willclarke

I think I must be going mad, but it was reassuring to know I was not the only one when my 6am alarm went off this morning. Time for another Sunday drive. This time I had Richard from RRG Macc' out with me in their black GR Yaris demonstrator, Mark in my old GT86 along with his friend from work in a Golf GTI. As we headed out on the M56 from Manchester Airport, in the pouring rain and held a steady speed in all the standing water that was there, I pondered to myself, that this is absolute madness. As it transpired the GR Yaris took it in its stride, though Mark in the GT86 was having a few wake up calls trying to drive in a straight line. As we neared our rendezvous with Richard, I was seriously reconsidering why I had had such a bright idea to go out in these conditions. It was certainly hardcore. I reassured the convoy that things would improve as we headed down the A49 as it we emerged into daylight. I'd also pointed out that there would be no heroics and reminded all to take it easy.
 
As it turns out things did get better as we neared Whitchurch McDonald's for our breakfast stop, though it was all somewhat relative. Breakfast helped though and it when off in the direction of Market Drayton for the Eccleshall Loop. I had my car in track mode, stability on considering the conditions. My car felt so surefooted which was reassuring and I found I could launch it out of the corners, getting on the power earlier than I felt would have been reasonable. Mark at the back in my old GT86, was having a whole different kind of fun! To be fair, there was no way this was ever going to be more than a brisk drive in places and I still have to consider that I haven't yet driven my car in the dry. This car does give you confidence though. Traction is absolute and though I had the front wheels perhaps edging into clawing their way into the tarmac, it was nearly always surprising in the manner in which the car could be fired through the apex and just tear down the next straight. I would normally of course be looking for some really fast long radius bends, where I could properly load up the chassis, but in today's conditions this was neither the time or the place and caution as they say wins.
 
After losing Mark and his friend when they went the wrong way when we joined the M6 it was just the two GR Yaris for the drive back to Wilmslow. We took the back roads of course though inevitably there was the odd horse box and duffer along the way. Now we were two cars rather than four overtaking was a lot easier. There were a couple of times, when I went to overtake one car, only to think I may as well take the next as well. Getting to 6K rpm now I've got 500 miles on the clock, you can really make the car fly. The jet like sound from the exhaust as the revs climb to six thousand, does a bit addictive I admit.
 
Overall in these difficult times where going out for a drive is about all you can, do much fun was had. So much so that my friend from Toyota is now buying his own GR Yaris and it only took a day with the demonstrator for him to do that! This car does impress. I am now contemplating what it might be like come warm and dry roads. My alarm for the summer on a Sunday is going to be very early indeed! 
 

 

 

@KobayashiMaru good review. It's got a 50L tank btw, same as a GT86. it think it is a bit more thirsty than the GT though, but more power requires more fuel. I'm averaging about 21.5mpg But once I have done a 1000 miles, I'll be sitting on the motorway at 60 with the radar cruise on lane trace assist and I'm sure I'll get some back. 
It is hugely competent isn't it? I've done a 100 mile drive down the A49 to Whitchurch and back at 7am this morning. I was surprised at how I quickly became so confident in the car. Those 4S tyres really are amazing, but the tautness of the chassis really helps and the damping is very good. I ran in track mode first thing when it was still raining and did notice the front diff locking and a bit of understeer as I exited a roundabout. I then went to Sport mode and that sorted that issue. I got the car into a lovely flow over some crests and nice fast bends down the A49 and I must admit, I was really starting to flow. What I am loving is that the harder you push the car, the more it delivers. That I was grinning from ear to ear, told me all I wanted to know. 
I really doubt anything would stay with one of these down a sodden B road in darkest December.

Hi all,
 
It’s that time of year again... Black Friday. Last year was incredibly busy so if anyone would like to benefit from this aggressive pricing then please do get in touch. We've tried our absolute best to provide the strongest possible pricing we can this year, despite the current pandemic causing huge issues to not only our supply costs but also their availability.
 
Offers are live as of yesterday on the website, Monday 23rd November and run until Friday 4th December. For mail order parts these are payable in full and will be dispatched immediately if in stock, or as soon as they arrive if they are not in stock when ordering.
 
Workshop offers have a deposit payable before the close of play on the 4th, all works are to be then booked in and paid in full before Saturday 30th January 2019. All deposits are non-refundable in order for us to prepare parts and so forth. These offers cannot be used in conjunction with our finance offerings I’m afraid.
 
To take up one of our offers or with any questions, either drop me a PM on this forum, send me an email to mike@tuningdevelopments.co.uk or give me a call on 01925 822 266.
 
We’d like to thank all of our customers for another year of continued support and wish you all a great festive period. Stay safe everyone!  
 
 
Workshop Offers :
 
Offer 1 : Tuning Developments NA Tuning Package & Install - £1495.00 – Reduced to £1299.00 - £199.00 Deposit.
 

 
Included in the package for those that are unaware:
'Before' Dyno Run Session
Stainless Steel Exhaust Manifold - Equal Length OR Unequal Length Available
Stainless Steel Overpipe
Titanium Heatwrap
FA20 Cylinder To Manifold Gaskets
Exhaust Manifold Gaskets
Overpipe Gaskets
K&N Drop In Air Filter
ECUTeK License Fee
In-House Custom Remap Session On The Dyno Incorporating The Excellent RaceROM Suite
'After' Dyno Run Session Incorporated With Remap
NOTE: MTEC Springs & Shifter Bush are added extras (£120.00)
 
Can be ran on an otherwise stock car to give the extra drive ability however with very little extra exhaust noise for those that don't want volume.
 
Exhaust extras for this deal (free fitting):
 
Second Decat: £159.00
Resonated CAT Back: £535.00
Super Res CAT Back: £565.00
 
 
 
Offer 2 : Tuning Developments Stage 1 Turbo Kit & Install - £4495.00 – Reduced to £3995.00 - £295.00 Deposit.
 

 

 

 
Full details on the kit itself can be found online here: http://www.tuningdevelopments.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=502_625_852&products_id=2366
 
A quick rundown!
 
Stainless Steel Exhaust Manifold - Equal Length OR Unequal Length
Uppipe with external wastegate takeoff
TiAL MVR 44m External Wastegate
Precision CEA Billet Turbo
3" Downpipe
Intercooler piping
Intercooler core
Oil feed line
Modified sump pan for oil return
Air Filter
Turbo blanket
Heat wrap
ECUTeK License Fee
In-House Custom Remap Session On The Dyno Incorporating The Excellent RaceROM Suite
 
Fits with stock exhaust system, although we recommend aftermarket for power gains
Fits with stock radiator and cooling fans
 
Those wanting overpipe, second decat or CAT back systems at the same time will get free fitting and also discounted costs on the parts themselves as follows:
 
Overpipe: £149.00
Second Decat: £159.00
Resonated CAT Back: £535.00
Super Res CAT Back: £565.00
 
 
Offer 3 : Tuning Developments Stage 1 Turbo Kit, Engine Oil Cooler & Install - £4951.00 – Reduced to £4450.00 - £300.00 Deposit.
 
As per offer 2 with the addition of our engine oil cooler kit. Same additional discounts apply on exhaust parts for this offer.
 
 
Offer 4 : Tuning Developments Stage 1 Turbo Kit Upgrade & Install From Our NA Tuning Package - £3850.00 – Reduced to £3495.00 - £295.00 Deposit.
 
Anyone already on our NA Tuning Package can make the jump onto our stage 1 turbo kit for just £3495.00  
 
 
Offer 5 : BC Racing BR Series Coilover Kit & Install & Alignment - £1149.00 – Reduced to £1049.00 - £99.00 Deposit.
 
 
Offer 6 : BC Racing BR Series Coilover Kit, SPC Rear LCA & Install & Alignment - £1399.00 – Reduced to £1249.00 - £99.00 Deposit.
 
 
Offer 7 : Tein Flex A Coilover Kit & Install & Alignment - £1299.00 - Reduced to £1149.00 - £99.00 Deposit.
 
 
Offer 8 : Tein Flex A Coilover Kit, SPEC Rear LCA & Install & Alignment - £1549.00 - Reduced to £1379.00 - £99.00 Deposit.
 
 
 
Mail Order Offers :
 
 
Tuning Developments Non-Res CAT Back Exhaust - £480.00 – Reduced to £450.00
Tuning Developments Resonated CAT Back Exhaust - £576.00 – Reduced to £535.00
Tuning Developments Super Resonated CAT Back Exhaust - £619.00 – Reduced to £565.00
Tuning Developments Silenced Second Decat Pipe - £239.99 – Reduced to £199.99
Tuning Developments Exhaust Manifold – EL - £699.00 – Reduced to £599.00
Tuning Developments Exhaust Manifold – UEL - £729.00 – Reduced to £629.00
 

 
Mail Order offers are subject to Postage & Packaging which for mainland UK will vary between £9.99 & £19.99. Worldwide shipping is available please enquire for pricing.
 
Any questions, no matter how small please drop me a message or give me a call  
 
Thanks!
 
Mike

I quite like the small ducktail bootlid and the 2.4l engine should lend itself to even better power upgrades and boost. It looks good in silver, less good in Subaru blue.
It's no biggie over ours but let's respect the fact that it keeps the concept going where we thought the model might be dead. With the latest government announcement about battery cars we have one more decade to buy this sort of car. Enjoy it while it lasts!

I moved to the v105 because I didn't like how unpredictable the primacy were in the wet and didn't want something too grippy. Yes the v105 are a gripper tyre but it's still plenty playful enough with stock power (and far better in the wet!) would recommend.

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Another v105 user here. Pretty much identical to willclarkes experience. I find them much more confidence inspiring than the stock primacys. Even with 225/40/18 the car is still playful, especially in the wet, but they never feel sketchy and are much more progressive when they let go. Dry grip is good but not excessive, it never feels over tyred, the car still holds it momentum and doesn't scrub off too much speed.
They wear faster than the practically plastic primacys and aren't as good as Michelin PS4s (from what I've heard) but they seem well suited to this car and ideal for what you are after.

Next part of the brake upgrade arrived today.

I wanted to try Castrol SRF but didn't fancy remortgaging so this seemed the next best choice as it has a decently high dry and (more importantly) wet boiling point.

I've been researching the best brake setup for my BRZ and come to the same conclusion as advice I've received from various others: I don't need a BBK, the stock brakes are plenty fine for my road-only driving.  I then set about looking for the best brake pads I can find and have been advised that PFC Z front pads and Cosworth Streetmaster rears offer the best balance for fast road use.  They're on order and I'll fit them when I have all the parts.  I don't need new discs just yet and have time to research them when they finally need replacement.
Meanwhile, it's tyres for winter use time again.  I'm going to use my old Rota 17" wheels and buy another set of Goodyear Vector 4Seasons 225/45 as the last set I used were excellent for general winter use and getting through the snow in my lane.
When it's spring, I'll then buy a set of 235/40 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 for my 18" XXR wheels.  I'll also take the chance to transfer the TPMS sensors from my winter to my summer wheels.

Gave my car a clean today and put on my private plate! Deleted the crappy number plate bracket at the front and just attached the plate (5 digit plate).
To anyone after premium plates... can highly recommend https://www.fourdotdesignerplates.co.uk/
Well worth the premium to be honest... in the flesh the plates are the best I have ever seen. So clear. so vibrant. Perfect.

No that's not mine. I have seen that one around. I'm in another village nearby. Also I'm not a newbie. Just  never  posted before have  owned my 86 for 4 years now.

Yeah a lot of fun with 35-40mm less clearance I’d imagine......
I’m on the stock wheels as well

Your 25mm looks good tho, well it would as yours is a ginger as well.....
Cheers for the pic


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I've just checked with Abbey Motorsport that they are go for tomorrow's Rogue EL manifold install and tune.  They had a scare with their dyno yesterday and it looked at one point that I might have to cancel.  I hope I won't miss the UEL Subie rumble too much, but the EL should give me great performance.  It looks the part, too.  Most importantly, no heat up into the engine bay.

A quick update guys!
I have put down a deposit on a Blue edition with PP ( not the 15k mileage one) and now waiting for it to be ready !!
I am very excited and looking forward to it and meeting you guys in the future! 
 
Thank you all of you !
Cheers!

Are you sure you want non-res?

I can vouch for TD, the quality of their work is top notch and very responsive and friendly service.

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Hello Dave, welcome aboard.
I've had my car seven years and have driven 148,000 miles in it from new. In that time I've had the opportunity to try different tyres. I've also driven a fair amount of other people's GT86's too. 
I kept the Primacy tyre for the first 25,000 miles or so. I think it's good to learn the balance of the car with this tyre. You can play with it at low speeds and it's a lot of fun, bringing out the playful nature of what is an excellent and well balanced chassis. The Primacy tyre is also fantastic fun on track if you so wish. After about 4 laps they go off, but stay consistent and you can just slide and drift the car all day. They last really well too. 
That said, they aren't the most progressive tyre and it can be a bit tricky in the wet. Yes in low temperatures in greasy conditions they can prove tricky, though that is true of any tyre. 
Everyone will tell you to fit Michelin Pilot 4 tyres. Whilst they are a great tyre, they take away from the playfulness of the chassis. They are a a great choice if you are not a confident or experienced driver as for the most part they will totally tame the car and you'll feel more confident. I have these on my car because I sprint my car and they are the most competitive tyre in class, giving around a 1.5-2 second advantage on a sprint lap. Yes, at high speeds you can still slide the car and have fun, providing you are committed, but the speeds at which you do this mean that you will not really be able to do so on the public road. 
The PS4 is great in the wet too. In fact they are utterly brilliant in the wet, a point I have underlined whenever it is wet in the Toyota Sprint Series, which will see all of us running them at the top of the leaderboard. 
I like the PS4, it's a great tyre. But, you have to push it to have fun on the road. 
Another really good choice is the Yokohama Advan Sport V105. I have gone through 5 sets of these and would have carried on with them were it not for them not being competitive in the sprint series I compete in. They are perhaps the best balance between grip and playfullness for the GT86. They are more progressive than the Primacy but not as grippy as the PS4. This means you can still have fun drifting a roundabout or on a decent B-road blast. They do really well on track too and  you can slide the car around just as well as the Primacy. 
If I wasn't competing in the sprint series I would run a V105 instead of a PS4. It makes the car far more fun to drive. 
The other point to note is that I use stock 215/45/17 sizes albeit on a forged lightweight 17x8 wheel. If you like to play with the chassis do not make the mistake putting on wider tyres. All it does is detract from the fun and add unsprung weight. 

"Depends". There are such that buy it purely for sportish-coupe-ish looks, there are such, that decided upon online video reviews raving about it's handling. Some that like to play around, and some that want absolute performance. Thing is .. grippy tires turn to very different type of handling, and one thing stock not that powerful/torqy engine and not exactly sport-level-stiff suspension paired with limited grip tires, and another - if you pair it with grippy & wide tires (like some do so .. interestingly often guiding in that not for grip, but for "looks"). Lot of points that were voiced in those reviews, lot of first impressions from first drives may become moot. It's not as if it will make car worse, grippy tires will make it - different. And i've seen not only threads of "i installed better tires X, car should have come as such from factory", but also threads like "what other tires would feel like primacies", and where people reverted tire change due not liking grippier/not playful change, or loosing steering sharpness and alike.
To each his own. Different people may have different subjective preferences. Imho simply worth experiencing both ways so that choice is done in educated fashion, by knowing what one will like best, what changes one wishes over what has been before. I myself have had my share of fun on primacies and now moved up for more capable tires on track, but i certainly not regret of having driven on those and wouldn't write them off as something inherently bad.

No, every search comes up on eBay US. It never bothers me where they come from, I just order and wait

It could be that no UK model of BRZ/86 ever had them.

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Here's a pair for sale, exactly like mine.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2019-SUBARU-BRZ-FRS-86-OEM-REAR-SPEAKERS-SPEAKER-SET-RH-LH-1K/113843899467?hash=item1a81a00c4b:g:dUcAAOSwpOpdSDFl
They're titled rear speakers but they're a dash pair - in fact, the same drivers are used for dash and rears except the latter are on extended brackets.
 
Another pair...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Subaru-Brz-Left-Right-Dashboard-Dash-Speaker-Tweeter-Pair-Factory-Oem-950/143398772104?epid=16035934049&hash=item21633b9d88:g:VIkAAOSwRl9dg6M~

The Focal is a good kit, but without the top-dash midrange drivers you get a boom/tizz presentation without essential vocal clarity.  It's far better than the stock speakers but still not communicative enough.  Bass and treble fill out the frequency range but without good midrange you have a hole-in-the-middle effect.  I know from my 'big rig' at home that midrange clarity is the most essential component for communicating music.
Substituting the 3.5" midrange drivers in the top-dash position allows me to revert to an almost flat curve on the equaliser settings.  They also do treble pretty well so the balance is ideal.  For comparison, my big hi-fi system is totally flat - there are no equalisers or tone controls at all.  Reproduction has amazing clarity and power.
There is a mantra in hi-fi circles: without good midrange, any other attributes of a system are wasted as you will never have great music reproduction.

From reading that and @will300 pointer to the correct section he was referring to I read that as something with 0w is ideal for the tight clearances. But increasing the oil to 0w30 will give you higher temperature stability too so win win. And as 5w30 is in the handbook Toyota must be happy with this one too.
But 10w40 as the OP put is overkill and too thick at cold to get into the tight clearances.

This was posted on Facebook, which seems relevant (Chris Elek builds race engines, so he know's WTF he's talking about):
 

My car gets the same usage as you and I have always run it on Shell 0w-30 without issue.
Although the car currently has 5w30 in it as its back from its recall and that is all Toyota would put in other then 0w20.
I would happily run a good quality one of either but if both were side by side on the shelf I would take 0w30
 
Although I am in the same boat as you and looking to get an oil cooler dropped in this year to be super safe 

I asked Matt at Rogue and he said:-
"In all honesty a 5W 30 should be fine. We use the 0W 30 because this oil will give you the same characteristics from cold as the standard 0W 20, but the 30 side of it gives you a little more temperature range when on track."

@willclarke as you said I'm running Miller's Nanodrive 0w30. I'm usually doing about 6-8 trackdays a year and about 5k road miles. I run an oil cooler, Cosworth sump baffle and have the vents on the bonnet uncovered on trackdays. I can happily run sessions of 30-40 minutes without the oil going above 125°. @will300 runs the same cooling set up as me except the bonnet and comparing our temps on track last year the vents were worth around a 10° reduction in oil temps.