Goodbye Cayman S & E90 M3... Hello BRZ! *Pics*

[Doug&Julie]

I'm another who has had a Cayman S and now own a BRZ. For me, there's really no comparison...the Cayman S is a better car in every way (save for efficiency), but the value of the BRZ is just hard to beat. Plus, for me having a car under warranty is a big factor. Free oil changes for life and Subaru reliability make service a ton cheaper, too. So right now, at this point in our life, it's the car for me.

Here are some shots with the CS by a BRZ...taken a year ago. I wasn't able to drive the BRZ at the time, but it was my first look...

[Rosso_Corsa]

I ended up picking the FR-S because it felt like better value and would be cheaper to track/autocross in the long run, but I'm sure I would have been happy either way.

This is part of the reason why. I'm looking forward to a trackday or two. Trackdays in 911s and Caymans get really expensive, really fast. The size and width of those tires alone...

[Sonolin]

You guys seem to have all bought the fr-s with reasons similar to mine.

Makes me feel better about not getting that shiny c5 z06, lol.

[edward]

Great pictures and review. Can't wait to hear your upcoming impressions of the 991.

[WolfpackS2k]

Originally Posted by Rosso_Corsa

This is part of the reason why. I'm looking forward to a trackday or two. Trackdays in 911s and Caymans get really expensive, really fast. The size and width of those tires alone...

The tire cost isn't that bad as long as you don't have the 19's and insist on Michelins. And brake pad wear is excellent because Porsches have fixed caliper multiple piston brakes, unlike sh*tty sliding calipers that don't distribute braking pressure as equally

[Umbie]

Seems like we got a lot of Porsche enthusiasts on the forum. Am I the only one who thinks they are far overpriced and dislikes the infamous body style? Its solely a personal preference, I have nothing against Porsche owners/fans and can't speak on the cars themselves as I have never driven one. Its just besides the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder, none of their models really appeal to me.

[Ganthrithor]

Originally Posted by Rosso_Corsa

[URL="http://www.ft86club.com"]
In many ways, it reminds me a lot of my Cayman, a car I still miss from time to time. The seating position is similar because I can slam my seat to the floor without compromising my view over the dash. Steering wheels comes close to my chest which is great, and the relationship between all the controls just feels so right. Again, very much like the Cayman. And the wheel itself rocks.

But unlike the Cayman, it feels even lighter on its feet and very eager to be throttle steered. This is its greatest strength. Transitions from left to right feel hyper agile and it's very natural to exploit its rear end steer-ability using the steering and throttle. This is so unlike every modern car that emphasizes stability and so much like one of the all time greats... the Mazda Miata (I used to have an '01). No, the BRZ is not fast. No, the engine does not sound very good (almost like a sewing machine, my brother joked). But as a complete package, it is very consistent to its character and feels so right!

While I'm no fan of electric assisted steering, the BRZ steers with a beautiful weighting, a trait very much lost on the newest electric steer BMWs (I'm looking at you, F30). It will never approach the nuggety feedback and connection from a great hydraulic system like the 997 Carrera or the 987 gen Cayman, but it is quick geared, VERY responsive, and with that uber light front end is just dynamite to flick around corners. This car LOVES to turn!

Oh and I love the skinny tires. This combined with the throttle steerability makes the car extremely entertaining even at modest speeds.

Great review. After a lot of backroads driving I found that the car reminds me a lot of the first-gen Boxster in terms of power to weight and neutral, throttle-steerable handling, although the BRZ feels a bit "looser" than the Boxster. There is a lack of feedback through the steering wheel, but your inputs are very sharp / accurate and the weighting is nice. The overall communicativeness of the car / suspension makes the slight lack of steering feedback manageable imho.

Glad to see someone agreeing that the car is very trim-able with the throttle after reading that EVO review where they complained so much about lack of power. I find the car especially fun on really tight, curvy roads where you can stay in second gear and basically use a touch of steering combined with brake / throttle application to slither the car from corner to corner-- it doesn't quite feel 911-like because you don't get that ungodly traction once you're turned in that allows you to mat the throttle, but you can definitely make the rear end dance around the outsides of the corners and rotate the car in. It's really fun.

I honestly can't believe how well set up these cars are from the factory. The only improvements I'm inclined to make are some bushing replacements / braces here and there to eliminate drivetrain slop and maximize throttle response, some lighter (stock size) wheels, possibly a light-weight crank pulley set and an exhaust. My biggest grumbly point about the car is that I've listened to what seems like every aftermarket exhaust system sound clip on youtube and I can't find any that sound genuinely arousing. I think the Milltek and Perrin ones sound the least-bad, but that's not saying a whole lot. I'll probably get the Milltek system because it's lighter and I really like their system that's installed on my GTI.

Also, that picture from your other thread of the Toyota dealer with the Cayman and Exige out front is hilarious. I'm so glad the twins made it to production

[Ganthrithor]

Originally Posted by Umbie

Seems like we got a lot of Porsche enthusiasts on the forum. Am I the only one who thinks they are far overpriced and dislikes the infamous body style? Its solely a personal preference, I have nothing against Porsche owners/fans and can't speak on the cars themselves as I have never driven one. Its just besides the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder, none of their models really appeal to me.

Try and drive one if you can, particularly a 911, preferably an older one (at least old enough to have hydraulic steering and "conventional" suspension). They take a little getting used to / re-learning to drive hard, but once you've figured it out you'll climb out considering which of your body parts to sell to get into one on a permanent basis.

My family has a tweaked 993 and on the whole I think it's the best street car I've ever driven. It's a bit like the twins-- not crazy fast (still a lot faster than the BRZ, but not "too fast for the road" like many new cars) but the handling is delightfully engaging. Everything about the car is a bit raw and brutal-- it's got heavy controls, marvelous steering that provides a ton of feedback from the road, and the barking, roaring sounds that come out the back are straight up arousing. It's even fairly practical, with gimmick rear seats and a fair amount of cargo space. It's basically the greatest thing.

[Lverasky]

Congratulations!

[Jaylyons1]

I also owned an E90 M3 before picking up the BRZ. Other's I have owned include a C6 corvette, 700whp Supra and 400whp STi. The BRZ satisfies far more things I need then any of these cars could and it does it while keeping a smile on my face. ^_^

I haven't owned a porsche, but that's mainly because I dislike their look. The Corvette was definitely a more fun car that was helped with raw power and I do feel like it out handled the BRZ. However, I had a lot of electrical issues so I traded it for my Supra. As for my Supra, it starts to get old when you can't put the hammer down in 3rd without losing traction. It was fun at first having that mass amount of power, but since I was looking for a car I could have fun it and drive daily, the Supra was out. The M3 was very similar to the BRZ in certain aspects. About 100hp per liter. Lack of torque in comparison with total power. The first time I drove my E90, I wasn't interested. The salesman actually had to convince me to try it out again and we took it down a backroad. Only then was I set on it. The BRZ is very similar. If you just take it down a highway then you are missing out on everything the car is about. The first time you take it down a twisty road though, thats when it will win you over. The only bad thing is you need to get the crummy tires replaced in order to experience its phenomenal grip potential.

If I had not purchased a home, I would still have my M3 but the BRZ definitely meets all the needs I have now and it is still a blast to drive. Maybe in the future I will pick up another M3, but I want to get an E92 next time!

[scioneric]

I remember you.

[Soravia]

I second a lot of points the OP posted. The car feels like a Miata with stiffer suspension. But falls a bit short on feelings from Steering (a bit better than RX-8). Clutch is soft compared to my 01 Miata but I guess some people like that. Manual shifter is a lot longer than Miata, RX-8, and S2K. Feels almost like my 2003 Audi A4. But A4 was smoother and less notchy. I want to know what Cayman shifter and steering feels like.
I couldn't stand the engine noise on the twins. They made it too loud and is on constantly at any speed. I wish there was a button to lock the tube out.
I think I'll actually end up with a 2013 Club in near future instead of the twins.

[Rayme]

Posts like this really make a strong point for these cars..
Welcome to the family !

[im2fr-s]

I bought an FR-S about a year ago. I've driven both the 911 and a Cayman. Pound for pound the FR-S really holds it's own against two really great performance cars. But, the FR-S is just a place holder for me. My next car will be a Cayman S. You can get a used, low mileage Cayman S for $30K(ish)...great deal for such a great ride.

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