Where does the BRZ fit in your "sports car progression?"

[imnotsureaboutbrz]

This car is my first sports car! I've been waiting since I was 16 to be in a position where I could get my first uncompromising sports car. And so far I'm very happy! Here's my car history

1993 Nissan Pickup (handmedown)
2003 Nissan Sentra (college car bought used with parental help)
2010 Toyota Camry (handmedown)
2017 Subaru BRZ Series.Yellow (ALL MINE)

[willimusk]

I bought a Celica GT 5-speed new in 1984 and drove it for 22 years, 220,000 miles, and it never once left me stranded or let me down. Loved that car. It was an extension of me, or I of it.

For the past decade I've been driving a '97 Honda Wagon EX-L, which is a gem. But it is also a wagon. And an automatic. Nuff said.

A month ago I decided it was time to get back on the stick. I had no idea the twins even existed--and no, I don't live in a cave; they are simply under-publicized and under-represented, even here in the Bay Area. All I knew was I wanted something like my Celica but better. Googling "rear-drive four cylinder sports car" brought the BRZ to my attention. One test drive later, I was in love and my car was on order. White, like my old Celica but reincarnated as a superior life form.

My commute vehicle is a pair of Acorn slippers, as I work at home. I've driven maybe 4,000 miles a year for the past decade, but that is about to change, big time. The Honda Wagon stays as a people and cargo mover; the BRZ is purely for fun. This my only goal for this car: flying the rolling coastal hills of California. And I am so excited about it!

[Balf]

I've only had 3 cars in my time driving, and they've all had to be manual

1st car - 93 Mazda MX6 V6
2nd car - 01 BMW 330Ci
3rd car - 13 Subaru BRZ Limited

The MX6 was pretty fun for a first car, but was a total pile. The car was red, but the paint was completely faded and it only looked nice when completely wet from rain. Also there came to be a hole in the gas tank (I have no idea how) so it always smelled of gas and I could never really fill up the tank completely. I wrenched on that car all the time whether I was repairing or modifying, I enjoyed it all. I let the MX6 go after finding the 330ci.

I ended up finding a great deal on a 330Ci down in Fredricksburg, VA. It was a great total-package car with the sport package, premium package and cold weather package. Topaz Blue on black leather. Great looks, good power and plenty of torque down low. Also very practical with a large trunk with folding seats. That car spoiled me. I did a few mods here and there, but nothing major. Unfortunately the car rusted quite badly. Under the car/suspension and even the fenders plus trunk area. I decided I wasn't going to deal with rust repair and replacing extremely rusted parts. Those M54 engines also consume quite a bit of oil and is considered normal by BMW. I'll never forget having to pull over on a highway because the low oil warning light came on, then finding out I only had a tiny bit of oil in my keep-in-the-trunk bottle. That's when the BRZ entered my life.

I remember being super hype for the concept when it was revealed, and I was ecstatic when I finally got it. The e46 chassis is heralded as being a great drivers car, and I agree. It was awesome. While i've never driven an E46 M3 and can't comment on that, the BRZ is definitely more focused on driving dynamics than the 330ci. I recall the first time i felt the weight transfer from lifting mid corner, and thinking something was wrong lol. This was non existent in the 330ci. That said I do miss the torque from the straight 6 and the quiet ride, but I don't want to give up the control and connection the BRZ offers up. I'm a single guy with no kids so it's just practical enough for me. I can fit a couple snowboards through the trunk with no problem, although i do think i'll need to get a roof rack at some point since I've got a bike. It's going to be hard to find a car after the BRZ's time is up.

[Romanov]

I like reading these, it's really interesting to see where people are at as car enthusiasts.

1.) What has been your sports car progression?
This is actually my first sports car, i graduated college and thought why not get something fun to drive as my first irresponsible purchase. So i saved up enough and bought my 2014 BRZ in February of 2015. I've loved it absolutely since i've had it. Never had a dull moment (other than the times it's stored away during the bad months in winter)

2.) What are your eventual goals?
Im not sure, im reaching the limit of my aesthetically without drastically changing it (widebody). Perhaps when the powertrain warranty is out ill look to boost it. Everything but the exhaust is stock on the powertrain.

3.) Where does the BRZ fit in this progression for you?
It's my first sports car, not sure if it'll be my last but i think ill move into more of the luxury performance cars once my career is much more established.

[Gmo]

My "sports" cars have been:
1. Honda CRX (Got this in high school. Fun little car to drive)
2. 02 Subaru WRX (Got this in 2010 and drove it for 7 years, and loved every bit of the car)
3. 2013 Subaru BRZ. I just got this car (Feb 20, 2017), and absolutely love it. Compared to my WRX, it is much slower in a straight line, but funner in pretty much every other aspect.

I want to make the car as balanced, fast and reliable as possible (I'm thinking built engine) without going FI. I want it to be extremely fun to drive, even more so than it already is, so I want to find the perfect balance in suspension to get there. Comfortable ride and perfect in the twisties.

As for where it fits in the progression for me, it is a great place to be right now. I have no kids, just my wife and I. It is a lot of fun, and I may keep it forever and buy something a bit more comfortable (WRX/STi) when the time comes, for carrying future kids or other people around.

[Talus1]

My Sportscar Progression (excluding the Wifemobiles that mostly aren't sporty):

1980 Mazda 626, the original rwd coupe with the 2l 4cyl and 4spd from the B2000 pickup. Handled great and looked good, but slow and kind of crappy steering. It eventually just disintegrated.

1985 Corolla GT-S hatch. Probably the best overall car I ever owned. Not super fast but great steering and balance. You could rev the snot out of that 4AGE and it had the TVIS valves in the manifold that opened up at around 4200 RPM that gave a little power bump, long before there was VTEC.

1988 Mazda 323 GTX, turbo and all-wheel drive. Another great car. It was a bit of a maintenance nightmare but was the fastest thing around in the wintertime in the days before WRXs.

1996 Acura Integra RS. Definitely my least favourite. Front wheel drive and built to a price. I can't think how many times I had to replace rotors on the rear because of corrosion.

2008 WRX & 2011 WRX wagons - (Leased) Great winter cars. Super practical. Not the best steering feel and way more turbo lag than I like. Loved the torque, though.

2013 BRZ (leased) - Another "almost" car with which I had a love/hate relationship. I leased it because I wasn't sure I would want to keep it (same with the WRXs). The steering was nearly perfect. The seats were almost perfect. The driving position was perfect. The transmission was almost perfect (2nd gear graunch). The handling, once I got it on MPSS, was almost perfect. It was loud and bumpy and jiggly and it moved around but it felt alive. God help me I loved driving it. The stability control and traction control were crap. The head unit was a joke. Even still, I almost bought out the lease, but then...

2006 Cayman S. The jury is still out, seeing as I put it in storage for the winter 2 weeks after I got it. (It was a great car at a great price, even if it wasn't the right time). The head unit is a joke. Its bumpy and loud, but somehow its a nicer, more expensive feeling bumpy and loud. It sounds amazing. The steering is sublime. Its way faster than the BRZ, even if it has a very similar torque dip.

My Eventual Goals

Keep the Cayman until I retire then trade it for a 997.2 C2S.

Where does the BRZ fit in?

Going from the 2011 WRX to the BRZ was a bit of a shock to the system, seeing as it had about 40% lower torque to weight ratio. But it got me back into great handling and great steering feel. I knew I wanted a Cayman and I test drove a few during the time I had the BRZ. Every time I would get back into the BRZ afterward and realize it still made a pretty strong case for itself. At the end, I had to decide between buying out the BRZ, and probably adding some power and a new head unit, or going with the next obvious step. The Cayman has pretty big shoes to fill.