Dude you're putting out such great content. Even though I like track stuff more the canyon reviews are great too. Matt Farah may have pioneered that style of video but you do a great job of bringing in a very focused enthusiast opinion to everything
Agreed 100%. Farah is a little more generalist in scope simply because he's driven a lot more stuff on all points of the spectrum, so when he does more track-oriented stuff it tends not to do well for him in terms of views. Fenton's content as a whole, by comparison, is much more in-depth and technical, and it's got more of an approachable grassroots motorsport feel to it, which I like, and so do most of his regular viewers. I like both channels equally, but for different reasons.
I prefer the looks of the 2017-2020 BRZs, but it's so lame how expensive they are right now. Most manual transmission models that are clean cost as much as a new 2022 model or often more! ;_;
Thunderhill 5 Mile looks like an amazing layout - a variety of up & down undulations, tight technical twisties and a fair bit of straights! I'd love to ship my car from the UK to Thunderhill haha! Thanks so much for making these very detailed commentaries on your BRZ. Its super informative 👍
We just put in a Kaaz LSD and 4.44:1 gear ratio in our FRS and I really enjoy the plated differential and shorter gearing. I recommend trying a plated differential as the lockup is so predictable. Let me know how you like it.
Running e85 on the first Gen seems to help it keep up better from what I’ve noticed, and that’s a compliment to both cars, especially the second Gen. Great comparo
I thought that was you at Thunderhill yesterday! I told my buddy "I'm pretty sure that's Zygrene, but he's not sitting in the new BRZ... so it may not be him" TURNS OUT it's for a comparison piece. Good stuff, I was looking at used BRZs last night and can confirm the market is still crazy. It was my first time doing the 5 mile, totally different beast from the west
How’d you find the steering feel? I test drove the ‘22 and the main let down for me was the steering feel vs my ‘13. Felt too light in my opinion. Nicer interior, more low down torque and other things were a plus, but agree the cars feel pretty similar.
Luckily you can fix that with different bushings/ lock plates for the steering rack. Also Different suspension tunign would change those characteristics slightly, camber, caster , toe etc.
What was the difference in times between the cars for Chris? No offense but he seems to be a better and more consistant driver so its probably a better comparison.
currently loving my 2022 brz, but holy does it understeer a lot. i’d be interesting in seeing a gr86 vs 2022 brz comparison as i’m hearing the 86 tends to oversteer more, whereas the brz likes to understeer
@@itS2klean the CarPrime channel has Keiichi Tsuchiya test the GR86 and BRZ back to back on Sodegaura Raceway in Japan. He preferred the Toyota, and the lap times around Sodegaura's short track were consistently 2-3 seconds faster over the Subaru. th-cam.com/video/1zqyXJBp52Y/w-d-xo.html
@@TypeVertigo That's really interesting! I've got a 19 BRZ and used to have a 13 GT86. They're both stock and the 86 was such a better car to drive imo. I really don't like the stock tuning of my BRZ, it's an understeering pig :(
@@TypeVertigo Car and Driver also did their laps around VIR between the GR86 and the BRZ. Apart from brake fluid, the GR86 was consistently faster on one lap pace. The issue was that Toyota didn’t give C&D a swap of DOT4 brake fluid like Subaru did for the big comparison.
86 challenge looks like a great series. I may need to come down to Thunderhill from Seattle to participate at least once. Wish we had a chapter in the PNW!
Dude its worth it, I'm in Portland and am about to go down to thunderhill again for Ongrid's event in March. Thunderhill is my favorite track on this coast!
Had to Google that Garmin catalyst. Interesting product. At first I was like wait what happened to Jim from iracing?? Looking forward to your thoughts on this product. Sounds like it might help
Interesting point about the steering feel being better on the outgoing 2020 car than the 2022 car. I do wonder if it has anything to do with the aluminum steering knuckles that the 2022 car uses - there's a testdriver for Gazoo Racing called Masahiro Sasaki, who mentioned that the reason why the GR86 retains the steel steering knuckles (unlike the 2022 BRZ) was they thought that it provided better steering feel. Not necessarily cost-cutting reasons. Whenever a GR86 owner lends you their car, i'm sure you can confirm if that is true or not!
@@OriflammeGaming Indeed, its pretty tempting as you could reduce unsprung mass, but yeah, it would depend on what your priorities are - steering feel? Or unsprung mass? Also I heard that most big brake kits aren't compatible with the 2022 BRZ because of the steering knuckles too.
@@OriflammeGaming Yes, the Essex Racing guys on the ft86 forums have confirmed that their AP racing BBK does fit with the GR86, because it uses the steel knuckles.
one thing that might help is pointing the car to the edge of the track. you end up oversteering a lot because you're pointing the car not to the exit of the corner but inside, and the car can't grip on that line. i.e. if you set up your car to understeer, you still wouldn't hit the edge of the track, so you can use more grip by using more of the track
Great point. Next time I'm going to connect my Catalyst to my car's Bluetooth so I can actually hear the coaching instructions, which should help me improve my line.
That was a throughly balance opinion. As an owner of a 2017 GT86 I would like to know if you can notice the stock the lower ride height in the newer BRZ? And how do you think handling and feel in GR86 compares to GR Supra?
I've had a 2017 GT86 and a 2009 370z. 86 is better in terms of practicality and driving experience. 86 was generally a tighter, more focused car with superior driver inputs, better interior, and the bonus of more storage thanks to the backseat. Easily the most daily driver-friendly sports car you can own. 370z is by no means a bad car but it comes up a little short in terms of handling and feel. The power was much more appreciated in daily driving, overtaking was a piece of cake compared to the 86. Biggest gripe with the car was the LSD, the only stock LSD option is a shitty viscous LSD that is known for overheating and requires a complete replacement at around 60k miles once the fluid thins out. If you plan on driving hard, factor the cost in for a proper diff.
Understandably that the purpose of the video is for an apple and apple comparison, an FR car can’t compromise on tires. Should do another one with Cup2/Re71rs
Hey, you mentioned track insurance! I didn't know that was such a thing. Can you do a video or a part of video on that? Who provides it and how is the premium? Thanks Dude!
This is what I've been waiting for. Sucks to get kicked out for driving on the Primacies. I'm guessing that if I wanted to get my FRS up to the level of the GR86, I could get there with e85 and a header.
I would have instead used the oem wheels and tires from the new BRZ onto the old one, since the updated version should not have a penalty for using its OEM equipment.
Any thoughts of doing a final drive swap on the 2022? The gap between the two generations would probably be even bigger if the current gen had the 4.33 ratio!
Car comes with a 4.10. Not sure 4.3 would be worth it since there is less than 5% difference in ratios. It would be nice if it had 4.3 from factory with a longer 6th gear
It's a tough day at the races when you get The Black Flag Of Shane. LOL I can hear this in Jack Nicholson's voice from the Shining; "It was an accident! could have happened to anybody... A momentary loss of muscular coordination. Few extra foot pounds of energy per second, (snap) per second... and the damn back end comes around." With enough patience and mods, I'm sure you'll get it dialed in.
Those low grip Primacy cannot tap into potential of the Gen 2 BRZ chassis Put A052 on both cars with the same suspension setup and with the same driver, the Gen 2 will net a faster time guaranteed
@L W assuming both around 240 crank hp, that’s about a 5% difference. More is more, but for that, I feel like the biggest reason for upgrading would be for the styling. Which is subjective.
The review we needed! Makes sense to hear about the power difference, your comments remind me a little of the torque difference between the AP1 and AP2 with the newer generation of both cars better for day to day driving thanks to the increase in torque
The difference in torque feels slightly bigger than AP1 vs AP2, and the outright power difference is way bigger. AP1 and AP2 pretty much make the same peak horsepower.
It's a small difference but noticeable. Old model seems to load up a bit better in corners but not sure if that's due to the additional negative camber from the camber bolts.
@@Zygrene oh interesting. I hadn't considered that as a factor in the difference. I hope you can re-compare them once you've had a chance to sort out the camber on yours
You need Camber my friend. I would just get some camber plates. Cheap, easy to install and can give you 2.5 degree's on camber which should be more than enough till you get some coils added.
@@smilepermile8165 there are. Look for the ones from the gen 1. Should be a 100% compatible. Look at peddlers top hats with camber bolts. Might be exactly what you want without adding any NVH
5-mile is always hard to get a clean lap. Each lap is longer, so you get fewer of them, and there's more chance of running into traffic. If you want to remake the video, consider going to some weekday (less people) track day at Thunderhill East or Laguna Seca. Also note that track temp and grip changes throughout the day. At LS the morning lap time can be a few seconds faster than late afternoon.
I did a "West Marathon" with HOD last year, it was awesome. 30 minute sessions, did 70 laps in a day. The only downside was that it was in 100ºF+ weather 😜
I'm researching to buy my first car and after a lot of thought between the Hyundai i20 N, the Mazda MX-5 RF and this, I've decided I'm going to get the 2022 BRZ. This may sound like a silly question but I'm wondering how much can you upgrade the car for more hp but still keeping it naturally aspirated? And is it worth it? I've driven the car in Forza Motorsport 7 and after about 80-100hp it doesn't seem to make much of a difference on track times anymore. I'm asking this question because I'm wondering if it's better to get a 2022 BRZ/GR86 and upgrade it with $8K-$10K down the line or strait up buy a 2023 Nissan Z. Since the BRZ is a lot lighter than the 2023 Nissan Z I'm wondering if it can beat it on track with some clever upgrades. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks
When you find yourself "going off" the track, it is typically untrained. If trained, you should pay attention as to "How far" to look on the road. Your hands are going exactly where your eyes are going.
Would love to see next, a comparison of the GR86 to the BRZ. Its said to be more tail happy. I wonder what your thoughts on this comparison would be.
If anyone in the bay has a GR86, I'd love to film a comparo.
@@Zygrene I have one! How should I contact you?
@@psangli1203 please shoot me a message at zygrene@gmail.com or @zygrene on IG!
Dude you're putting out such great content. Even though I like track stuff more the canyon reviews are great too. Matt Farah may have pioneered that style of video but you do a great job of bringing in a very focused enthusiast opinion to everything
Why thank you!
Agreed 100%. Farah is a little more generalist in scope simply because he's driven a lot more stuff on all points of the spectrum, so when he does more track-oriented stuff it tends not to do well for him in terms of views. Fenton's content as a whole, by comparison, is much more in-depth and technical, and it's got more of an approachable grassroots motorsport feel to it, which I like, and so do most of his regular viewers. I like both channels equally, but for different reasons.
Matt pioneered what?
@@marcolgyrubish9498 the canyon carving while reviewing the car he is in style
I prefer the looks of the 2017-2020 BRZs, but it's so lame how expensive they are right now. Most manual transmission models that are clean cost as much as a new 2022 model or often more! ;_;
Thunderhill 5 Mile looks like an amazing layout - a variety of up & down undulations, tight technical twisties and a fair bit of straights! I'd love to ship my car from the UK to Thunderhill haha! Thanks so much for making these very detailed commentaries on your BRZ. Its super informative 👍
It's a fantastic track but lots of room for driver error!
I can't wait for the performance pack to come out
We just put in a Kaaz LSD and 4.44:1 gear ratio in our FRS and I really enjoy the plated differential and shorter gearing. I recommend trying a plated differential as the lockup is so predictable. Let me know how you like it.
Running e85 on the first Gen seems to help it keep up better from what I’ve noticed, and that’s a compliment to both cars, especially the second Gen. Great comparo
I thought that was you at Thunderhill yesterday! I told my buddy "I'm pretty sure that's Zygrene, but he's not sitting in the new BRZ... so it may not be him" TURNS OUT it's for a comparison piece. Good stuff, I was looking at used BRZs last night and can confirm the market is still crazy. It was my first time doing the 5 mile, totally different beast from the west
LOL next time definitely say hi. Yeah 5 mile is really challenging but fun. Thunderschleife is an great nickname.
She is a cool lady. Does her job but isn’t an ass about it.
How’d you find the steering feel? I test drove the ‘22 and the main let down for me was the steering feel vs my ‘13. Felt too light in my opinion. Nicer interior, more low down torque and other things were a plus, but agree the cars feel pretty similar.
Luckily you can fix that with different bushings/ lock plates for the steering rack. Also Different suspension tunign would change those characteristics slightly, camber, caster , toe etc.
Thanks for the h2h review! Own a 2017 and have been thinking about this comparison
What was the difference in times between the cars for Chris? No offense but he seems to be a better and more consistant driver so its probably a better comparison.
currently loving my 2022 brz, but holy does it understeer a lot. i’d be interesting in seeing a gr86 vs 2022 brz comparison as i’m hearing the 86 tends to oversteer more, whereas the brz likes to understeer
I've heard the same. Hoping I can review a GR86 soon!
Judging by the lighting lap the gr86 is a good amount faster
@@itS2klean the CarPrime channel has Keiichi Tsuchiya test the GR86 and BRZ back to back on Sodegaura Raceway in Japan. He preferred the Toyota, and the lap times around Sodegaura's short track were consistently 2-3 seconds faster over the Subaru.
th-cam.com/video/1zqyXJBp52Y/w-d-xo.html
@@TypeVertigo That's really interesting! I've got a 19 BRZ and used to have a 13 GT86. They're both stock and the 86 was such a better car to drive imo. I really don't like the stock tuning of my BRZ, it's an understeering pig :(
@@TypeVertigo Car and Driver also did their laps around VIR between the GR86 and the BRZ. Apart from brake fluid, the GR86 was consistently faster on one lap pace. The issue was that Toyota didn’t give C&D a swap of DOT4 brake fluid like Subaru did for the big comparison.
"keep doing it and we'll pull you off" - words of encouragement
86 challenge looks like a great series. I may need to come down to Thunderhill from Seattle to participate at least once. Wish we had a chapter in the PNW!
Dude its worth it, I'm in Portland and am about to go down to thunderhill again for Ongrid's event in March. Thunderhill is my favorite track on this coast!
Had to Google that Garmin catalyst. Interesting product. At first I was like wait what happened to Jim from iracing?? Looking forward to your thoughts on this product. Sounds like it might help
would love to see how big the difference is between the 2 when grip isn't the limiting factor!
Interesting point about the steering feel being better on the outgoing 2020 car than the 2022 car. I do wonder if it has anything to do with the aluminum steering knuckles that the 2022 car uses - there's a testdriver for Gazoo Racing called Masahiro Sasaki, who mentioned that the reason why the GR86 retains the steel steering knuckles (unlike the 2022 BRZ) was they thought that it provided better steering feel. Not necessarily cost-cutting reasons. Whenever a GR86 owner lends you their car, i'm sure you can confirm if that is true or not!
Good to know! Will keep this in mind if/when I get to drive a GR86.
That's good to note, especially since a lot of people have talked about swapping out the knuckles on the 86
@@OriflammeGaming Indeed, its pretty tempting as you could reduce unsprung mass, but yeah, it would depend on what your priorities are - steering feel? Or unsprung mass? Also I heard that most big brake kits aren't compatible with the 2022 BRZ because of the steering knuckles too.
@@jamescarson7856 true, I’ve heard that the Brembo kit for the last gen 86 is compatible with the new gen. Is that part true at least?
@@OriflammeGaming Yes, the Essex Racing guys on the ft86 forums have confirmed that their AP racing BBK does fit with the GR86, because it uses the steel knuckles.
Great video! I miss running track days. I'll probably be getting a '22 BRZ sometime this year... ;)
Hey, what kind of shoes are those? They look like great driving shoes. Thanks.
one thing that might help is pointing the car to the edge of the track. you end up oversteering a lot because you're pointing the car not to the exit of the corner but inside, and the car can't grip on that line. i.e. if you set up your car to understeer, you still wouldn't hit the edge of the track, so you can use more grip by using more of the track
Great point. Next time I'm going to connect my Catalyst to my car's Bluetooth so I can actually hear the coaching instructions, which should help me improve my line.
@@Zygrene the machine gives u instructions?
@@JohnZhu1988 Yes, you can hear them in his last lap in this video. I was surprised by this and was wondering what system it was!
Nice comparison guys! I love my BRZ Performance Pack. With a UEL header/E85 power is very close to the 2022 BRZ.
I also have a BRZ PP, I have EL header and E85, curious as to how much power yours make because I have no idea how much mine does.
That was a throughly balance opinion. As an owner of a 2017 GT86 I would like to know if you can notice the stock the lower ride height in the newer BRZ? And how do you think handling and feel in GR86 compares to GR Supra?
Can you please tell me what shoes you are wearing in the pedal cam? Thanks.
How would you compare a new gr86 vs a used 370z? Great videos BTW!
Need to drive them back to back but the twins are much more driver focused and enjoyable.
I'm actually cross shopping between these 2 as well. According to CarandDriver atleast, the new GR86 is as fast as a 350z in a straight line.
I've heard droning is a big issue with the 370Zs depending on which year you get. To the point that people just didn't enjoy driving it at low rpms.
I've had a 2017 GT86 and a 2009 370z. 86 is better in terms of practicality and driving experience. 86 was generally a tighter, more focused car with superior driver inputs, better interior, and the bonus of more storage thanks to the backseat. Easily the most daily driver-friendly sports car you can own.
370z is by no means a bad car but it comes up a little short in terms of handling and feel. The power was much more appreciated in daily driving, overtaking was a piece of cake compared to the 86. Biggest gripe with the car was the LSD, the only stock LSD option is a shitty viscous LSD that is known for overheating and requires a complete replacement at around 60k miles once the fluid thins out. If you plan on driving hard, factor the cost in for a proper diff.
Understandably that the purpose of the video is for an apple and apple comparison, an FR car can’t compromise on tires. Should do another one with Cup2/Re71rs
Can you do a side by side acceleration comparison between the 2?
So, to conclude, which version of the BRZ is better, the original or the 2nd-generation?
which one has the stiffer suspension from the factory?
I am reading that the 2024 will be supercharged 305 hp.
Would be cool too test a modded brz whit uel headers and tune vs new one
I really wanna know how you guys found out "98% same feeling" as a precise number.
Is the ride quality and sound deadening really noticeable between both gens?
hey did you sell the porsche?
Hey, you mentioned track insurance! I didn't know that was such a thing. Can you do a video or a part of video on that? Who provides it and how is the premium? Thanks Dude!
What a beautiful track!
Car and driver says the GR86 is a lot less understeerry than the brz apparently.
This is what I've been waiting for. Sucks to get kicked out for driving on the Primacies. I'm guessing that if I wanted to get my FRS up to the level of the GR86, I could get there with e85 and a header.
I just dont understand why subaru just wont put a turbo on the brz
I would have instead used the oem wheels and tires from the new BRZ onto the old one, since the updated version should not have a penalty for using its OEM equipment.
Any thoughts of doing a final drive swap on the 2022? The gap between the two generations would probably be even bigger if the current gen had the 4.33 ratio!
For a track only car sure, but this bad boy is also my daily 😔
Car comes with a 4.10. Not sure 4.3 would be worth it since there is less than 5% difference in ratios. It would be nice if it had 4.3 from factory with a longer 6th gear
Need same driver in each car. With that much overseer in the ‘20 I’d look at the alignment and make some changes.
Wondering why you havent done camber bolts yet?
Because I'm planning to install coilovers and camber plates soon.
You made me feel happy about my purchase 🙏
Are brake upgrades recommended for this car?
I heard CSG C2 pads and Endless fluid are all you need for street tires. My Powerstop Track Day Spec pads perform well but don't last long.
I bought the csg c2 for my first gen and can vouch for them. they're absolutely ridiculous on track
It's a tough day at the races when you get The Black Flag Of Shane. LOL I can hear this in Jack Nicholson's voice from the Shining; "It was an accident! could have happened to anybody... A momentary loss of muscular coordination. Few extra foot pounds of energy per second, (snap) per second... and the damn back end comes around." With enough patience and mods, I'm sure you'll get it dialed in.
The old BRZ looks so much better but the new one has much better power. Can't have it all I suppose :(
You want a clean lap, drive smoother and slower..lol you are capped by the Prius tires..
Definitely need to back off a lot with these tires. I've actually never tracked a tire with so little grip.
Those low grip Primacy cannot tap into potential of the Gen 2 BRZ chassis Put A052 on both cars with the same suspension setup and with the same driver, the Gen 2 will net a faster time guaranteed
Seems like an FBO last Gen would keep pace with a stock new Gen, no?
Maybe with FBO and E85
@L W assuming both around 240 crank hp, that’s about a 5% difference. More is more, but for that, I feel like the biggest reason for upgrading would be for the styling. Which is subjective.
@L W that’s exactly what I’m thinking too. And crap, when did k swaps get into the 5 digit range? Smh.
Would you change the stock Torsen diff to a clutch type LSD?
Maybe later on but right now the Torsen is doing just fine
The review we needed! Makes sense to hear about the power difference, your comments remind me a little of the torque difference between the AP1 and AP2 with the newer generation of both cars better for day to day driving thanks to the increase in torque
The difference in torque feels slightly bigger than AP1 vs AP2, and the outright power difference is way bigger. AP1 and AP2 pretty much make the same peak horsepower.
@@Zygrene Got it, I figured as much since there's a large HP between the BRZ's. Hope to catch you at a track event soon and see the car in person 👍
The chase footage came out pretty cool!!!
Also lol 7:00
how significantly different would you say the steering feel is between the old and new?
It's a small difference but noticeable. Old model seems to load up a bit better in corners but not sure if that's due to the additional negative camber from the camber bolts.
@@Zygrene oh interesting. I hadn't considered that as a factor in the difference. I hope you can re-compare them once you've had a chance to sort out the camber on yours
You need Camber my friend. I would just get some camber plates. Cheap, easy to install and can give you 2.5 degree's on camber which should be more than enough till you get some coils added.
I wonder if there are any camber plates out there that don't significantly worsen the car's NVH...
Already have a set of camber plates ready to go in!
@@smilepermile8165 there are. Look for the ones from the gen 1. Should be a 100% compatible. Look at peddlers top hats with camber bolts. Might be exactly what you want without adding any NVH
@@JFlogerzi Thanks very much for the tip Jeff, I appreciate it!
I bought a 22 BRZ… gotta keep the RWD affordable sports cars alive
To keep these cars alive we need to oppose the regulations forcing hybrids and evs on everyone
Vote trump
5-mile is always hard to get a clean lap. Each lap is longer, so you get fewer of them, and there's more chance of running into traffic. If you want to remake the video, consider going to some weekday (less people) track day at Thunderhill East or Laguna Seca. Also note that track temp and grip changes throughout the day. At LS the morning lap time can be a few seconds faster than late afternoon.
Yeah a weekday would have been ideal. Definitely not easy to get a clean lap when each session is only 20 minutes.
I did a "West Marathon" with HOD last year, it was awesome. 30 minute sessions, did 70 laps in a day. The only downside was that it was in 100ºF+ weather 😜
I'm researching to buy my first car and after a lot of thought between the Hyundai i20 N, the Mazda MX-5 RF and this, I've decided I'm going to get the 2022 BRZ.
This may sound like a silly question but I'm wondering how much can you upgrade the car for more hp but still keeping it naturally aspirated? And is it worth it? I've driven the car in Forza Motorsport 7 and after about 80-100hp it doesn't seem to make much of a difference on track times anymore.
I'm asking this question because I'm wondering if it's better to get a 2022 BRZ/GR86 and upgrade it with $8K-$10K down the line or strait up buy a 2023 Nissan Z. Since the BRZ is a lot lighter than the 2023 Nissan Z I'm wondering if it can beat it on track with some clever upgrades.
What are your thoughts on that?
Thanks
Is that video taken off the catalyst??
Yes - the Catalyst includes a windshield mounted camera
@@Zygrene very nice.
@@Zygrene would love to see a review of the catalyst? At 1k is it worth over other setups.
@@i-barg the Catalyst is amazing. Hands down one of the best purchases I’ve made for my track car.
Is there any specific reason(s) you chose the BRZ over the GR86? Just curious. Love the new BRZ content.
Only chose the BRZ because I could get it sooner.
The 2nd-generation is more thirsty - sips more gas than the original one. The original one is known to be a lot more fuel efficient.
Get alinement and better tires
The cornerspeed of new gen is a little faster than old gen.
Probably due to the old car having camber bolts installed.
I only have one question 👀😮💨
When you find yourself "going off" the track, it is typically untrained. If trained, you should pay attention as to "How far" to look on the road. Your hands are going exactly where your eyes are going.
pay 36k for a new brz or buy a supra for 53k.. ill go with the supra
It's 2022 and you can't even drift in a race track that you paid for.
Drifting is slow on a race track.
Older model with DIY supercharger it is! :P
I wanted to buy one but after this video I think my fucking SUV drives better than this shit. LOL