I drove that FRS too. The white one. The grey one was auto i think. I loved it. I was breaking peoples necks when i was driving that thing around. Every stop light people in thier cars just didnt stop looking at it. Btw, whats the Chain they gabe us do? Its like a USB port but not,

 

Even a stock '02 WRX is powerful enough to be quite dangerous in the wrong hands, as was proven by the rash of creatively totaled vehicles directly after it was released.

Maybe I am just old I guess. I come from a time when Ferraris had manual transmissions and it would be common for a real sports car to weigh less than a ton, and have not much more than 100hp. I have driven powerful cars and it's neat to feel that rush when you stomp on the loud pedal, but there is nothing in the world like handily out-driving someone using a much less powerful car; instead of 'drag racing' people by pushing on a pedal (where speed = dollars) it would be passing someone simply by out braking or late-braking someone, using things like grip, skill and knowing the limits of one's vehicle. Nothing in the world!

Probably the more powerful cars I have driven were the aforementioned '03 Z06, my old '10 SS/RS M6 Camaro, and my old '93 Celica All-Trac w/ the PAE stroked/built 2.3L. They were fun, to be sure. Weee. Vrooom/Psssshhh. Etc. But taking my ~2400lb '80 Celica coupe w/ maybe 80hp (car cost less than the tires on the Z06, which last one "fast" track day, yes really) to Thunderhill for years and easily passing people in much more capable/powerful cars was a mind-blowing rush I will never forget. Hours on the back roads in a '93 2WD Justy has also been amazing to me, and had a few conversations with people that did not understand how/why this tiny little white tater-tot was keeping up with them.

Point is, cars are fun, we like them, and we all like slightly different things. Personally, I like that, and the corresponding discussion, way more than if we all liked exactly the same thing. Also, my opinion is worth what you all paid for it.

 

2 words: SPEC MIATA

 

Wombat, don't get me wrong. A light weight, lower power car can still be fun. Not necessarily even drag racing. It's passing. Pulling out of a parking lot into 55 mph road in traffic. I am well aware that fast has more than one takes and welcomely see the lower power tracking aspects. I was speaking "fast" merely in terms of speed, considering that a stock WRX most definitely not a track monster, quite the opposite. I was pointing out that my 14 yr old every-day-joe car is just as quick. Newer cars are getting faster as the horsepower wars have been restarted. The current Camry is quickly approaching 300 hp. The car I'll be replacing it with at the beginning of the year is 429 hp, though it weighs 2 tons.

 

I drove the grey one and it was automatic. But it did have paddles which were cool. It still moved pretty good. The wait for the manual was almost 2 hours while the Auto was only 20 minutes. I also took one of the TCs for a spin while my friends drove the FR-S.

The keychain was a USB drive with a whopping 1GB of space.

 

There is no doubt that we have never had more powerful stock cars on the market, I mean there's 700+hp Mercedes everywhere, 600+hp Mustang, 600+hp Corvette, 500+hp Camaro, etc. I daily drove a stock '10 Camaro SS/RS M6 for around two years and it was fun, but when I would go out for a fun drive on the weekends (lived out on the coast then) I would usually take my Mini or even my Justy once I got it in better tune. Yes, maybe I am insane but I think I am just mildly weird.

Still, when I see someone finally press "send" and then accelerate onto the freeway faster than me in a car that I would never own let alone if I had $100k sitting around, it does not impress me - it just seems like I have experienced another *******, which is nothing new.

When I cannot keep up with someone in a Maxima on HWY 35, then - I am impressed. Again, we all have different points of view, and maybe it would be different for me if I had $100k to toss around on a car. I drove my '10 Camaro but I think my WRX is about as able to out-accelerate folks, if you plan ahead, in most situations (it's not stock, but not crazy at all).

Back in '02-'03 I had my brand new WRX sedan. I couldn't afford much more than the payments but got free track time for working Safety and Tow on weekends at Laguna and Sears. Yes, I dared to do track events in a stock '03 WRX, on RE-92s. When I could afford it, I upgraded the brake pads/fluid (after learning about brake-fade whilst sailing passed a Miata not entirely in control of my vehicle @Laguna), then got some P1's and better tires, springs but still stock struts, good alignment, and eventually Vishnu ECUTEK reflash/dyno tune. I had some serious fun in that car, on race tracks while being baffled by all the "crashed into a tree because my RE-92's took control of my wheel and MAGIC GODHAND/etc" threads at the time. I remember when it was mostly stock and on the RE-92s, you could pretty easily drift the car and blast out of turns. I learned a lot from an instructor who said I would learn a lot more shredding these tires on the track and then upgrading than upgrading right away, even if I could afford it.

I have had some serious fun in rental Camrys over the years and yes they can haul gratuitous amounts of ***, but I would rather take my Bugeye on a track even with my worn-out suspension. I got new tires last week so I have been sliding around a little while they wear in, and it totally reminded me of my stock '03 sedan back then.

Anyway... I understand what you are saying, and I think I understand where you are coming from.

 

You're preaching to the choir. I'm one who will probably be looking at an '80 - early '90s Porsche whenever it comes time to get rid of my WRX. Again, I was referring more to day to day driving habits as opposed to racing.

 

You guys may think a stock wrx is enough power to get in trouble, but you are a dummy if you are stock. A tune and exhaust will make going fast in corners easier. Stock tunes have incredibly terrible response.

You basically still have your training wheels on if you run stock tunes and exhaust on a subaru.


Do people consider the 911 gt3 cayman r/ boxster s to have too much power and be difficult to drive?


Slow cars are easier to drive fast and easier to accomplish cornering feats in! Did you really just figure this out? Cars without a lot of power don't overpower their chasis and suspension. This doesn't mean a more powerful car can't be incredibly fun to drive. But I guess the BRZ is clearly a crappy chasis for having horsepower, if you want a car to handle well and have power it's much better to start with something that is really heavy and has ****ty suspension. Just kidding.

Bottom line= a more powerful BRZ won't kick the regular BRZ out, so stop hating.

 

Since this a Top Gear review thread, have they taken it around their track? Would love to see how it compares to other cars...

 

They reviewed it during a special...























Called, "The Worst Car in The History of The World."

 

That's what I was getting at as well

 

Wut? a tune and exhaust doesn't necessarily make anyone go faster in turns. IE I put my mom in my car with stock everything, then my mom in a fully done car, she's gonna go the same speed.

 

But you're forgetting the because race car effect...

 

Training wheels?? really? "tuning and exhaust will make you go faster in corners"..

Your whole post was just a slough of crap coming out. The only part that held any weight was about the Porsches.

It sounds like I need to take my GoPro with me next time I drive on the highway to show you guys these cars have the capability of getting on the hwy fast, and being able to pick up speed and pass people.. Come on, it's not a 70's Ford Fiesta here

 

Just curious, but why are people dummies for being stock? Why is it like having training wheels on having stock tune?

Also, suspension and tires will probably make a car faster in the corners than just more power.

As for those Porsches you mentioned you're forgetting Porsche put in a lot development into the chassis and different engine layouts give different driving characteristics.

It also takes a lot of skill to be fast in a less powerful car. Maintaining momentum is tough to do. It's very rewarding to be able to do so.

There's no hating here. Just different opinions.

Same here. I'd be also curious to see how the GT86, BRZ, and FR-S perform compared to each other since each one has different spring rates and dampening.