if you aren't already sold on a BRZ then it's debatable.

[SuperTom]

Originally Posted by Tristor

And yet, I kind of wish I'd waited and bought a tS instead which would mean all I'd need to do is put FI and an exhaust on it, and I'd be set. Instead I bought a non-PP MY17, which means I needed to do brakes, wheels, suspension, before I even worried about power and I spent more money doing it than the cost difference between the tS and the non-tS car. The tS is a /great/ deal if you are already sold on a BRZ, if you aren't already sold on a BRZ then it's debatable.

If I were going FI id still want bigger brakes, wider wheels, coilover suspension anyway. The PP is still just an upgrade for stock HP levels adding 100hp+ I would still want beefier parts anyway.