Karbon's DGM BRZ in LA!

[karbon]

Hey all,

The car I preordered back in the first week of April arrived earlier this week! However, I was 350 miles away in LA when it did and only picked it up today in Bakersfield. On the way there, I saw a white FRS drive by the opposite direction on 405. Shoutout to whoever that was!

Upon seeing my car in person for the first time all I can say is WOW. Add my voice to the chorus of people who say that pictures don't do the car justice. Its profile is so low and sleek, and with DGM it definitely looks like an exotic. On my way back to LA, I was giddy beyond belief. Some fellow motorists shared my excitement. A Mitsubishi Lancer driven by a young gentleman with a kid pulled up along side me while traffic was slow and gave me the thumbs up.

Upon returning, I wasted no time taking on some wonderfully twisty roads in the Santa Monica mountains. Staying below 4000 rpm in this machine is harder than I imagined; I'll admit I wasn't always true to the break-in procedure! Today was a great break from studying for the MCAT.

My impressions:

My god this thing handles as if it is on rails. And that's with those skinny tires, too! I am blown away. I have never felt such a telepathic communication between car and driver in my life. I point and the nose follows without hesitation. The steering has a nice weight to it and throttle response is excellent. The brake pedal was a little stiff at first but I think it was because I have mostly been driving a Honda CRV for the past few months.

The engine is not that bad either. The car pulls well at low RPM, but I could definitely feel the drop in torque around 3500-4000 rpm. Hopefully this won't be an issue after I finish breaking it in and engine speed won't drop below 4000 when driving spiritedly.

I feared that I made the wrong choice with the automanual. Not anymore. In manual mode with sport mode on, the shifting was faster than I would have imagined. Definitely faster than I could ever do in a MT car. Also, rev-matching downshifts sound amazing and are again more consistent than I would be in a MT. The increased fuel economy is also a huge bonus because I will be using this car as a daily driver.

Overall, I am 110% satisfied with this car. Having followed it for so long and waited for months on my preorder, I love seeing it finally parked in my garage and the keys in my hand!

I also changed the startup screen to a stock image that I found on google and modified a bit.

[Tunz]

Congrats!

[bestwheelbase]

Congrats!

You should post that second photo in the Landmarks thread.

[karbon]

Ah I was looking for that thread! Thanks for the link. I will go do that now.

[bestwheelbase]

Right on.

Also, what do you think of the steering wheel? I really liked it's diameter and thickness. I think this plays a big role in the connected feeling you mentioned. Lots of sports cars over the years have been plagued by overly large and thin steering wheels. I think the FRS got it right.

[karbon]

Originally Posted by bestwheelbase

Right on.

Also, what do you think of the steering wheel? I really liked it's diameter and thickness. I think this plays a big role in the connected feeling you mentioned. Lots of sports cars over the years have been plagued by overly large and thin steering wheels. I think the FRS got it right.

I agree wholeheartedly. The entire car, from the seats to the steering wheel, fit like a glove.

[bestwheelbase]

Originally Posted by karbon

I agree wholeheartedly. The entire car, from the seats to the steering wheel, fit like a glove.

The cabin is remarkably roomy, while still fitting "like a glove." And without feeling claustrophobic. I really think it has a lot going for it.

[Stu baru]

Tres bien! DGM is an awesome color on this car, I went back and forth between that and the SWP before I finally settled on the latter for mine. Enjoy!

[alex86]

congrats