Subaru BRZ PP, Toyota Landcruiser 80, Mitsubishi Evo VI
Discussion
It's about time I made a contribution. Having reached a point of automotive inner peace, I thought I'd share our all Japan line-up.
Last year, our daily, an E82 125i manual coupe was in a heavy shunt
and needed replacing. Small, nimble, sporting, comfortable, excellent dynamics were essential so the Twins were instantly shortlisted. Having driven a GT86 on release in 2012, it's Porsche-like cohesiveness and involvement really stuck with me. Speaking of which, a late model 987 was also shortlisted. Like many, I have long held ambitions to own a 911 or Cayman, but a 2009-2011 987 2.9 manual with 80-100,00km is twice the price of an 18month old, 20,000km BRZ in our market. Engine aside, I didn't believe the Cayman was going to provide twice the experience either. (I've spent plenty of time driving 911s, but not a Cayman; have read a lot about them though!) Further, with this car being a daily and spending most of its life in inner city traffic and underground carparks, I knew I'd be in a permanent state of low-level anxiety with the Porsche. Add in servicing and parts costs, possible reliability concerns, and the BRZ got across the line this time.
The Performance Pack is quite juicy, and is the car the twins should always have been in my opinion, with the Brembo brake package donated from STi Impreza, Sachs dampers, shorter FD, slightly softer rear sway bay and stiffer springs.
My wife and I are happily both enamoured of this car. The 125 excelled as a daily and was versatile, but got very stroppy above 7/10ths. This car however, is so tactile and alert, at all speeds. It's always engaging and always fun to punt. The driving position is so good and everything falls to hand naturally. The engine is a bit unremarkable, but far from a dud. I actually quite like its upper range; blary, noisy, keen. Combined with the shorter FD, the lovely 'box gets lots of exercise. I have removed the clutch helper spring, the only mod to date. Lively enthusiast forums ensure me that it starts with a little helper spring removal and it's all downhill from there! We'll see.
I've found the chassis to be more neutral than expected, perhaps due to the sway bar changes, but tail-happiness is still in its nature, and I struggle to think of a better front end on any car I've driven. Yoko Advan Sport tyres lift it way beyond the Primacys, and I feel are a superior marriage with the chassis. Crystal pearl paintwork on the black 10 spoke (almost mini-lite inspired I reckon) wheels looks a picture too.
This is my wife's daily (was a little concerned about how she'd feel coming from the creamy 6, leather and sunroof of the 125), however she has more praise for this than any previous car she's owned. 'I like how light it feels'
She's a dancer, so there has not even been a mention of ingress/egress challenges (I'll keep them to myself!) The rear seats allow us to carry around a nephew or two if need be, and then there are the little nerdy facts that keep me smiling; the boot that perfectly accommodates 4 spares (not that I have them), the headrests that flip to accommodate a helmet, the engine exposed to allow access and encourage owners to work on. It has a dip stick. It was superb on track, and continues to remind me of what I truly cherish about driving -connection, cohesiveness and interaction. It has exceeded expectations.
The reason we also have an old, live-axled, ladder-chassis Landcruiser squeezed into our inner-city life is due quite simply to the fact that this is the car I learnt to drive in. As a 13yr old, we had a family adventure deep into the heart of central Australia, in a rented povo-spec diesel 80 series. It started off with crawling around salt pans each evening near camp, practising 1st to 2nd shifts. After passing my 'driving test' this quickly matured to daily half-hour stints behind the wheel with everyone on board. In retrospect, Mum was pretty cavalier doing that, but it really was a pivotal moment for me, a case of 'son, welcome to the machine'.
The 80 series represents a crossover point between old-school offroad ability (2 live axles, diff lock, diff breathers, manually engaged low range ratio) and modern creature comforts (PS/brakes, A/C, electric window, cruise control). This is the GXL mid-spec. It has the 4.5L 24valve EFI IL6 petrol with 5 speed manual.
It was $3K in 2017 as a broken car - the goal was to sate my need for an 80 series, have a tow car, something for camping/bushwalking and a car I could work on myself to develop my mechanical aptitude (I've been given more practice than anticipated the past 3 years) After purchase and delivery by flatbed to my mate's farm, engine removal revealed a cracked alloy head and failed head gasket, likely caused by a very small radiator leak that the previous owner had not noticed. The disassembly, repair and subsequent re-assembly, as well as repair and/or replacement of plenty of ancillaries (wiring, radiator, hoses, batteries, leads, plugs, alternator, tyres) took a year of blood, sweat and cursing, all done in the dirt of the wood shed. The slow burn of rectification continues, but it's a reliable car now. Since re-birth, we have added 20,000km for a total of 409,000km on the clock.
It is biblically slow, but the engine is very smooth and quiet. It has a long and slow gearbox throw, but rather buttery. However there is not a rattle or squeak in it, and it feels as much military-grade as civilian passenger wagon. It will seat 8 in comfort, or tow 2 tonnes for a thousand kms without a hint of concern. However the car's greatest attribute is its ability to get to the most remote and remarkable places. Australia is immense. And to really explore it, this is a great car. It can cross a stream, climb sand dunes, and get you to a tranquil bush campsite. It even sleeps 6 (2 on the roof, 2 inside, and 2 under the awning!). It's also very helpful that I can work on it without need of a jack, stands or hoist.
Surprisingly, it has also opened up a new world of driving thrills I'd forgotten existed below 40km/h. Watching the huge bonnet shimmy left and right as the front tyres search for grip up a narrow bush track, a dab of oppo' required at times, is a real buzz. I also like repeating out loud the name of its colour - 'flaxen-mica'.
If you've got this far good job! My first encounter in the flesh with a red Evo VI Makinen in 2002 in an underground carpark stopped me in my tracks and left me dumbstruck. Group B was wild, but somewhat distant. Group A with its homologated road cars was real, and attainable, and that really gelled with me. Our VI GSR has been with us since 2013; 'Tommi', as its affectionately known in the family, is a Jap import, had no history file, and I picked it up at a public auction with nothing but 2 keys. Suffice to say its documents file in the intervening years has grown to resemble a a Brittanica in size. It's currently on a hoist, having its 3rd engine build. Principally a motorsport tool, it is still road registered but feels volatile and a tad wild on the road.
Hillclimbs and tarmac rallies have been its principal raison d'être, although it has been autocrossed/rallycrossed, dragged, motorkhana'd, rallysprinted and tracked. I'm a firm believer in using these as intended and it continues to be a wonderful companion during my development as a driver. Although there are plenty of simpler, less expensive cars to run at club level events and explore motorsport, Tommi has been a remarkably dexterous machine, fitting in well in every discipline I've tried. And its fundamentals remain convincing and very effective - short wheelbase/wide track, light, monstrous grip and lots of thrust.
Also, unlike the later cars, a CP9A chassis Evo is a very rare sight on our roads. I would see perhaps or 2 or 3 a year being driven. And it seems to make people happy almost every time I am out in it (servo attendants, fellas in utes, boys at the bus-stop of course). I really am deeply attached to this car. It has done a 2000kms road trip to attend WRC Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour, has cut laps at Mt Panorama and has been flung around dusty tracks at country autocross meets. Get it working at 9/10ths on a closed mountain road, and it still leaves me wired. The whining driveline from a tightly wound transmission, the hissing and sneezing of turbo and dump valve, the singing of noisy pads; I never tire of this. Stripped of interior furnishings, AC, radio and driving lights removed, it has race seats and harnesses, welded half-cage, forged VII engine with a stock-frame TF06-18K turbo, E85, GSC cams, injectors, MCA coilovers, whiteline sway bars, DBA slotted rotors with Circo race pads, braided lines and fluid upgrade, some mild geometry changes and Yoko A050 tyres. It weighs 1295kg with 1/4 tank of fuel. This car delivers on its brief with completeness. Its WRC provenance, with a chassis that was used to win multiple world championship titles, is just icing on the cake.
Some shots of the garage below
Jim
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/fbK9FDxC.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/FSym7UpS" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/FSym7UpS.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/nWpnViZj" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/nWpnViZj.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/zcQrHQa5" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/zcQrHQa5.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/XpftSyzb" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/XpftSyzb.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/ivRcY6iL" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/ivRcY6iL.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/wSVw<img src=)
kf" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/wSVw
kf.jpg[/img] [img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/wdwgJ9NF.jpg' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'/>
Last year, our daily, an E82 125i manual coupe was in a heavy shunt
and needed replacing. Small, nimble, sporting, comfortable, excellent dynamics were essential so the Twins were instantly shortlisted. Having driven a GT86 on release in 2012, it's Porsche-like cohesiveness and involvement really stuck with me. Speaking of which, a late model 987 was also shortlisted. Like many, I have long held ambitions to own a 911 or Cayman, but a 2009-2011 987 2.9 manual with 80-100,00km is twice the price of an 18month old, 20,000km BRZ in our market. Engine aside, I didn't believe the Cayman was going to provide twice the experience either. (I've spent plenty of time driving 911s, but not a Cayman; have read a lot about them though!) Further, with this car being a daily and spending most of its life in inner city traffic and underground carparks, I knew I'd be in a permanent state of low-level anxiety with the Porsche. Add in servicing and parts costs, possible reliability concerns, and the BRZ got across the line this time.The Performance Pack is quite juicy, and is the car the twins should always have been in my opinion, with the Brembo brake package donated from STi Impreza, Sachs dampers, shorter FD, slightly softer rear sway bay and stiffer springs.
My wife and I are happily both enamoured of this car. The 125 excelled as a daily and was versatile, but got very stroppy above 7/10ths. This car however, is so tactile and alert, at all speeds. It's always engaging and always fun to punt. The driving position is so good and everything falls to hand naturally. The engine is a bit unremarkable, but far from a dud. I actually quite like its upper range; blary, noisy, keen. Combined with the shorter FD, the lovely 'box gets lots of exercise. I have removed the clutch helper spring, the only mod to date. Lively enthusiast forums ensure me that it starts with a little helper spring removal and it's all downhill from there! We'll see.
I've found the chassis to be more neutral than expected, perhaps due to the sway bar changes, but tail-happiness is still in its nature, and I struggle to think of a better front end on any car I've driven. Yoko Advan Sport tyres lift it way beyond the Primacys, and I feel are a superior marriage with the chassis. Crystal pearl paintwork on the black 10 spoke (almost mini-lite inspired I reckon) wheels looks a picture too.
This is my wife's daily (was a little concerned about how she'd feel coming from the creamy 6, leather and sunroof of the 125), however she has more praise for this than any previous car she's owned. 'I like how light it feels'
She's a dancer, so there has not even been a mention of ingress/egress challenges (I'll keep them to myself!) The rear seats allow us to carry around a nephew or two if need be, and then there are the little nerdy facts that keep me smiling; the boot that perfectly accommodates 4 spares (not that I have them), the headrests that flip to accommodate a helmet, the engine exposed to allow access and encourage owners to work on. It has a dip stick. It was superb on track, and continues to remind me of what I truly cherish about driving -connection, cohesiveness and interaction. It has exceeded expectations. The reason we also have an old, live-axled, ladder-chassis Landcruiser squeezed into our inner-city life is due quite simply to the fact that this is the car I learnt to drive in. As a 13yr old, we had a family adventure deep into the heart of central Australia, in a rented povo-spec diesel 80 series. It started off with crawling around salt pans each evening near camp, practising 1st to 2nd shifts. After passing my 'driving test' this quickly matured to daily half-hour stints behind the wheel with everyone on board. In retrospect, Mum was pretty cavalier doing that, but it really was a pivotal moment for me, a case of 'son, welcome to the machine'.
The 80 series represents a crossover point between old-school offroad ability (2 live axles, diff lock, diff breathers, manually engaged low range ratio) and modern creature comforts (PS/brakes, A/C, electric window, cruise control). This is the GXL mid-spec. It has the 4.5L 24valve EFI IL6 petrol with 5 speed manual.
It was $3K in 2017 as a broken car - the goal was to sate my need for an 80 series, have a tow car, something for camping/bushwalking and a car I could work on myself to develop my mechanical aptitude (I've been given more practice than anticipated the past 3 years) After purchase and delivery by flatbed to my mate's farm, engine removal revealed a cracked alloy head and failed head gasket, likely caused by a very small radiator leak that the previous owner had not noticed. The disassembly, repair and subsequent re-assembly, as well as repair and/or replacement of plenty of ancillaries (wiring, radiator, hoses, batteries, leads, plugs, alternator, tyres) took a year of blood, sweat and cursing, all done in the dirt of the wood shed. The slow burn of rectification continues, but it's a reliable car now. Since re-birth, we have added 20,000km for a total of 409,000km on the clock.
It is biblically slow, but the engine is very smooth and quiet. It has a long and slow gearbox throw, but rather buttery. However there is not a rattle or squeak in it, and it feels as much military-grade as civilian passenger wagon. It will seat 8 in comfort, or tow 2 tonnes for a thousand kms without a hint of concern. However the car's greatest attribute is its ability to get to the most remote and remarkable places. Australia is immense. And to really explore it, this is a great car. It can cross a stream, climb sand dunes, and get you to a tranquil bush campsite. It even sleeps 6 (2 on the roof, 2 inside, and 2 under the awning!). It's also very helpful that I can work on it without need of a jack, stands or hoist.
Surprisingly, it has also opened up a new world of driving thrills I'd forgotten existed below 40km/h. Watching the huge bonnet shimmy left and right as the front tyres search for grip up a narrow bush track, a dab of oppo' required at times, is a real buzz. I also like repeating out loud the name of its colour - 'flaxen-mica'.
If you've got this far good job! My first encounter in the flesh with a red Evo VI Makinen in 2002 in an underground carpark stopped me in my tracks and left me dumbstruck. Group B was wild, but somewhat distant. Group A with its homologated road cars was real, and attainable, and that really gelled with me. Our VI GSR has been with us since 2013; 'Tommi', as its affectionately known in the family, is a Jap import, had no history file, and I picked it up at a public auction with nothing but 2 keys. Suffice to say its documents file in the intervening years has grown to resemble a a Brittanica in size. It's currently on a hoist, having its 3rd engine build. Principally a motorsport tool, it is still road registered but feels volatile and a tad wild on the road.
Hillclimbs and tarmac rallies have been its principal raison d'être, although it has been autocrossed/rallycrossed, dragged, motorkhana'd, rallysprinted and tracked. I'm a firm believer in using these as intended and it continues to be a wonderful companion during my development as a driver. Although there are plenty of simpler, less expensive cars to run at club level events and explore motorsport, Tommi has been a remarkably dexterous machine, fitting in well in every discipline I've tried. And its fundamentals remain convincing and very effective - short wheelbase/wide track, light, monstrous grip and lots of thrust.
Also, unlike the later cars, a CP9A chassis Evo is a very rare sight on our roads. I would see perhaps or 2 or 3 a year being driven. And it seems to make people happy almost every time I am out in it (servo attendants, fellas in utes, boys at the bus-stop of course). I really am deeply attached to this car. It has done a 2000kms road trip to attend WRC Rally Australia in Coffs Harbour, has cut laps at Mt Panorama and has been flung around dusty tracks at country autocross meets. Get it working at 9/10ths on a closed mountain road, and it still leaves me wired. The whining driveline from a tightly wound transmission, the hissing and sneezing of turbo and dump valve, the singing of noisy pads; I never tire of this. Stripped of interior furnishings, AC, radio and driving lights removed, it has race seats and harnesses, welded half-cage, forged VII engine with a stock-frame TF06-18K turbo, E85, GSC cams, injectors, MCA coilovers, whiteline sway bars, DBA slotted rotors with Circo race pads, braided lines and fluid upgrade, some mild geometry changes and Yoko A050 tyres. It weighs 1295kg with 1/4 tank of fuel. This car delivers on its brief with completeness. Its WRC provenance, with a chassis that was used to win multiple world championship titles, is just icing on the cake.
Some shots of the garage below
Jim
kf" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/wSVwkf.jpg[/img] [img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/wdwgJ9NF.jpg' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'/>
kf.jpg' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'/>Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff