It’s essentially a street-legal track-day star that is still street-legal.
Let’s imagine a scenario. A fun car with 500 horsepower (373kilowatts), that you can drive on the streets and exercise on track is what you have in mind. A two-seater is what you want. You love the traditional layout with the engine at the front and the wheels at the rear. A Corvette or a new Supra may be the best option if you are in the States. Most likely, you are not thinking about a Subaru BRZ.
Maybe you should.
A stock BRZ will not meet these criteria. Although it’s a fun car, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine of the previous generation produced 205 horsepower (153 kW), which is not enough to set it ablaze. As shown in The Smoking Tire video, the owner of this particular BRZ tried to fix that problem with turbos, superchargers, and other modifications. This led to a string of engine failures that could not handle 400 hp or even 500 hp. How do you deal with such an unfortunate situation? It’s LS Swap, you guessed it.
This result is a legit Wolf in sheep’s clothes. This older BRZ appears pretty normal from the outside. If you get close enough, you can see the inside, where you will find racing seats with roll cages. But, it’s possible to have this in any. The 6.2-liter LS3 v8 makes its presence felt, even when the active exhaust is set to quiet mode. The video shows that the engine produces 500 horsepower on pump gas. It’s even better if you switch to E85.
This video will focus on whether LS swapping a Subaru BRZ for a C7 Corvette is better than buying a C7 Corvette. There are many upgrades that can be added to the V8 infusion. Not least, a six-speed manual T56, an upgraded suspension, and upgraded brakes. The LS-swapped BRZ is a car that is both lighter and shorter than a ‘Vette. It also emits a strong gasoline smell in the cockpit, according to some reports. If we are honest, that’s quite alarming.
The video still shows a great small car with exceptional balance and driver feedback. It also has a powerband that hovers between too little and too many. The current owner hopes to sell the modified BRZ for $70,000, but it won’t come cheap. This could buy you a C7 Corvette Z06 that has 650 horsepower and an interior that doesn’t smell like fuel.
Do you really need the same car that your 75-year old neighbor keeps in his garage?