A small, low boost turbo, properly tuned and installed can deliver more power and torque with very little noticeable lag. Put a huge snail on it with a lot of boost and it will feel drastically different.

When I first bought my BRZ, the biggest issue I had was that the traction control nanny was way too aggressive and did not allow you to feel the car rotate to the point where you could drive right at the edge of the friction circle with zero drama. Once I finally got the nerve to leave it in sport or turn it off…

That is why it defines “momentum car”.

The Edelbrock E-Force supercharger will not void the warranty if properly installed, and is CARB legal.

They improved the torque dip a lot in the last rear models with horsepower and torque increases, a new exhaust/tune, and lower gearing. So instead of complaining about that, critics have moved on to just saying it’s too fucking slow, period.

Right, the big difference is that the BRZ costs around 30k, the Carrera costs at least four times as much depending on options, and the GT3 almost ten times as much.

The supercharger on a Demon is bigger than the engine in a BRZ.

And I will say this; if your bitching about the quality of a satnav in a sports car, you don’t deserve a sports car.

I had a dash rattle in my 15 WRX about a week after I bought it new. Going on four years with the BRZ, not a single rattle, blemish, or problem of any kind. Plus, as fun as it was at times, the WRX felt cheap. To be sure, the BRZ is no luxury tourer, but it has a spartan sense of quality.

I have owned several AWD vehicles, including a WRX. The traction and stability they exhibit is impressive. But they are not nearly as much fun as a light, responsive rear wheel drive car.

Plenty of snails out there for the taking.

I deliberately waited until the second year production models came out before buying one. The first year models seemed to have a few problems that were fixed on successive year models. Beware of early adoptions.

Nobody in their right mind drag races a Miata or a GT86 against anything or each other. These are sports cars in the classic sense, that need to be raced on a road course, as many are. Depending on the number of corners and configuration, the difference between these two current models can go either way.

The Miata also has a lot more body roll in corners, in the tradition of many roadsters that came before it.

Clearance problems with the under mounted turbo for one thing. But I am sure there are other reasons as well, including trying to create a niche vehicle separate and distinct from the WRX, thereby protecting the brand.

Hell hath no fury more than a Jalop seizing on an inaccuracy.

I didn’t race or autocross my 2015 WRX, but I ran it hard enough to feel the lack of stopping power. The WRX has the opposite problem that the BRZ has; plenty of power, but the brakes and chassis cannot keep up with it when pushed. I guess that’s why they make an STI version.

There are a lot of options, with various degrees of risk/reward, depending on configuration, boost and tuning as well as how willing you are to spend money on the kits as well as upgrade parts.

As a former owner of a WRX, and current owner of a BRZ, thank you for your insights into the new editions of the STI and BRZ. I hope Jalopnik retains you for all road tests and reviews.

Have you owned the earlier version? If so, I will be very interested to know what you think. After nearly four years of ownership, I have resisted the urge to do anything to mine. It has been a great car, and yours will be even better.