xxyion

I'm actually buying my friends 2004 WRX to become my daily. It'll be nice not having to daily the S2k and it can become a more focused track/show car. Also just the practicality of it i will enjoy.

I do also miss my BRZ however compared to the S2k i agree with you, that engine is a let down. Going V-tech at 8k RPMs is a crazy feeling which the FA20 just doesnt even come close to doing.

TheDonEffect

Thanks everyone for their comments so far, I'm enjoying the back and forth. It really is a philosophical debate.

As I mentioned before, it was really an eye opening experience when I was in Santorini and rented a small Open hatchback POS but in stick. The car was a total piece of crap, but I had a great time in it just driving around the island, stopping at the sites, etc. I remember thinking to myself, could a corvette or Lambo make this any more fun? Absolutely not, the roads suck, tight, getting in and out of things was a chore. Now a mini cooper S, GTI, miata, etc, those would've made it epic.

Point is, throwing more power at the expense of size and weight isn't always a winning proposition even if the track times support it.

xxyion

I love these types of discussions. So many different opinions with no clear right answer.

I remember making the similar dilema between the S2000 and a WRX. Practicality over sporty handling. In the end i just followed what i wanted rather than what would be a better life choice. And who knew, almost a year later i might just have both!

TommyDeVito

The AWD Turbos offer an awful lot. All season performance, functionality, can be used on track for HPDE. Very multi-purpose.

STi, buy it new, from Heuberger. Have it shipped in. Best way to buy one is get the base. 36k. You buy it from them, you drive it for a year or two, and you can sell it for a few k less than you bought it. So if it's for you, mod the thing for even more performance, very cheap to do as all it needs is a catted downpipe and tune. Or keep it stock, and sell it if it isn't for you. The Golf R, yeah you'll pay 40k. But deals are out there for used ones. Then if AWD isn't a requirement (is for me), many people buy GTI's as VAG discounts them like hell during certain portions of the year. I've seen people get them for 24k brand new.

vader1

I have seen people report on the "What did you pay" thread that people can get the base model with cloth seats for $20k a few times with the manual. Sweet deal. Nice runabout. I am starting to circle back to a Golf R after deciding not to get one last year. I have been looking at some other cars that did not offer much more except for slightly better interiors and some badge appeal, but were at least $15k more.

asrautox

Hot hatches are a great solution if you’re looking for an all purpose sporty car. They are definitely a compromise car that will never be as fast as a pony car or as nimble as a Miata, but if you can have only one car to do a number of things pretty well, it’s hard to beat a hatchback..

xxyion

My friend just picked up a 2018 GTI (the one selling me his WRX) and that car is WAY more fun and engaging than i expected. He let me take it out for a spin and i came back grinning with a few snorts and giggles while i was driving. The torque is enough to chirp the wheels on hard acceleration and the handling makes the car feel almost as nimble as a miata. Honestly i'm seriously considering one as a daily driver in a few years.

TommyDeVito

Compromise? What compromise? Straight line dry/warm speed acceleration, sure. But in inclement weather a pony car can't keep up with an AWD turbo. Handling it isn't a compromise either. You are at 500+ less pounds.

asrautox

Come out to the track and you’ll see exactly where the compromises are. I’m happy to stick in the slow lane while some dingbat in a Subaru is trying to show everyone how ZOMg fast his turbo awd car can go in the rain..

TommyDeVito

I do trackdays every year. Been doing them for 20 years now. 2 wheels and 4. I’ve owned a Subaru before but don’t now, my AWD turbo hatch is from Ford. I’ve done many track days in the rain, even did one last year in the snow at Utah Motorsports Park. 32 degrees with snow falling, it just wasn’t sticking. And we were on MPSS with windows down. Only people who’ve handed me my ass were professional race drivers who instruct on the side. Someone in a much more expensive car blasting me down the straight doesn’’t mean anything to me. Neither does someone in a super car getting me in a turn. On 2 wheels I’ve had some 15 year old kid on a 250 smoker wax my ass and that didn’t bother me either as he was headed up the ranks to the pros. Not everyone that goes to the track worries about their track dick. If I had a benny for every juiced up rider or driver out there with a chip on their shoulder I’d be a rich man. It’s worse on bikes than in cars but there are always someone in every session with ED. I’ve done many tracks in the US, Laguna Seca, COTA probably the most noteworthy. I think these compromises you mention are only in people’s minds.

It’s fun in the rain. I’m passing 6 figure RWD cars at will all day. Some people straight up bail when it rains. Yeah you can get me down the straight in the warn/dry but you don’t win anything at a trackday. No contracts handed out, no trophies, no brollies, and no champagne unless you bring your own. And good luck getting me in a turn. When I need to get my straight line fix I’m on 2 wheels and you’d see fly right by you like you were standing still. Many of us here do trackdays. Nothing changes the fact that some cars are just faster in all weather conditions. I’ll take the straight line hit for that myself.


Don, for grins I drove a ‘19 SS 1LE tonight. Silver, black hood, only option was the $1300 data recorder. Visibility was poor. Windshield was tiny, and the view through the rear view mirror was minuscule. Car had 10 miles on it. I put 17 on it hitting some underpasses and some highway on ramps. It was a boat. Large, and you could definitely feel the weight. Very reminiscent of the last Mustang GT PP I drove. I wasn’t that impressed at all. Tried the rev match on the paddle, was a cool feature. Brakes were solid, shifter was nice, great engagement. I did manage to get it to wheel hop through a hard left onto some s’s close to my house. I didn’t engage launch control (I’m sure it has it) but midrange wasn’t anything I would call spectacular. The HUD was cool. You can raise or lower it, it projects out like it’s in front of the hood. I cycled it and think it had a g meter or something on it. At first I though it was a tach but it was some sort of G meter I think. You could also increase/decrease the brightness. The base stereo was awful (Yeah I know no one buys one for that). Recaros were nice too. I had zero interest after driving it. I much prefer the previous gen Camaro. A good friend has a 2013 ZL1. Visibility is much better and it’s a completely different experience with the blower. I love his car. He put ceramic rotors on it, and race seats in it for the track. I checked on those and you could get one for the same money with extremely low miles. I would take it all day over the newer Camaro. You stomp on the pedal in his car and that thing provides a whole different experience.

I like the GT350 very much too and almost bought one but preferred the turbo AWD hatch. I guess I don’t like the size and weight of the pony’s despite having much higher hp/tq. There is definitely something to a lighter, smaller car, even if it’s slower. Some will prefer the machete, others the scalpel. If you want both it’s like you have to buy a Porsche with a flat six or a turbo.