Nicebiscuit

Ok, so now I've got my insurance sorted I can now review this little lot...
After a bit of reading on here and elsewhere it seems the best gains to be had on an n/a car come from a manifold replacement. Much as I love the car, two key things that had slightly underwhelmed on the standard car from new we're the lack of mid range grunt, and the slightly characterless engine note.
So given that I'm in the North West I decided to get Mike at Tuning Developments to have a go at the car. I've basically had the upgrades he's now offering as a package, so k&n filter, custom decatted manifold and overpipe (sourced from a rather excellent local exhaust specialist) and an Ecutek tune to suit.
TD offer EL and UEL manifolds. I went UEL because this is a boxer and I wanted it to sound like one . I have memories of Colin McRae in flying Imprezas... Etc etc
So what's it like? Really good. The torque dip is gone. What this means in practice is that the car bogs down much less - on most B roads you could basically stay in 3rd if you're feeling lazy. There's enough extra top end to make it feel quicker than it was before - the engine now feels a better match for the chassis. This is how I wish it had come from the factory, and how it probably would have done ten years earlier...
Any downside? No not that I can think of. Fuel consumption seems identical as far as I can tell. And while the engine note is more characterful and definitely louder under throttle, with the standard exhaust system in place from the second cat back it is still as quiet as stock at a cruise. Perfect.
I have a very minor teething problem at present with a VERY slight clearance issue on the overpipe (not uncommon with aftermarket overpipes looking at forum threads - there isn't much room) - but that's booked in to sort.
So would I recommend?
Manifold and remap as best bang for buck for an N/a car? Definitely.
Tuning Developments? Yes - they know what they're doing and on the basis of my experience they look after you. Added bonus - this set up can be a stepping stone to their turbo installation. Nice to have a decent specialist to look after us Northerners.
UEL manifold? Well... Results so far suggest that the EL manifold gets the best power gains by a few bhp, so take your pick. I wouldn't swap mine as I like the uneven Subaru burble and doubt you could tell any difference in power from the drivers seat, but if you're a sprint series warrior EL might be best on current evidence...
Hope this is of use to someone.
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Everything I do of that kind is done very slowly... I may start a poor-boys project thread though. To give normal people hope. You know.... Perhaps giving guidance on the best air freshener and road atlases :-D

But since you ask - most likely wheels, black bits and probably some audio in due course (simply because I want DAB and can get a whole head unit for the price of upgrading)

My inspiration is this...

Yeah we had a bit of cloud cover at the top........





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This has been on my bucket list since forever and it didn’t disappoint. Thus drive was worth the price of the GT86 alone. I got really lucky with it still being open this late, and it was absolutely deserted. Just me, the car and traction control turned off.
 
Fantastic - never driven a road so twisty most of the hairpins are FIRST gear... . Very much recommended...

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Its a cool road. Good that you managed to get it on a quiet day. Usually is full of caravans and bankers on push bikes. I prefer the San Bernardino. Just as its always quiet and more pretty, but a bit short which is a shame.

Very nice, was out in Europe earlier this year and unfortunately ran out of time to make it to stelvio and northern Italy. Some fantastic places bit further north if you are near by and have time. Grimsel/furka pass, fluelapass, Silvertta strabe and grossglockner. Unfortunately not sure if they are still open at this time of year.

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Off season must be the thing. Utterly deserted today, and nicely damp . That said, very lucky the snow hasn’t come yet. Usually closed by now.


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Yeah I did it back in July, but was quit busy. Awesome in the 86 with traction off as you say.....

Looking to do it again, perhaps with a few 86’s


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This has been on my bucket list since forever and it didn’t disappoint. Thus drive was worth the price of the GT86 alone. I got really lucky with it still being open this late, and it was absolutely deserted. Just me, the car and traction control turned off.
 
Fantastic - never driven a road so twisty most of the hairpins are FIRST gear... . Very much recommended...

This has been on my bucket list since forever and it didn’t disappoint. Thus drive was worth the price of the GT86 alone. I got really lucky with it still being open this late, and it was absolutely deserted. Just me, the car and traction control turned off.
 
Fantastic - never driven a road so twisty most of the hairpins are FIRST gear... . Very much recommended...

3d Carbon bought the complete kit design from 5 Axis / Five:AD. You can order the 3d Carbon version of the lip from FT86Speedfactory, here:
http://www.ft86speedfactory.com/five-ad-rear-spoiler-various-colors-2013-frs.html#.XPA-EIj0nAQ
As for the car, it looks familiar but I also haven't seen it for a while.

Do fun2drive
Rent a JDM legend from Omoren
Driving is stupidly easy over there, nobody does the speed limit, just watch out for speed cameras
Motorway is expensive as you have tolls
Do touges and mountain passes
If you are going for 2 weeks take around £2k spending money
Jetlag will hit hard
If you are going through dubai check laws and customs as they are super strict

Must see’s that haven’t already been mentioned -
Toyota Megaweb - https://www.megaweb.gr.jp/
Sega Joypolis - http://tokyo-joypolis.com/language/english/
King Buyer - http://www.king-buyer.co.jp/sp/ (Japanese car Exporters. They have some awesome stuff for sale and they’re quite happy for you to have a nosey)
Tokyu Hands (Famous huge department store) - There is one next to pretty much every Tokyo Station - https://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/en/list/kanto.html
A temple (loads everywhere)
Tokyo Dome - Always baseball on. They are mad for it!
Super Autobacs - Japan’s version of Halfords but with real JDM TRD, Nismo and Mazdaspeed stuff.
Tokyo Tower
Royal Palace
all worth seeing if you have the time.

I Went there a couple of years ago for 2 weeks but didn't get a chance to do much car-related. I must admit even if i were to go again I might not rent a car as it's really just not needed in my opinion although that might be a bit different for a whole family.
 
During my 2 weeks I spent 4 days in Tokyo, 4 days in Osaka/Kyoto/Nara and 4 days in Hiroshima all of which I did via Shinkansen (bullet train) which doesn't take very long at all. Even the longest leg of the Journey from Hiroshima back to Tokyo on the last day was just 5 hours (and it's a fair old distance!)
While in Tokyo definitely spend atleast 1 day in Akihabara (a.k.a Electric City or Akiba locally) as your kids will love it, I know I did as I'm also big in to my anime 😎 and infact went back there for a second day. Everything within Tokyo is easy to travel around via the subway, all the ticket machines have an english option, fares are fairly cheap and even the maps are easy to read. I found it easier to navigate Tokyo my first time than I do to get around London even now.
If you want to something car related it's worth taking a trek out to Fuji Speedway as they often have big events going on there like the Skyline Festival, etc so its worth checking what events are on. If you Rent a car you can also take a drive over the Hakone Skyline or other similar twisty tole roads.
I wouldn't try and book a day to see Fuji itself, 90% of the time it's difficult to see due to cloud and very rare to get a day where's the skies around it are clear so if you set a day aside specifically to see if you'll probably end up disappointed.
 
Definitely make Osaka one of your destinations, it's another big city like Tokyo but has many things Tokyo doesn't for starters its considered one of the best destinations in the world for street food if you're in to that, it also has alot of it's own landmarks like the Dotonbori streets/canal, which really comes alive at night. As well as this from Osaka cultural hotspots like Kyoto and Nara are very easy Day trips with a short 1 or 2 stop journey on the Shinkansen. I went to both and don't regret it at all there's something truly amazing about the big bustling cities in Japan but the same goes for the more peaceful cultural areas. Kyoto is a big tourist trap which might put some people off but I feel its worth it and still a very nice place to visit. Going to Japan for the culture for the first time and missing Kyoto would be like going to London for the first time and ignoring big ben
 
If you do have a few days left its worth spending them over in Hiroshima. There isn't loads to do there but after my 2 weeks I found myself quite tired (we walked something like 100miles in our 2 week holiday) and the quietness of a city like Hiroshima is quite nice although I wouldn't spend a whole 4 days there again next time, 2 or 3 would be just fine. Its good to see Hiroshima Castle as well as the peace memorial museum and if you find yourself with 1 last day and want to squeeze a bit more of the culture in to it Miyajima island just off the coast of Hiroshima which can be reached by a cheap ferry trip is a beautiful little shrine town/island.
 
As I mentioned above I didn't rent a car and instead went with the Tokyo Rail pass. It covers all the Shinkensen, some bus and tram routes across Japan and even the Ferry from Hiroshima to Miyajima island. It wasn't cheap at around £250-300 but considering the price of a single Shinkensen trip it pretty much paid for itself and took the hastle out of buying tickets.
Another couple of parting thoughts/tips would be about general things there. The locals are incredibly helpful but very very shy so if you need help you can try and ask but don't be put off if they shy away on the flip side if you look lost you may find someone just approaching you to try and help you even if they struggle with the language barrier, I had that a few times! Learning a few simple phrases like Hello (Konichiwa), Thank you (Arigatou), I don't understand (Wakaranai) and especially Excuse me (Sumimasen) can go a very long way especially the last one as alot of cities and stations like Tokyo are packed so you'll be using it alot to get around, when trying to politely make people aware of your presence or even if you bump in to someone.
As mentioned above it was a life saver for me to buy a Pocket-Wifi device as I was using mine non-stop for google maps directions, train information, Translations, etc! and they're fairly cheap so order it soon and you can get it delivered to your first hotel or wherever you're staying.
Japan is also very cash based or it was a couple of years ago, things may have changed but you can always withdraw cash for free from the ATM at any 7-11 using an international card.
 
Feel free to drop me a PM if you want any more info, I could talk about Japan for hours haha I loved my trip and will be planning my next one back there this year!

If you want to rent a GT86 you can do it via Toyota Japan, but you have to phone them to reserve it. You will need an international driving licence available from your post office. 
I'd say check what car events are on when you're going to see if you can tie it in. You'll most likely need a car to get to them. If you have any famous tuners you want to visit try and get in touch with them beforehand or if you have any Japanese friends try and get them to arrange it for you. If you want to go to the Subaru factory in Maebashi you will need a Japanese speaking friend to call them and arrange it for you. Note though you don't actually go in the GT86/BRZ factory they do a tour around the factory next door where the Forester is made. It's pretty cool though. 
You can do all the temples and stuff if you're Buddhist but if it doesn't mean that much to you apart from the very nice wood in there it's not really worth it. Just my thoughts. 
Kyoto is nice and historic and quite different to places like Yokohoma MM which were flattened in WWII. I would consider staying in Yokohama as well as it's like a vision of the future. As with Tokyo there is a lot to do, but it depends what you're interested in really. 
I went all the way to Hiroshima on bullet train to see all the atomic bomb stuff, well worth seeing. The trains are cheap with a weeks pass and you can go first class pretty cheaply, it's a great way to cover distance and get around, they are highly efficient and always on time. 
If you like the Initial D stuff, the Yokota museum is worth a look in Ikaho at the foot of Mt Haruna. 
Also make sure you stay in a Ryokan hotel for the experience. When I do get to go back I'm just going to do car stuff as that's the best bit for me anyway. 
 
What's on your list? 

You’ll need and international drivers permit if you want to hire a car which I’d very much recommend. 
The stations are easy enough to navigate and always have English translations but most Japanese don’t speak English. 
You can buy SIM cards with data (some photography chain is where I got mine last time) the. Google maps is brilliant, esp when using pedestrian directions. Having data and a smartphone is all you need really.
There is lots of car stuff to do in Tokyo - Toyota, Nismo and others have museums. There’s a cruise type event at Daiko futo (sp?) which is quite famous but you can only enter this in a car bit by foot. 
The city’s are fine but you should try to get out to see how beautiful the countryside is. 
A visit to Fuji race track is well recommended but beware, if you don’t have a car you’ll have to walk 6 plus miles up a mountain to get there.
There aren’t any fatal spiders but there are poisonous ones and they’re quite common. I nearly walked into a web last time at Ebisu, the webs are cleverly positioned at head height! Google maps is brilliant but will direct you through forests and woods that get very overgrown and are ideal for spiders etc. 
Also Japanese giant hornets need care esp if you have young children. 
It’s horribly hot and humid in the summer months, if you’re thinking of travelling around much try to avoid these times as you’ll be drenched in sweat in no time. 
Enjoy!! 

A visit to Akihabara is a must for giant electronic stores. For superb scenery, take the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Mount Fuji, which is gobsmacking.

Japanese culture is different. Get used to sitting cross legged under low ceilings in traditional restaurants and eating unidentifiable food. The subway system in Tokyo is brilliant and fun getting around. Driving in Tokyo? Don't!

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It’s been that long, thought I ought to say hello again, though I have been intermittently lurking. Still got the car, still love it, but work and house renovations have totally got in the way of doing anything else with it or to it...
 
Bob is four this month. Still as much fun as the day I got him. I might even make more effort to stick around here.
 
 
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Happy Birthday, Bob, good to see you're still around!

I wouldn't know I was in a sporty car if there wasn't some fake carbon fibre somewhere.... Innit?

Thought I might put up some thoughts, not least as I think I'm the only one on here with one of these, and might be useful to those coming on here considering spec.

So basically I bought this car because I wanted a GT86, I wanted a new one, and I wanted to spend as little as possible so that my children could still afford shoes (when outside the car, naturally)

No point in dwelling on the car in general, except to note that all the gushing reviews since 2012 seem pretty much spot on, and in particular Toyota appear to have made electric power steering actually communicate (which is a first for me).

So, what do you miss out on by going poverty spec?

- No Xenon headlights or led running lights. I have halogen projectors which I actually think quite clean looking. Still has running lights but uses the fog lamps to do this.

- No spoiler. A matter of preference, but one advantage is that I don't have any inconvenient holes in the bootlid either should I want to fit an aftermarket one.

- Manual aircon. I don't mind this as you get nice big old fashioned rotary controls you can use without taking eyes off the road. And it still will make you hot or cold as required.

- No cruise control. Doesn't bother me, but might be deal breaker for others.

- No start button. Mine has a proper old fashioned key. Probably takes up less room in your pocket. There's another fringe benefit here too. Because there's no starter button, the tray next to the USB and aux sockets is usefully bigger and fit your phone/iPod/whatever.

I think that's about it. Still has folding mirrors, Touch hi(ish)-fi, the same seats, nice leather wheel and same trim. And most importantly same engine and running gear. Mine has the same wheels, but if you ordered now you'd get some rather pretty 16' Enkeis instead and save a few more quid.

For me it keeps all the important bits and saves a few quid - a bit like the Renaultsport Cup cars. It also makes it serious value and is priced against very unexciting variants of BMW and VW coupes.

Other than that, after a week of ownership what strikes me is the stuff you wouldn't expect. Sure it's a lovely sports car, but I'd expect that. However it's also surprisingly useable transport. The boot is Ok, it's not unacceptably noisy, 6th gear is high enough for relaxed motorway cruising, the seats are comfy and even the back seats are perfectly viable for a young family providing the adults aren't too tall. The interior quality is also fine. It seems to be made from typical Japanese plastics that don't exactly look hard wearing, but yet somehow look exactly the same 15 years later (see Toyota Carina minicabs)

In summary, as viable second car transport for a slightly petrol-headed family of four it works a treat. This car is not just for the childless!

Enough for now. I think I've just thought of something I need to nip out for...