I recently discovered THIS document about the updated BRZ, and am finding it more and more difficult to imagine myself NOT trading the current car in for a new model. Yes we’ve all heard about 5 more horsepower and bigger brakes… but this document describes a whole lot more than that, and makes a good argument for real meaningful improvements that go beyond a few bolt on parts.
Five more horsepower is a useful bump, but the torque figures are even better! Combine that with a lower final drive, and the thrust curves actually start to look closer to the Mazda C-Street products. Nevermind the fact that the car already runs out of gear too fast.
Many have suggested this extra power comes from nothing more than a different intake manifold and a tune… but it looks like lots more than that has changed. In fact the engine block has been reinforced, as well as the pistons and other internals altered.
While already a good, stiff, modern chassis, the 2017 model adds more than a few reinforcements… including some extra sheet metal to help cope with extra loads transferred from the new Sachs dampers.
Those dampers come part of a performance package that also includes big Brembo calipers… which however, are NOT AVAILABLE IN CANADA.
Many thanks Subaru Canada.
This is what led me to go looking for an ND Miata this past weeks (albeit without any luck)… and has further complicated my ideas for the future. As usual, the smart thing to do is probably, nothing. Keep my zenkei car… but that seems quite boring.
If you missed the embedded link to the PDF above… CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.
Interesting info! Where did you get it from as I can’t find it.
…from another 30-something former AE86 owner with a Japanese wife
I found it on a private motorsports forum that happened to have a Subaru employee (hopefully not now ex-employee) on it. I added a more defined link to the PDF at the bottom of the post, incase you missed the original embedded link.