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[ForeverCar]

Originally Posted by WorldRallyB

The white looks gorgeous in low light. Considering your stable of cars im curious what mods you end up choosing and hearing your feedback about them. A common agreement among us enthusiasts is that these cars are to quiet from factory, so im assuming an exhaust is in order?

Just got back from a ~60-mile fun drive. Kudos to Subaru and Toyota, the BRZ is an incredible car. If one can’t have fun in one, it’s got to be the conditions or the person!

Mods wise, I probably want to enjoy the car as-is to begin with. I don’t mind the stock sound as I don’t chase after loud exhaust anymore. When the weather gets nicer, I have a set of wheels (staying 17” for now) to put Michelin PS4S on the car.

The stock setup is so good, if I go down an extensive mod path, I might have to buy another one. Modded would be great for sure but I know I will likely miss the stock characters after a while.

There are many mod paths I am considering and might end up trying a few different combos. Higher rev and ~300hp naturally aspirated, or built engine and a responsive turbo setup, or go swap crazy. At some point, might make it a track car for rainy days. Lots of possibilities and that’s certainly a strength of this platform.

[Blighty]

Originally Posted by ForeverCar

There are many mod paths I am considering and might end up trying a few different combos. Higher rev and ~300hp naturally aspirated, or built engine and a responsive turbo setup, or go swap crazy. At some point, might make it a track car for rainy days. Lots of possibilities and that’s certainly a strength of this platform.

Welcome to the forums!

You might want to temper your expectations a little - 300hp NA is a big bridge to cross!!!

[BRZ549]

Originally Posted by soundman98

... i'm curious what the type r lacks in your opinion to 'justify' (term used loosely) , a different vehicle.

I had an '18 Type R. Great car (not aware of a better performance value) but i only drove it 4,500 miles before i sold it in October. One reason i sold was the $6K over MSRP offer i got from Carvana. Another was limited garage space as i already keep two vehicles in winter storage and won't be driving the BRZ in winter either.

I didn't have any issues with the Type R except a fuel pump recall and it probably would have been as reliable as my '93 DX hatch (which a friend is still driving at 250,000 + miles). And 28 MPG in a car capable of 170 MPH (not to mention supercar braking performance) is amazing. Lots of fun at the track also. As for styling - always subjective but it wasn't the kind of car you turn around and look at every time you get out (at least i didn't).

As for the sleek looking BRZ - so refreshing to shop for a vehicle without facing $5-$10K "market adjustments" at every dealer in the state. I had to travel over 600 miles to get a decent deal on the Type R. I bought my bugeye WRX new and did plenty of modifications to it. The biggest problem i've had so far was having to get the AC condenser replaced after a rock put a hole in it.

One other big factor - i'm old and my driving days are numbered. I want to try out a different format (2 door, 2,800 lb., RWD) while i still can.

[ForeverCar]

Originally Posted by Blighty

Welcome to the forums!

You might want to temper your expectations a little - 300hp NA is a big bridge to cross!!!

Agreed, 300hp NA would be very tough. 270hp might be more doable especially as I would like to stay with pump gas.

300hp plan would be finding a competent engine builder, 9000rpm, custom cams, as light as possible on crank, rods, pistons, valve train, etc. Will also need something like Motec to maximize the potential and dry sump for oiling.

Any FA naturally aspirated engine builder recommendations?

[WorldRallyB]

Originally Posted by ForeverCar

Agreed, 300hp NA would be very tough. 270hp might be more doable especially as I would like to stay with pump gas.

300hp plan would be finding a competent engine builder, 9000rpm, custom cams, as light as possible on crank, rods, pistons, valve train, etc. Will also need something like Motec to maximize the potential and dry sump for oiling.

Any FA naturally aspirated engine builder recommendations?

Here is one that revs to 12k and north of 600hp but with a turbo and on the EJ platform.. but its still a flat 4. 9K seems doable to me

and IAG built an STI that revved to 10k. Id probably call them.

[ForeverCar]

Originally Posted by WorldRallyB

Here is one that revs to 12k and north of 600hp but with a turbo and on the EJ platform.. but its still a flat 4. 9K seems doable to me

and IAG built an STI that revved to 10k. Id probably call them.

Whoa! 12k rpm flat-4, that’s incredible and impressive!

[ForeverCar]

The car is dirty but I took a few photos to share. Rear not drilled, yay!

[ForeverCar]

Took the car on a ~130 miles fun drive today. I take all my cars on this same drive. The BRZ is incredible! It wasn't raining but roads were wet and temperature was in the 40s F. I had Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons tires installed prior to delivery. I don't think I would have more fun with any other cars.

I am enjoying the stock sound. The engine revs to redline better than I expected. The stock shifter is quite good. The steering wheel is awesome. I appreciate little details like the dash design that resembles a flat-4 engine. No auto start/stop to disable is great. The BRZ reminds me of the Porsche 718 Cayman S that I had. Slightly less powerful and FR dynamics but feels like it has the same spirit.

I hope the BRZ creates a new generation of driving enthusiats!

Well done, Subaru and Toyota! This is one of the best new cars regardless of price!

[ForeverCar]

500+ miles in 4 days. Fantastic car!

Blipping the throttle on down shift, I hear a bit of “sheet metal” rattle around 4500 rpm. Kinda like a loose catalytic converter’s heat shield. Anyone experienced this?

Track mode shift light is definitely easier to see. Michelin Pilot Sport All Season has incredible traction in the wet & cold.

Mods are tempting but the car is so amazing stock. I’ll only screw it up if I mod.

[*Axel]

Originally Posted by ForeverCar

500+ miles in 4 days. Fantastic car!
Mods are tempting but the car is so amazing stock. I’ll only screw it up if I mod.

Glad too see you like it so. It reenforces my inclination to leave it mostly stock, other than some audio upgrades and 245/w tires after my factories wear out.

I like my Primacy tires. They break loose when I want and I have no issues with them losing traction unless I want them to. I read that they were specifically designed for the BRZ/FRS/86 to enable drifting. Although I don't think Subaru can officially admit to that.

I LOVE the car! Glad you like yours.

[ForeverCar]

Week 1, ~800 miles. The BRZ is a really fun car! So much fun that I am at ~13mpg overall.

Initially, I was a bit bummed that it doesn’t have downshift rev match. That was just me wanting to be lazy. I’m now glad that it doesn’t and I got to get practice my heel and toe technique. It’s extra work but I forgot the extra dimension of enjoyment it adds.

I am debating whether I should find a shifter solution that eliminates the small amount of slope and rubbery feel.

[ForeverCar]

In a moment of weakness, ordered a CAE shifter. Excited to see how it feels!

[wizee]

Hey, I've seen you on Rennlist! How do you find throttle response compared to your 718 Cayman S or 911 R? I have high standards given my 718 Spyder as a reference . I have a BRZ on order, but haven't gotten to properly test drive one, and was a bit worried how about how bad rev hang would be in real world driving, given what I observed in gentle stationary revving.

I previously had a manual 2019 Crosstrek (FB20D engine), and hated the severe rev hang it had. Its rev hang was also inconsistent, in the sense it would only hang if I had pressed the throttle in the 3 seconds prior to clutching in. This inconsistency kept throwing me off once in a while after I had built muscle memory to shift really slowly in that car.

[Re_Invention]

Originally Posted by ForeverCar

In a moment of weakness, ordered a CAE shifter. Excited to see how it feels!

Sweet - looking forward to updates on this. I'm gonna do 75w-90 Motul gear 300 in the trans in a couple of weeks - will post thoughts if that does anything to help the shifter feel.