Skip to :47 Sec mark

 

Tough little car! Obviously cared for, too. Fancy battery tie-down, because why not, right?

Sounds all kinds of nasty, and in a good way.

 

Thanks! Yes, the previous owner definitely cared for the car. Not exactly a 'replacement' for the G but a great Yin to the G's Yang.

 

That's a clean looking car! As was previously mentioned, a lot of those cars are pretty ragged out at this point. Congrats!

 

The WRX/STi leaves a lasting impression, a modified one makes all the right noises and is a hoot to drive. I remember as a child back in 05 driving in my brother's friends 04 WRX that put down 300whp. I thought this was the fastest car ever

 

 

Before they became hard to find (and parts hard to find) the 2nd gen RX-7 (FC3S) crowd got like that. "I just bought a $200 FC with 150k miles that made 146HP when new... how do I get to 400HP for under $500?

(answer: nitrous, but it's good for one time only, then you need a new motor. Which there aren't any.)

I have an Apexi exhaust for the FC in my garage attic - one of the first ones that came into the US (I literally claimed it as excess baggage coming back from Tokyo with the USAF in 97 or so). Been told those are worth maybe $300 now, since the folks buying FCs are all kids with no money.

 

This was why I bought a 96 Cherokee in 2000 or so. I was tired of driving 5 hours each way every other weekend for reserve duty (I was doubling up) in a 2-seater that had a cantankerous carb, loud as F and smelled to high heaven (1st gen RX7 with open exhaust).

The old Cherokee was comfortable, relatively quiet, the I6 was indestructible, and until the body pan started rusting out at 270k miles durable as hell. New Cherokee's are really just body-refreshed Compasses and nicely optioned Grands are $50k plus... so no thanks.

 

Thanks! That was the real draw and there were plenty of clapped out versions. An STI would've been great, especially if I go down the rabbit hole and build it, but as a starting platform and introduction to the brand I'm very happy with it.

It certainly does...Boxer rumble plus whooshy turbo sounds will make any car enthusiast smile; no matter the age or brand preference. I'd only ever rode in one (bull nose STI) and that car left an impression; as I was just getting into cars and thought my Mazda 3 was zippy .

 

Ya, I figured out your plate. Nice I went to some track days early on with my STI but as I started modding, I realized I couldn't afford to mod and track. I went to Mosport a few times but only ran the DDT, never the full track.

 

The CT4-V Blackwing looks the business except for the back. The styling where the bottom of the trunk meets the bumper just looks all wrong to me.

Mosport was a lot of fun, but like I mentioned earlier, I tried not to look at all the concrete walls so close to the track or I knew I would have hit them. I managed to drive ok without going off at all, but I left a lot on the track because I was afraid to really drive just beyond the limit at that track.

 

Driving a 2020 Supra Premium via Turo. I've come to make several observations that realistically repeat the reviews:

1. It looks better in person, but still not great
2. Power is way above the "spec" sheet. Well above 400hp.
3. Transmission is extremely quick at shifting
4. It should have had a manual
5. Rear view window is ALMOST as bad as a Camaro
6. At 6ft tall, the car is too small for my legs (32" inseam fyi). My left leg has plenty of room to dangle/bang around. The right leg around the knee is basically jammed between the wheel and the oversized center console. I cannot fathom how this was overlooked. It really is a small area for the right knee area.
7. The buffering noise with the windows down at highway speeds is unbearable. It should have not passed safety certification. I practically made me want to rip out my own ear drums. It's horrific. And I have no clue how Toyota would fix it.
8. It screams BMW on the inside far worse than I thought.

In summary, it's a fun car, but for $55k for a Toyota, I expected more Toyota premium and less BMW cheap *** 3 series crap. Also the carbon fiber package is a joke. It's horrible quality. The mirror caps will fail in several years.

 

Yikes! That was almost painful to read.

So... you need to be a little guy with gaudy taste, money to burn and no old man to teach you how to drive a proper transmission. Interesting.

 

AMS has a solution for the buffeting issue:
https://www.amsperformance.com/cart/...buffeting-kit/

 

The rednecks in Lebanon, IN (where I rented the car to drive) snapped their necks at every crackle and burble of the exhaust like it was a Ferrari LaFerraria. I'll admit the car is indeed rare. How many have you seen? I can count on one hand how many I've seen. And there's a reason for it. Fun to rent, not to buy. /story