MrH's BRZ Thread

[TurboDan]

Scion doesn't exist in the home market.

No, but Netz, Vista, Toyopet, Public/Corolla, etc. do. I believe that was his point.

I think the entire idea of a "youth brand" is silly, since "youth" don't like being pandered to and told what they "should" want to buy. The worst way to market to a young audience is to latch onto a few trends that showed up in some suit's marketing report and build an entire brand around it. People will buy the FR-S in spite of it being a Scion, not because of it, and because the BR-Zs might all be gone.

If Toyota wanted to start a new brand in the U.S. market to sell (primarily) small quirky cars, they should've just called it Daihatsu.

[2o6]

No, but Netz, Vista, Toyopet, Public/Corolla, etc. do. I believe that was his point.

Those aren't sub brands, per se; (not seperate marketing such as Scion and Lexus and Daihatsu) but are separate dealers. The only actual different Toyota makes they have are Daihatsu and Lexus. Otherwise Honda has Clio, Verno and Primo.

I think the entire idea of a "youth brand" is silly, since "youth" don't like being pandered to and told what they "should" want to buy. The worst way to market to a young audience is to latch onto a few trends that showed up in some suit's marketing report and build an entire brand around it. People will buy the FR-S in spite of it being a Scion, not because of it, and because the BR-Zs might all be gone.

I don't think Scion has as much as a negative cache as you guys suggest; the original xA and xB are fondly looked upon.

If Toyota wanted to start a new brand in the U.S. market to sell (primarily) small quirky cars, they should've just called it Daihatsu.

Daihatsu has baggage associated with it.

[CJ]

Nobody in the US knows what a Daihatsu is anymore.

[MrH]

Stop arguing about stupid shitty cars no one cares about in my thread. Only BRZZZZ circle jerks allowed.

[Soup DeVille]

Stop arguing about stupid shitty cars no one cares about in my thread. Only BRZZZZ circle jerks allowed.

On that note, go ahead an debadge it. Its Subaru blue for crissakes! Nobody is going to think its a Scion, and if anybody fails to recognize that its subaru blue, then their opinion on either subaru or Scion is likely misinformed and worthless.

The badges add no aesthetic value.

[2o6]

Stop arguing about stupid shitty cars no one cares about in my thread. Only BRZZZZ circle jerks allowed.

You should get winter wheels.

[MrH]

On that note, go ahead an debadge it. Its Subaru blue for crissakes! Nobody is going to think its a Scion, and if anybody fails to recognize that its subaru blue, then their opinion on either subaru or Scion is likely misinformed and worthless.

The badges add no aesthetic value.

I was hoping you'd chime in. I think we're the only two who debadge here.

I'm leaning towards just taking the Subaru off. Leaving the brz. That's how it is overseas. Looks much cleaner.

[Soup DeVille]

I was hoping you'd chime in. I think we're the only two who debadge here.

I'm leaning towards just taking the Subaru off. Leaving the brz. That's how it is overseas. Looks much cleaner.

The big Subaru lettering is the most distracting part, I agree.

[2o6]

I was hoping you'd chime in. I think we're the only two who debadge here.

I'm leaning towards just taking the Subaru off. Leaving the brz. That's how it is overseas. Looks much cleaner.

Are there holes? I think Toyota is notorious for drilling holes.

[Soup DeVille]

Are there holes? I think Toyota is notorious for drilling holes.

I don't think any carmaker still drills holes for their badges.

[dazzleman]

I've mentioned it other threads, but never had a chance to write a review and the whole story.

I've been following the development of this car for years, just like all of you have.  When it officially debuted, I loved the looks of the BRZ.  The Scion, not quite as much.  I didn't think I'd realistically buy one though.  However, when I went to the Geneva auto show for work, I had a chance to spend some time  sitting in both the BRZ and Toyota 86.  After just sitting in one, I was excited.  Fits like a damn glove.  The best driving position I've seen, and I feel like I've sat in just about everything out there.

And therein lies most of my problems with the Miata.  I don't fit very well.  At 6'2", and mostly torso, the lumbar support ends of being too low, the bolsters are too close together that it constantly squeezes my lats and shoulders uncomfortably, and if I sit up straight, my head pushes the top up an inch or two.  It makes the entire winter season an awkward slouch.  I just feel like it's always been built for tiny japanese men, not americans. 

Then there are the dynamic issues with the Miata.  I love blasting down the road with the top down, music blasting. But the lingering cowl shake bothered me.  It's stiff for a convertible.  But it always had that modifier..."for a convertible".  The enginerd in me doesn't like the idea I'm adding weight and losing torsional rigidity with a convertible vs a hardtop. Combine that with the horrible low speed damping, I knew I had to change something.  I was looking to do a full suspension redo.  But then thought, why not just start with a better platform to begin with?

I call my car nut friend Adam, explain I'm debating whether to dump money into the miata to fix what I don't like, or maybe get a BRZ.  He's an absolute stud when it comes to working on cars, so he would be the one helping with the miata.  He said he had a buddy who worked a local subaru dealer, and he should be able to get me a test drive.  A few calls later, and I was one of the few in the nation getting a test drive in the car without committing to anything.  I test drove a Premium silver 6-speed one.  I made two videos with a brief look at the interior.  I work for a big supplier that makes interiors for a handful of OEMs.  I'll spare you all the video where I just nerd out about the construction techniques for work purposes

It was just a short trip. Pushed it a bit, but nothing crazy.

Drivetrain - This has been getting a lot of heat from the automotive press.  Simply put, it won't blow you away.  It's feels almost exactly the same as my Miata in terms of quickness.  Higher revving, more torque, but geared a bit taller and it's slightly heavier.  Engine sounds great though.  Much throatier than my car.  The shifter is great.  A bit taller than some of the other benchmarks out there (RX-8, Miata, S2000, etc), but the throws are still short.  It's VERY direct, very low effort. I think I liked it better than my car honestly.

Handling - Unbelievably flat, while still being compliant enough to deal comfortably with all sorts of road irregularities.  This is the benefit to such a low weight and low CG. The rigidity of the body compared to my car was noticable.  For a change, the suspension was allowed to do it's work, while the body just stayed put.  The damping is soooo much better. The movement of the Miata on highways is that of a boxer. It bobs and weaves all over the place. The BRZ was just planted.

Steering feel - The electric steering is the best I've felt so far.  Seemed a bit lighter than the incumbent, but less tiring on the highway. The ratio is a bit slower, and there's a slight dead spot on center, but this isn't a bad thing. Makes high speed cruising sooo much easier. Any bump will causes constant correction in the Miata.

Brake feel - plain and simple, best I've experiened in a car.  Very firm pedal with all the feel you could ask for. I'm not sure why there isn't more praise for these.

Driving position - This is what seals the deal for me. You basically sit on the floor.  I got enough head room for a helmet. Controls are intuitive and all within reach. Everything just feels right. I swear they found a japanese double of myself when they made the car.  The only thing I didn't like about this is the position of the pedals.  The brake pedal is waaaaay too high to heel toe.  I'm sure I'll adjust, but the first time I tried was comical.

Conclusion - If this car was close to the Miata in driving dynamics, I would have gone with it.  But you consider that is actually has BETTER dynamics all while fitting me better and being more practical, it was a no brainer.  Hands down the best driving car I've experienced.  And I've driven pretty much everything in this sub $50k sporty car class. I didn't think anything would ever touch my car.  It just trounced it in terms of driving enjoyment.

It turns out this dealership I test drove happens to sell a ton of WRXs and STIs, which is what determines how many BRZs the dealership will get.  It's a tiny Subaru dealership, but right next to the Air Force base here, so it's definitely an enthusiast dealership that a lot of young guys in the Air Force use.  They're getting 7-8 BRZs this year (which is really high actually).  They had one spot open, so I put my name on the list.

I got a call a few weeks ago. Turns out my production moved way forward. I ordered a Limited World Rally Blue BRZ with a 6-speed with a July 16th ETA. Videos will be up later.

Congratulations on the new car, Mike.  It looks like a really fun ride.

[hotrodalex]

I would debadge the "Subaru" and "BRZ", but keep the star badge in the middle.

[sportyaccordy]

Get the JDM FT-86 badges

[Soup DeVille]

I would debadge the "Subaru" and "BRZ", but keep the star badge in the middle.

Yep, what's a Subaru without a little bit of Taurus on it?

[S204STi]

I would probably take the Subaru lettering off as well.

With mine, I left the WRX badge on my hatch but took the others off.  The Subaru Pleiades star thing has holes drilled for it on my particular car, so I can't take that off without also having to patch and paint it.  Looks fine to me, though. 

[Cookie Monster]

I was hoping you'd chime in. I think we're the only two who debadge here.

I'm leaning towards just taking the Subaru off. Leaving the brz. That's how it is overseas. Looks much cleaner.

I debadged mine.

[Rupert]

I added Porsche badges.




Not. :P

[J86]

FWIW it's worth (not much!) I prefer the debadged look.  Congrats on the car!

[Speed_Racer]

I added Porsche badges.




Not. :P

I add several VTEC badges...15hp each yo!

[Rupert]

Hell yeah.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I debadged mine.

Me too............

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I don't think any carmaker still drills holes for their badges.

Thats what I thought too. But Pontiac drilled 3 holes in the nose of my G8 just to mount 1 arrowhead! 

[Payman]

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't de-badge. 

[Raza]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I've gone two years, nothing on the no front plate. Maybe a small sports car gets more leeway?

It'll take three tickets in he BRZ before i do something about it. At that point, I'll just get a bracket that attaches through the tow hook or something. No way in hell I'm drilling it. Especially since it's supposed to change soon.

Apparently the best tint guy in Dayton is a guy named Lil E. I asked if he was a rapper on the side. Turns out he's a midget

Clear corners are getting put on immediately. Hate the orange corners with the blue.

Two questions for everyone:

1. I'm running a dedicated summer and winter wheel and tire setup. Do i keep the stock wheels and tires for my summer setup and get cheap wheels and snow tires? Or do i use the stock rims for winter, and get something different for summer (and stockier tires)?

2. Do i debadge? Both the BRZ and Subaru, or just he Subaru? I debadged the Miata because it was just too much chrome on a tiny trunk lid.


Also, got some cool ideas using expensive work equipment! They're selling a console armrest and lid through Scion as a dealer accessory this winter. Probably going to buy it, cut all the skin off, put better padding underneath, then sew a three piece skin with synthetic leather and alcantara to match the seats. Red thread and french seams too.  I'll be using a robotic cutter to make the skins and cut my patterns to make my taillights all red.

Add extra badges. 

[Raza]

The back is just so cluttered.  I'll be lamin-Xing the taillights red first, and I'l see how it looks then with the badges.  Tint, clear corners, and red taillights all come first before considering debadging.

What are everyone's thoughts on the wheels?  Use the stock wheels as summer wheels or winter? 

Dub deuces or you're gay. 

[Raza]

Hyundai is held in much higher regard these days, but I also believe that the Genesis sedan and coupe would have benefitted greatly if Genesis were an offshoot premium brand, like Lexus or Infiniti. Some still have a problem with a Hyundai badge on their sports coupe, and sales suffer because of it.

I have a problem with the way they're named.  Genesis, Genesis coupe--two completely unrelated cars.  It would be like if Chevrolet sold a Corvette and a Corvette Sedan.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I have a problem with the way they're named.  Genesis, Genesis coupe--two completely unrelated cars.  It would be like if Chevrolet sold a Corvette and a Corvette Sedan.

CORVETTE SEDAN. THAT IS A GREAT IDEA.

[280Z Turbo]

CORVETTE SEDAN. THAT IS A GREAT IDEA.

ALMOST AS GOOD AS A CORVETTE NOMAD

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

CORVETTE SEDAN. THAT IS A GREAT IDEA.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Not enough leaf springs!