Quote :

"6 seconds to 60 is mine. "

3/26/2012 1:05:07 PM

Performance Subaru had a BRZ there this afternoon for a "sneak peak". A friend posted a pic and it sure looks sexy.

3/26/2012 8:58:30 PM

Ah, so Motor Trend got some better numbers:

0-60 in 6.4s, 1/4 mile 14.9 @ 95.5 mph

braking 60-0 120 feet seems kind of longish for a car this small though...

FYI the Civic Si hits 60 in 6.1 seconds

[Edited on March 27, 2012 at 8:50 AM. Reason : j]

3/27/2012 8:50:01 AM

Quote :

"For those that have been holding out for a faster version of the Subaru BRZ, it looks like you may be in luck. According to Auto Express, Subaru's marketing manager Atoshi Atake has confirmed that plans are being made for a production version of the BRZ STI. While it won't be the turbocharged monster that some were expecting, Atake says the STI would be powered by a tweaked version of the car's current NA boxer motor making around 250hp. Naturally, it will also feature a lightened body and some of the other upgrades seen on the BRZ STI concept cars."

WANT

Though I'm sure it'll be overpriced...

http://speedhunters.com/archive/2012/03/28/news-gt-gt-250hp-brz-sti-on-the-way.aspx
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/281035/subaru_brz_sti_planned.html

BTW Subaru has already sold over 3500 of these in Japan which is 4 times what they forecast

[Edited on March 29, 2012 at 11:02 AM. Reason : people still care about sports cars!]

3/29/2012 10:58:50 AM

I WANT TORQUE!! GIVE ME BOOST PLZ!

a hard top s2k wouldn't be bad... but still WANT MOAR PWR!

3/29/2012 12:45:45 PM

They said there's no room for an intercooler so a turbo is out. That's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard. Maybe there would be room if they cleared out all the fucking plastic in the half real half fake front grill

3/29/2012 1:08:56 PM

Yeah for a car that's supposed to be front/mid engined you would think it would have more room for an intercooler then a car that the entire engine is infront of the front axle (all their other awd turbos)

3/29/2012 2:27:31 PM

Supposedly indeed. It is not front/mid-engined. I believe the center point of the suspension bisects the engine block between the front and rear cylinders. A bit disappointing that an engine only 2 cylinders long wouldn't fit entirely behind the front suspension, especially given all their hoopla about how the engine was placed back as far as possible...

3/29/2012 2:47:27 PM

then there should be plenty of room behind it for a TMIC...


the engine is only like 16" long.

3/29/2012 4:09:16 PM

you can always cut out the radiator support and bumper beam if you have to

fuck safety

3/29/2012 4:53:16 PM

I heard this car has 7 airbags...wtf for.

3/29/2012 4:54:19 PM

lol... and at 10 lbs a pop... i smell weight savings...

3/29/2012 5:10:44 PM

The chatter on the SCCA boards says that you can drop 100-150lbs easily thru bolt-ons and lighter alloy wheels...

3/29/2012 9:43:34 PM

Quote :

"They said there's no room for an intercooler so a turbo is out. That's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard. Maybe there would be room if they cleared out all the fucking plastic in the half real half fake front grill "

They could use an integrated air-to-water intercooler and intake manifold assembly. VW has done it on their 1.4 liter for the European market. Of course, an air-to-water intercooler usually needs a separate cooling circuit which adds weight, takes up space, and adds complexity.

3/29/2012 10:44:10 PM

URL says it all

http://www.worldcarfans.com/112033042949/toyota-gt-86-outfitted-with-a-50-liter-v8-videos

4/1/2012 11:07:40 AM

cool story bro

4/2/2012 2:28:35 AM

Quote :

"Subaru of America Announces Pricing for 2013 BRZ at $25,495 All-new Sports Car starts at $25,495 LINK: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...146266225.html CHERRY HILL, N.J., April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. today announced pricing for its much-heralded 2013 BRZ, starting at $25,495 for the Premium model with a six-speed manual transmission. The six-speed automatic version starts at $26,595.Premium models come standard with touch-screen GPS Navigation, Bluetooth® connectivity and HID headlamps. Above the well-appointed Premium model, Limited models add Alcantara seat inserts with leather bolsters, heated seats and mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control system, fog lights, Keyless Access & Start and body-color decklid spoiler. Limited models come equipped with leather seats and start at $27,495 when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and $28,595 for automatic versions Trim: Premium Manual Transmission: $25,495 Automatic Transmission: $26,595 Limited Manual Transmission: $27,495 Automatic Transmission: $28,595 The Subaru BRZ arrives in Subaru dealerships this spring after receiving strong media praise for its handling and fun-to-drive persona. The 2.0 liter naturally aspirated BRZ delivers pinpoint handling precision and an unmatched driving experience for sports car enthusiasts of all skill levels. Subaru developed the BRZ with three fundamentals of sports car design: low vehicle weight, an ultra-low center of gravity and precision steering. Utilizing Subaru's naturally aspirated 200 horsepower horizontally opposed (Boxer) engine design, BRZ is a sports car that does not sacrifice everyday comfort and practicality. Prices are MSRP before $750 destination charge. For more information on this and other Subaru models, you can follow Subaru at its Subaru of America Facebook page and on Twitter at subaru_usa "

The features I bolded do not come standard on the Scion FR-S (which costs only $500 less). You would have to be a fool to chose the Scion at this point.

4/5/2012 12:21:19 PM

damn that's cool... i would prefer better brakes or a turbo but that's a reasonable price for having those options.

I still optioned out a mustang for 32k i can have everything i really want... cept that it looks like a mustang.

brembos, torsen rear diff, large radiator, oil cooler, diff cooler and recaros.

4/5/2012 1:19:59 PM

So apparently the price difference between the BRZ Limited and FR-S base is actually $1,315 after their respective destination charges.

Main difference here is that Scion has fixed pricing and Subaru dealerships will probably charge extra while this car is in high demand with "market adjustment" charges. But after the hype has died down you can probably get the BRZ at a price very close to the FR-S's.

[Edited on April 5, 2012 at 1:28 PM. Reason : k]

4/5/2012 1:27:56 PM

hell the hype could have been effectively killed by the 0-60 time.

4/5/2012 3:56:49 PM

well to be fair you usually dont see people bragging about 0-60 times in their Lotuses or Miatas

4/6/2012 4:20:28 PM

Lotuses don't have much top end but they 0-60 fine.

4/6/2012 4:54:31 PM

^^Any street legal Elise will hit 60 in less than 5...

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/09/nissan-renews-talk-of-sub-370z-sports-car-to-take-on-subaru-brz/

This could be good, Silvia successor anyone?

4/9/2012 3:56:28 PM

silvia = :-)

240 = :-(

basically our 240 did what the toyobaru did... take a great chassis and not give it enough power.


[Edited on April 9, 2012 at 4:03 PM. Reason : .]

4/9/2012 4:02:15 PM

^agreed

4/9/2012 4:56:36 PM

Got a good review of the interior quality from someone over at S2ki.com that has sat in the vehicle.

Quote :

"I took a look at a brz premium in silver today. I really wanted to fall in love with this car... but didnt. Not saying that i was disappointed or scratched it off my list, but that it was just meh. Exterior, for what it is and priced out, imo beautiful. Been a long time since a sub 30k car made me go oh wow, very nice. Dont get me, theres alot of things i'd want to change, but overall id be looking back at this if i parked it. The cars proportions is more appeaing in person, so no complaints here. The interior was sort of a let down. I wasnt expecting an audi, but i was expecting like the tc. And this car, yeah no. Cheap plastics galore, why didnt they put a friggin lid on the center armrest? And overall it just felt cheap. The steering wheel was good, seats are solid (non leather) but the dash was just cheap flimsy feling plastic. If you just looked at everything and not touch, it looks good and quality, but start tapping, pressing, rubbing, etc on everything and you can def see the cheapness of everything. No owner of these cars can knock the mustangs interior. The trunk is a good size, but you need to bend down to use it. For instance, with the s, u can simply open the trunk and drop in a bag, this car you ned to open the trunk and place it in. The opening is so small and the trunk is so low that if you have anything big youll have to squat and put it in. this car wont surprise you with its storage like the crx or dc2 integs did. And the back seats, think 240sx with a bit more shoulder and headroom. Im 5'9, and the driver seat is touching the back seat. The driving position and interface all feels good though, seats are firmly bolstered, a bit snug for me (to reference, i love the s2k, rsx, and ep3 seats) so i dunno if id want to dd it. In the end the interior shos the value nature of the car, but with the brz its a car over 25k, and thats not good enough for me. The design and layout is nice, i like the pieces of leather on the door trim with stitching, but cant ignore the cheapo plastic is partially covering. So this car better deliver on the handling, and i mea zomg handling. Why? It looks good, so point there. Its slow. The interior is not better than a mustang. It gets ok mpg. and therefore based on those cons its not cheap. So the handling better shock and awe the way the mustangs 400 plus hp shocks its competition. Without that i jus dont see the value. I still want one, def my style of car, but i find myself looking and what kind of deals i can score on a 2012 gt. I hear you can get the base for 25k otd... "

The comments about interior quality are disappointing, and overall I agree with this guy's view of the car.

[Edited on April 11, 2012 at 9:55 AM. Reason : q]

4/11/2012 9:54:43 AM

From InsideLine:

Quote :

"One of the problems with non-manufacturer-run dealerships is that MSRP is simply a suggestion and if something hot rolls through the door, there's no reason they won't add a few grand on top of MSRP to help boost profits. Imagine if Apple stores were privately owned instead of corporate run; you can bet the markup would've been at least 100% of MSRP. That makes the just-under-20% currently being dropped on top of the 2013 Subaru BRZ seem downright reasonable. A reader sent us an email correspondence from a local Subaru dealer stating that they are only receiving 20 BRZs this year, many are already spoken for and there is a non-negotiable $5,000 markup on every one. That makes the BRZ a $31,265 proposition. Too much for a 200hp car? Entirety of the email after the jump. Dear XXX, This is XXX from XXXX. The MSRP of the Premium in 6-speed manual with no other options on the vehicle at all is $26,265. Because of it's limited availability and the fact that so many are already being pre-ordered and we are only getting an allotment of 20 for the year we are charging a non-negotiable mark up of $5,000 on every BRZ that we are getting. So your selling price would be $31,265. Feel free to contact me through email, the store phone, or even by my cell, which you can also text me on. Whichever is more convenient for you. Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Have a great day! Thanks, XXX "

GTFO

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2012/04/dealers-already-asking-5000-over-msrp-on-2013-subaru-brz.html

4/13/2012 8:32:55 AM

i wouldn't be surprised if some dealerships were selling theirs for twice MSRP.

when Acura brought the NSX here, MSRP was 60k but stories were common of prices as much as $130k

if you got it and don't care, you're gonna pay it

it's just stupid not to wait for the prices to come back to reasonable

4/13/2012 8:57:31 AM

Agreed. Anything over MSRP is just throwing money away.

When the S2000 came out dealerships were charging $50k for it.

Of course the difference between the BRZ/FRS and the S2000 and NSX is that when the S2000 and NSX came out their performance stood above all their competitors. The BRZ/FRS doesn't. I think we can blame the media hype train a bit for this one.

4/13/2012 9:14:12 AM

I realize the S2k was ten grand more expensive when it debuted, but I was hoping 12 years of technology building would allow them to build a similar performing car for less money. Maybe I'm too focused on the (lack of) power and should be looking more at the other aspects of the car, but I have very little interest in owning one of these right now. I'll look again if/when they get boost.

The current Miata is probably a more favorable comparison than the S2k. I suspect the BR-Z will work it around a track. Added to that is the functionality of having a decent trunk (with the seats folded down) and a hard top. I could see it taking some of Mazdas market share from the crowd that DD's these types of cars.

It looks like a great car. Just not something I'd be interested in spending $25k on.

[Edited on April 13, 2012 at 10:53 AM. Reason : l]

4/13/2012 10:50:11 AM

Quote :

"I realize the S2k was ten grand more expensive when it debuted, but I was hoping 12 years of technology building would allow them to build a similar performing car for less money. Maybe I'm too focused on the (lack of) power and should be looking more at the other aspects of the car, but I have very little interest in owning one of these right now. I'll look again if/when they get boost."

I fully agree, and given that the car is a hard top (less expensive to build than soft top) and is made using less expensive parts it seems entirely reasonable, in my opinion, for it to be about equal to the S2000 in performance. And it's not.

4/13/2012 11:06:35 AM

I'll withhold judgment on the interior until I see it in person. It really seems like a great car, but the powerplant just doesn't have enough heart for me to spend $25k. Forced Induction and power numbers similar to the WRX (while keeping MSRP around $30k) would make it more tempting to folks like myself.

[Edited on April 13, 2012 at 1:06 PM. Reason : s]

4/13/2012 1:02:58 PM

Quote :

"Confirmed: No Scion FR-S Turbo, Subaru BRZ Maybe Eventually April 24, 2012 at 1:02pm by Justin Berkowitz Neither of the jointly developed Subaru-Toyota sports cars will be turbocharged, at least in the near future. Sources we’ve spoken with at both companies have confirmed that for the time being, both the Subaru BRZ and the Scion FR-S will come with only the naturally aspirated, 2.0-liter inline four; it’s rated at 200 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. The news gets worse, we’re afraid. Although the door is open to a possible turbocharged BRZ in the future, we’ve been told it’s unlikely we’ll ever see a factory-built Scion FR-S with forced induction in the U.S. It’s possible that Toyota still could offer a turbocharged car in other markets, though, where the car runs with 86 and GT86 badging. “What the Hell?” You Ask A big part of the issue here is pricing. Starting at $24,930 with a manual transmission ($26,030 with an automatic) and no factory options available, the FR-S should be a decent seller. Were Scion to add a turbocharger or any other kit, shoppers would be looking at a price tag much closer to $30,000. That’s when people start sentences with “Well, for that much money, I could just get a…” and Scion loses sales. Subaru has a bit more flexibility in pricing because, versus Scion, the brand isn’t so downmarket and has better-off customers. Even still, a turbo version of the BRZ isn’t a guarantee. A British car magazine recently quoted a Subaru exec as saying the company will never sell a turbocharged BRZ. We haven’t been able to confirm whether this was an accurate quote, but even if “never” is an exaggeration, it’s a grim situation."

People are already saying "for $25,000, I could get a..."

FU Subaru/Toyota

http://blog.caranddriver.com/confirmed-no-scion-fr-s-turbo-subaru-brz-maybe-eventually/

4/24/2012 4:52:16 PM

http://jalopnik.com/5904824/scion-fr+s-first-drive


sounds like it drives well though...

And since the ECU is still the same cobb should have maps in no time thus... boosting it shouldn't be a problem.

4/25/2012 10:25:51 AM

I can't bring myself to buy a brand new car and immediately void the warranty though.

Good article! However, and I realize this is nit picking...

Quote :

"The flat engine, positioned low in the car and right over the front axle to make the car (just barely) a front-mid design with a very deliberately chosen 53/47 weight distribution is what sets this car apart from the hot hatches and sporty coupes in its price range (starts at $24,200). "

It's not "just barely" a front-mid engine design. Its a front engine design as half the engine sits in front of the front axle. Front-mid would be the ENTIRE engine being behind the front axles

[Edited on April 25, 2012 at 12:50 PM. Reason : bleh]

4/25/2012 12:33:38 PM

in this month's Car and Driver issue they tested* the BRZ. S2000 figures (from C&D) in parenthesis

0-60 in 6.3 (5.5)
5-60 in 8.0 (6.9)
1/4 mile in 14.9 @ 95 mph (14.0 @ 100)
0-100 in 16.4 (14.0)
30-50 mph in top gear - 14.7 (9.7)
50-70 mph in top gear - 10.0 (8.5)

skidpad - 0.91g (0.88g)

Doesn't seem like a very loud car either, despite the engine noise being "piped into" the interior.

full throttle dB - 85 (S2000 is 90, and I don't consider the S2000 loud)

observed fuel economy - 23 mpg (22)

*to get those acceleration numbers they had to dump the clutch at 4,000rpm.

[Edited on April 27, 2012 at 9:19 AM. Reason : mpg]

4/27/2012 9:17:32 AM

yay another torqueless wonder but this one doesn't even breath well on the big end.

4/27/2012 9:28:04 AM

i don't see how this car is appealing at it's price point.

4/27/2012 2:41:44 PM

that skidpad is pretty good for crusty all-seasons.

4/27/2012 5:18:26 PM

Quote :

"30-50 mph in top gear - 14.7 (9.7) 50-70 mph in top gear - 10.0 (8.5)"

so less usable torque as well>

4/27/2012 6:30:57 PM

s2k is gonna be faster with 40 more hp, correct?

apples..

4/27/2012 11:47:13 PM

I read in a road & track mag about the BRZ going topless in a couple years. It's supposed to compete against the Mazda Miata. LOL. $30k BRZ vert vs ~$22k Miata? Hell, you can get a fully loaded Miata for $30k! WTF!!!

5/7/2012 4:13:33 PM

^^"top gear" implies low revs (around 70mph@3200rpm I'd guess)

[Edited on May 7, 2012 at 5:08 PM. Reason : ever hear people complain about honda torque? well this thing's even worse]

5/7/2012 5:08:13 PM

^^yeah that's been know for a few months now. And they have stated that they designed the car to easily accommodate going topless. Which ticks me off a bit b/c that tells me that the car is heavier than it needs to be.

Quote :

"s2k is gonna be faster with 40 more hp, correct? apples.."

Of course, but the reason for the comparison is quite obvious. Small, light RWD Japanese sports car. Yes the S2000 was in a higher price bracket but the FRS/BRZ has the benefit of being developed a full decade later (and has no cost adding retractable top). So it's not unreasonable to have hopes for similar performance. (when the S2000 came out the Mustang GT only had 260 hp).

Anyway, if you're ever driven an S2000 around in day to day traffic with the AC on you know how much of a dog it is. This car would only be worse.

Quote :

"that skidpad is pretty good for crusty all-seasons."

They're actually SUMMER Grand Touring tires with a 240 tread wear rating. My S2000's original Bridgestones had a similar rating.

[Edited on May 8, 2012 at 8:45 AM. Reason : k]

5/8/2012 8:43:29 AM

5/8/2012 8:46:11 AM

I mean, I still think the handling numbers are impressive especially given the tires.


But still, I get a bit peeved when Toyota and the press keep saying "this car doesn't need anymore power". Any car that bogs down when you turn on the AC needs more power in my opinion. And personally I'm done buying cars that have that problem

5/8/2012 8:53:15 AM

i know...

ideally what i want is the ft-86 with

http://www.blowbyracing.com/5doalcrensur.html

under the hood....

but if someone were to do that they would charge at least 50k for it

5/8/2012 9:11:49 AM

^^yeah but any 4cylinder is going to bog down with the a/c on. it can make 500 turbocharged hp but will still suck below 4000

5/8/2012 4:32:57 PM

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6688

5/25/2012 1:58:50 AM

Good article, but I'll take the Cayman please. That story reinforces what we already know: brilliant handling, great driving position, and amazing shifter but a cheap interior, weak engine and lackluster exhaust note.

5/25/2012 8:25:10 AM