The world is flat: altoid's BRZ

Mod time!

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This is not what I had in mind. :D
 
Hello, friends. It's been a little while. This will probably be a boring update.

We're up to about 11,000 miles in about 14 months. Slightly overdue for the second service based on timing, so I'll get it done in the next few weeks most likely.

I, uhh, don't really drive much any more. Rain has gone for the most part, I got a new bike, and the advantage is so immense in LA traffic that I've basically been riding just about everywhere. I drive to the gym a few times per week, store once per week at most, and my mom's once every weekend, in general. It totals about 80 miles per week.

That said, just this week I did a nice little 300ish-mile road trip, so it's not like I completely neglect it. Though I really ought to drive it like it's meant to be driven more.

Fun plan: hoping to swap cars with an ND driver for a weekend/week or two. He needs something more practical than the roadster, and the 86 might actually fit the bill, so he'd love to try one. I, on the other hand, occasionally miss having a convertible, and Miata Is Always The Answer anyway, right?

I still love the car and don't regret buying it. I'm hoping to start taking it to AutoX and track days on occasion, since it gets so little love on public roads.

And now, as always, some pictarz!

Found some fam in a few places:
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My car is huge:
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With frenz at FuelFest (called "In Memory of Paul [Walker]" last year):
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There's an entire Herman Miller Aeron in there (Truck of the Year!):
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But first, let me take a selfie:
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Transporting bike parts, truly a work truck:
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First (and only) intentional car wash so far (for a date, since that's apparently what it takes):
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All the XXL clothes I donated after a buttload of weight loss, fitting nicely in the huge trunk:
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For Nicky ❤:
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Finally showed it some mud, like a proper Subaru:
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Fun plan: hoping to swap cars with an ND driver for a weekend/week or two. He needs something more practical than the roadster, and the 86 might actually fit the bill, so he'd love to try one. I, on the other hand, occasionally miss having a convertible, and Miata Is Always The Answer anyway, right?

This is slated to happen for a week, starting June 8th.
 
From the temp Miata thread, as it's effectively a comparison with the BRZ:

After a few days of street and canyon driving, I wanted to share some impressions. They're largely comparisons to my BRZ.

Things I like better about the Miata:
Convertible: Topless, baby! See below pic for why that's relevant.
Shifter: The shifter is super nice. The BRZ's is very nice as well, but this one is just otherwordly.
Grip: The car is wearing Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires. The Michelin Primacy crap I have is no match for this setup (and isn't meant to be).
Noise: There's a Racing Beat muffler installed which adds a bit of character. I like that it's not too loud, but sounds nice.
Torque: (Go ahead, take that shot.) I don't even know that there's more of it, but it certainly feels more adequate. Easy to lazily lug putt around low in the rev range.
Multiple personalities: As I've said before, the Miata can be a lovely cruiser as well as a sports car, while the BRZ only knows how to go hard.

Things I like better about the BRZ:
Hardtop: Not topless. No pic of my arms, but I look like I'm wearing red arm warmers.
Creature comforts: I'm spoiled by CarPlay, auto lights, HomeLink…
Room: My knees actually fit.
Looks: The Miata is certainly a looker, but it doesn't tingle my special spots the way the BRZ does.

Things that are a wash:
Fun: These two are merely different flavors of ice cream. We all have our preferences, but both are utterly awesome in the end.
Spirited driving: This is really an expansion on the above, but they're both a great choice for the occasional canyon run. Personal fitment issues aside, that is.

Random thoughts:
• No ragerts about getting the BRZ instead of this.
• Now I do want to modify the BRZ… Tune + exhaust + wheels + tires + suspension would go a long, long way…
• This thing is amusingly close to my old flame: black, topless, and 6-speed! Just the way I like my wom—wait, what?
 
Last night I returned the ND and got my bae back. On the drive home and this morning's commute I had a few thoughts:

• I definitely bought the right car. :)
• Out of laziness, I've been driving my car "wrong" for a while now. The BRZ is higher-strung, and should be treated as such. Lugging the engine really low in the rev range will produce unsatisfactory results because of course it will. Yes, even the little Miata does better at this. It's OK to rev.
• The stock tires are actually pretty great. They have more lateral grip than their reputation would indicate, and are incredibly predictable, letting the driver know well in advance when they're about to give up. It's really hard to get in trouble with this car while paying attention to the feedback.
• The shifter is pretty good, actually. It's not as good as the Miata's, but it's fine.

The biggest takeaway was that I've been neglecting my car far too much. The ease of motorcycling around LA has been hard to resist, since it's always fun and is generaly much more efficient. In the end, though, I really like driving as well, and need to ensure I devote some time to it on a regular basis.

Just seeing my car again last night made me smile. And yet I'm so quick to dismiss that just because the bike allows me to split.

The reality is that the bike will generally be superior in fighting traffic and finding parking. As such, it's going to remain my vastly predominant daily. Thus, the car will get some more love on the weekends. There's really no reason I can't go for a quick spirited drive every week or two.

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No real news other than that I've actually gone for a fun drive or two, and here are some GT shots of my darling as replicated by @Redliner. :D

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Hahahahaha, glad you liked my silly homage. Too bad it lacks the wing.
 
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