Subaru Testing a BRZ with STI Badging and a Big Wing

[DSOmegaX]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

That doesn't stop companies from offering factory upgrades. Honda had a OEM supercharger available for the CRZ and Dodge had a big turbo upgrade for the SRT-4.

I'm not saying it stops every company, but you're comparing a much smaller company in Subaru to the large corporations of Honda, FCA (Toyota too). For a small company, you can severely damage your financial viability on a product they know has little return, especially at the size they currently are. The company is doing well, but they are not a volume seller like the others where the risk of developing such products is low.

[Dorb]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

Who imposes that big wings should go only on super cars and not on the BRZ? Are they the real boy racers that might try to overtake you on a straight line and laugh at you? Who cares about them and who is now the boy racer? Those who really know will just admire.

Don't forget Its a 200HP car. Like I said when you get older you will understand. But hey if I was a young kid again, I would think about it too I guess.

[DSOmegaX]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

It'll cost you much much more, it'll take time, you'll have extra installation costs and you'll still miss important parts. They never publish all the changes and the best way to find them is to compare the complete parts catalog side by side (i.e. US tS vs. PP). Even if you find all the parts, factory will not provide all of them to you. Some require to have a valid tS VIN number. It really doesn't worth it. Some guys did it here, because at that time the tS model was available only in Japan.

The only VIN locked items are purely cosmetic: the badge, the front and rear bumper trim, the inner kick plates, etc.

From a mechanical stand point you can pretty much source anything no problem, even down to a nut and bolt.

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Toyota did indeed go through the process to offer a small SC for the tC and it was also a low production car.

I thought Toyota does have a TRD Supercharger option for the 86 (Japan and Australia?), just not for our market.

[Ernest72]

its also because a HP number is like **** size. Never enough. Truth is handling mods are the most fun anyway. Quick turn at 30mph is way more fun than a launch and has less wear and tear on the car. The single best mod I did on my 04 WRX was swaybars, end links and sticky summer tires. Thing turns on rails and its a wagon. Its about fun and the feel of the car, not a number. That said the BRZ at 250HP NA would be really nice.

[DSOmegaX]

Originally Posted by krayzie

I thought Toyota does have a TRD Supercharger option for the 86 (Japan and Australia?), just not for our market.

Sold only to racing teams (it costs like equivalent to 25k USD for that reason)

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by DSOmegaX

The only VIN locked items are purely cosmetic: the badge, the front and rear bumper trim, the inner kick plates, etc.

From a mechanical stand point you can pretty much source anything no problem, even down to a nut and bolt.

How about the ECU? Don't they have different settings for the tS car or is it my impression?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

^Yeah well a big criticism of Subaru, and one that's warranted, is that the horsepower has stayed the same while its weight has increased. If you're gonna leave the power alone okay, then reduce weight. People want visible obvious improvements and bang for their buck. When the STI first came to the US in the early 2000s the Ford Mustang couldn't handle worth a crap and in GT form had 260 hp. Fast forward to present day and it learned how to handle, as well as offer 435 hp. Personally I have little interest in the Mustang, or STI, due to their heftiness but for some people it's a valid comparison.

EDIT: Sorry I thought you were talking about the WRX STI, not some fictional BRZ STI. Still, I think your argument is crap. Sure "some" people would have that viewpoint. But personally I think a 10:1 ratio for a sports car is just about perfect. I've owned my Cayman S for 4 years and haven't done a thing to it to gain more power - nor do I have any burning desire to do so either.



Yeah that kind of boggles the mind. They offered an FI kit for the tC and even for the Tacoma (I mean come on!). But a bonafide sports car? Nah.

Perhaps people used to driving Hondas are spoiled, but a sentiment shared amongst many of the H faithful is that the BRZ would be great if it's engine was remotely similar to the K20 found under the hood of an RSX Type S or 9th Gen Civic - even if it still just had 200-205 hp. But it doesn't. I struggled with my (stock) BRZ ownership when it became clear that the engine in my 20+ year old Integra GS-R had more personality, was more fun to peg to redline, and sounded better doing it (though I admit aftermarket bolt-on mods helped with that).

The "Personality, fun and sound" are all subjective and can not be measured to a "more" or "less" standard except for personal preference.
I can never understand the love of the sound of straight 4 Honda engines. To me they all sound like crap no matter what you do to them. That is of course my thoughts only though.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by DSOmegaX

Sold only to racing teams (it costs like equivalent to 25k USD for that reason)

Yep and there was something like 6 of them made available.

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

I struggled with my (stock) BRZ ownership when it became clear that the engine in my 20+ year old Integra GS-R had more personality, was more fun to peg to redline

Yes I find the Boxer engine in the BRZ revs up like it's missing its morning cup of coffee. Even the non-vtec Honda engines of that era revved up quite urgently and they were quite fun to drive even stock.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by DSOmegaX

I'm not saying it stops every company, but you're comparing a much smaller company in Subaru to the large corporations of Honda, FCA (Toyota too). For a small company, you can severely damage your financial viability on a product they know has little return, especially at the size they currently are. The company is doing well, but they are not a volume seller like the others where the risk of developing such products is low.

The Twins are not just Subaru and if Toyota wanted such a thing it would apply to both vehicles. Toyota has done it before as said.


Crap... I am arguing both sides of the fence here!


Sort of a moot point anyway since if they were going too they would have by now.

[krayzie]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

How about the ECU? Don't they have different settings for the tS car or is it my impression?

The VDC programming is completely different and exclusive to the tS model as noted from their previous Japanese literature.

I guess one could argue that you can simply turn it off.

[DSOmegaX]

Originally Posted by nikitopo

How about the ECU? Don't they have different settings for the tS car or is it my impression?

The 2015 tS I think had a retuned traction control system. Dont remember if the ECU was retuned. I don't think there were any changes to the 2013 tS. Could be wrong though for sure

[DSOmegaX]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The Twins are not just Subaru and if Toyota wanted such a thing it would apply to both vehicles. Toyota has done it before as said.


Crap... I am arguing both sides of the fence here!


Sort of a moot point anyway since if they were going too they would have by now.

No I get what you're saying. But yeah at this point theyd get so little return for such a big investment that there's just simply no way theyd ever consider it now.