Before and After: Does the Scion FR-S Need a Turbo?

It's clear that the FR-S will not come with a turbo:
(http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/scion-says-no-convertible-turbocharged-fr-s) 

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Also known now is that there will be no convertible, which may let down a unique demographic who miss the satisfaction of the late S2000 but won't acknowledge the Miata's drop-top ability. No coupe will ever generate enough wind to showcase any given example of this enthusiast sets' presumably extensive scarf collections. Despite the style points lost within the dark, austere confines of a coupe, it's the extra weight inherently added that by design offsets the panoramic views afforded by a convertible. This goes against the FR-S/BR-Z twin's unspoken mission statement, which if ever decoded could read like the seemingly forgone proverb "Man maximum, machine minimum..." On such a hyped platform whose presence has marked the undeniable public attraction and demand for the classic formula of the lightweight rear-wheel drive sports car, no detail has been more scrutinized than its factory available power. 

That it has underwhelmed respectable names in automotive media, numbed by constant exposure to largely unattainable super cars, is a subject whose effects can be traced back to the source. These sentiments have supplied the proliferating segment of unoriginal  amateur reviewers with a cookie-cutter stance, allowing them a perch from which to speak upon without revealing their inexperience driving machinery potent enough to substantiate their criticism of the FR-S. Continuing on, as you trickle down to the lower rungs of experience in the hobby, some of the most discerning high school kids around are comfortable enough to say an FR-S is a slow car, but are quick to retort that it could be fixed with a "lil' boost." 

At this point one will naturally ask "then why not turbocharge it?" 

The order in which we phrase things matters. Consider the investment it often takes to turbocharge any car. If you look at aftermarket parts expenses as if they came attached to your window sticker, suddenly you'll find it cheaper to fly another manufacturer's flag and to exchange that giant "SCION" windshield decal accordingly. Say you bought your "no-haggle" FR-S at the friendly Scion dealership for $27,000 as the total price (Including title, tax, and registration) and add $4,000 for a turbo, your new total is now $31,000 and you haven't even installed the damn thing! All is well... Except that your newly found power will cost you time and money to retrofit and also your conservative faculties, since you didn't buy a turbo to cruise in 6th gear.  So now you need (In the same way we need ground effects kits and cold air intakes) new wheels to fit bigger tires that can also make room for larger brakes. How deep in the hole are we, yet? 

Having come up with a list of excuses commensurately resembling this ambitious build, let's give it another chance but while pondering from another angle: "why turbocharge it?"

At this point, I could refer you to a piece written early this year decrying the efforts of someone I know personally, who took on this plight righteously and without looking back.

http://www.torquenews.com/1084/21-year-old-spends-30k-aftermarket-upgrades-new-2015-brz

This would seem to lead us to a point of losing all hope for the turbocharged FR-S or BR-Z. So then I ask myself why this man dedicated himself to this and remember my best friend's own experience turbocharging his FR-S.

[I PROPOSE A DOPE-ASS PICTURE OF YOUR CAR HERE, CHRIS]

Talk to any FR-S owner and literally all of them will share a parts list including a turbo, supercharger, or engine swap. This desire can get thrown into unrelated conversations as they stand there brimming with the urge to metaphorically convey that if the FR-S was a Cheesecake Factory chocolate cheesecake, it would be even better floating on hot fudge, littered with extra chips, and maybe even... more chocolate! Sometimes you won't even be talking with them and they will lure you in, just to be sure that strangers (Including ghouls like myself) are aware that this package could be that much better...

Try and find another car that reincarnates the tuners (The ones who coined the term- AKA, not your neighbor with the plasti-dipped Mazdaspeed3) reminiscent of the 2000's who would take perennially shaped econoboxes with Honda badges and essentially form stealth bombers on wheels, hell-bent on destroying every common notion describing what it took to be fast. The automotive network has collectively convinced its consumers that the FR-S/BR-Z are not exceptional and haven't given credit where it's due- not even on the one hundred horsepower per liter accomplished on the FA20 boxer engine. Though it has proven to be bothersome to me in the past that such strives could go unnoticed, causing late-night cold sweats, the warm radiance of the thought cloud housing the brilliance behind a turbocharged FR-S is what now keeps me up, fantasizing on what it must be like to own and drive every day. 

Luckily, I'm living it vicariously. I'm here to tell you that even at $35- 40k there is nothing that would match the purpose of going fast at the expense of almost all else better than the turbocharged FR-S. Unlike a 370Z, you even get four seats... Just in case. And yes, if you need to be somewhere you can be make the rear seats work on a last ditch effort by threatening to leave behind one or both of your two extra, whiny occupants. (More legroom for all who walk!) Maybe they'll get picked up by someone in an STI or soon to be obsoleted EVO and enjoy a bit of perilous all-wheel drive drifting on the way home, instead. A Camaro SS or Challenger R/T could provide the closest sensation to driving an FR-S... An FR-S towing a small trailer hauling cartoonish Warner Brothers anchors, should you want to go that route. And Mustangs just flat out SUCK GASSY WINDS. [Hope you laughed- I'm taking that part out] These heavier cars require more deliberate corner entries and exits that don't match the finesse and forgiving nature of our example FR-S. Well, not at this price point anyway. 

And while we're on the topic of money, one final example: Yes, a 335 with a handling package sounds grand- it can even make more power than the best of BMW's 3-Series offerings- the might "M," a name so telling, it essentially stands for "10/10." But alas, the elephant in the room that will always crush this parade in a spectacular way will be the monumental task of containing (Without resorting to suppressing) other enthusiasts inevitable comparisons to in conversation. There's no getting around that. Going to say it flat out: It will never be better! Bwahaha... (Catch you later- going in hiding for a bit) That is, unless you enjoy the new blend of modern V8-esque levels of brute power and that timeless BMW pedigree. That's really what it comes down to. I concede that if you want options, they're there... Just don't discount the turbo FR-S!

If you haven't TRULY (Be honest) had the liberty of taking the competition through the rounds in a measurable fashion, your word doesn't count and your made nobody's given you a ride yet. You aren't qualified to appraise the worthiness of improvements directly attributable to the turbocharger on an FR-S or to make confounded assertions that the competition offers more by default. The lack of appreciation for all that is great around us now is nestled in the anxiety behind waiting for the future. Everything we know now will be bested eventually. 

Until the FR-S, if ever, comes with a turbo from the factory, this debate over whether its already low power-to-weight will stay relevant. For now it is an extremely competitive car at its price point and a natural stud among still capable front-drivers and muscular cruisers. 

The Only Thing I Have to Show For this Year's Autocross

Aside from a pair of blown engine mounts, shifting problems going into 2nd gear at full-throttle, and mutilated tread blocks on the shoulders of new tires... Is this photo.

If we can compare music with paintings and cars, it's that they can all find a home at a museum- and it's all art. When you play a piece on the piano or splatter paint on a canvas (Never done it, but looks fun) it's the application of an acquired skill-set, then expressing it in a manner that reflects your temperament. 

Autocross is no different: For you to be competitive, it takes dedicated book-work to study things like driving technique or suspension theory. Once you've got an idea of how you can approach a corner with vigor, then it's an emphasis on seat-time, which takes years. I say with no exaggeration that practice can inadvertently involve nailing a curb, spinning out of control, or at the very least taking away thousands of usable miles from a set of tires as you sheer them away through awfully carved "racing lines." 

For me, it was about 5 years that included tributes to the solidity of many curbs and mangling several brands of tires before we set out to compete. As a group, my friends and I sought to run together and found the process of registering for an event easy in both of the leagues we participated in (SCCA and Equipe Rapide). 

It was after one of those events that I found this photo: Here's a shot on the final corner, at over forty-five miles an hour and climbing, right before passing the timing lights. Those with an experienced eye can see the weight transfer to the front of the car as I'm letting off and on the throttle. The rear-end is high and pressured by the rear sway bar to yield, taking grip from the rear in favor of the front. These elements describe my driving style in a specific situation: a subtle scoot of the rear suspension and lots of steering corrections at speed.

The photographer caught this moment between two clumps of clouds and at an angle that captures the undulated arena. Tire marks lend an impression of motion, which contrast ironically with the frozen image captured of the Sentra here in this strange moment of clarity, where you can even (Somehow) make out the spokes of the wheels. This image, expertly caught and aided by luck, is like that pivotal moment every book is supposed to have, tagged onto my timeline of ownership.

Here's my take: 110,000 miles after inheriting the Sentra, I'm working towards more.

Can we do more? I think YES.

Who's Scared of a Kia Soul?

So I think everybody's heard of the Nissan 240SX by now. If you're on the track racing, watching professional drifting, or a denizen of  "Stance Nation," then you probably know people who took this video personally.

Alright, now stack it up against the Kia Soul in any venue but drifting: Who thinks that's fair?

... Because apparently, despite Motor Trend's best efforts with the example in this video, the 240SX failed to at least keep up.

That means the model rear-wheel drive autocross wrecking machine is ailing behind a stilted, space-conscious tub.

I bring this up not to mock a cult classic- the following surely applies to my Sentra GXE- but to explore the point behind its showing. Sure, Motortrend's 240SX was not totally original and rather worn-out in a manageable "I'd still buy it" sort of way- I'd rather live with its lameness over a lemon. And we do have enough lemons for lots of sour lemonade out on the market today. Similar to gulping citrus concentrate, surfing Craigslist can distort your perfect face into a grimace. When you find an ad confirming a set of four matching wheels on your prospective car and somehow it warms your heart, you have to wonder. 

Featuring a 240SX in this "state-of-tune," then, accurately reflects the common reality of many still (somehow) surviving. The fact that they chose a realistic representation made it all the more relevant against the Kia Soul, one of the latest economy cars and almost 20 years newer. This means that a given Soul may only see one or two years of handbrake abuse when the snow is high enough.

For the many of us who drive cars like the 240SX, once glorious or commendable for their own unique and respective attributes, we now face a self-evident reality: the shadow of current advancements have without a doubt eclipsed all of the old, meaning we're justifying our outdated tech through sentimental value. This isn't of dubious value- you don't keep around an old toothbrush, do you?

Here's a classic example: a Mark 1 Golf GTI will always be heralded, forever an involved and mechanically rewarding driving experience matched only by those sharing its relative simplicity. Free from the magic of even power steering, the resulting feel is treasured even by monster drivers (Chris Harris comes to mind.). The Golf is obviously outgunned against the latest bare-bones economy cars, whose capabilities are impressive, but this is the direct result of its basic architecture. My father has owned two, and one of the standout qualities of the Volkswagen was its ease of service- the transmission was easily separable for a clutch replacement, while a single-overhead cam arrangement free from any variable valve-timing magic or fancy cam actuators would make a rebuild much less onerous...

But why put up with all that nonsense when you could put the money down and get 0% APR for 60 months?

New cars do continue to get faster, despite bad press about wacky new gadgets, delayed-gratification electronic throttle input controls or bloated styling. It may not get acknowledged often in our circles as we tend to look at and not up to the latest crop of machines, but it’s there. I think it's easy to forget or turn away from the reality of "today," since the cars that would humiliate us the most are now “everyday” and unassuming. No one ever thinks to be intimidated by a Soul- especially not when you imagine being rolled into a racing bucket seat by the livened rear wheels of a 240SX. One represents everyday driving while the other has the potential to become a tried-and-true race car, which means that the latter hamsters wear helmets and spin four wheels really fast.

Mercifully, it just so happens that the down-tempo demographic of everyday commuters won't care to to prove my point. Our egos will remain preserved provided that we stay low-key and don't underestimate new-car potential. Believe me- nothing is more humbling than your side-mirrors reminding you that "objects are closer than they appear" during an impromptu stand-off that should have ended quickly. How we categorize cars has stayed the same and doesn't account for or suggest how close the gap has become. Sporting pretensions through decals and body work that once stood as a warning to lesser models are markers of prey for the latest sports cars. In the world of late-model muscle, your reign of terror has ended when the base V6 successor can silently make its way past your ruckus. On your nighttime cruise, a light ahead of you changes to red and you think "How about we go right, instead?.."

When I first got into a Sentra in 2007, the 2002 year/model still wasn't a barn-burner or stand-out by any means, but I could at least relate its capabilities to the Corolla, Civic, and others of its class. Against each other, it was a driver's race, since all of the generations in the running were very similar.

That was then. 

Compared to the Kia and Hyundai of today, the Sentra sits beneath their mighty shadow. While I was surprised to keep up with the Spectra, I don't stand a chance against the all-new Forte, which makes 170 HP from 2 coke bottles' worth of air. (Early Fox-Body Mustangs made about that much power from 5 liters and 8 cylinders) There's no consolation in chasing an Elantra either, seeing as how its 1.8L is making 148 HP- a figure that used to be 2.0L territory and sometimes part of a sporty package. (Like the Sentra SE or early SE-Rs) My only contender has a six-speed transmission and a 138 HP 1.6L, which means the Accent brings me to 0/4 against the Korean line-up. Try to explain in awe how remarkable these increases in power-per-liter are to your brothers in high-school without letting them phase out and prepare to be rewarded for your elaborate efforts with a yawn. "I get it: your car is slow!" Sigh.

Both the Accent and Sentra have McPherson front struts, rear beam axles, and roll off the lot with wimpy tires. Looks fair enough so far, right? But then there's the real-world performance disparity between the two. Far as handling tests go, Car and Driver pulled 0.74 g's from a 2003 Sentra GXE during their instrumented skidpad testing. The current generation Accent can do up to 0.80. If a mini-van on the market today does 0.74 g's, I have to wonder if their safety rating suffers.

While that whole technical discussion can commence comfortably over a deck of Yugi- OH! cards, it's my 1998 Mustang 150 HP 3.8L and the current crowd of V6 Pony cars that sum the gap in short. (Anybody can share my pain as they read along) With half the muscle (Most late-models pumping 300 HP), a fundamentally basic and long-running platform, and the rear suspension balanced by a four-link live axle I'm forced to endure constant war with Team Elantra or take up dirt track racing for competition. Organize the numbers on a bar graph and, sorry, but that Mustang is too short for this ride. 

The toughest part to accept about all this is the naturally diminishing athleticism older cars face as time continues to reveal the wear inflicted from continual service. This is, of course, unless you've been diligently replacing parts as soon as they make more noise than your i-Pod can channel through your speakers. You and I may do that, but that would be optimistic to expect from the previous owner of that prospective car with only 3 matching wheels. 

So where does that leave us and our outdated machines?

Well, I don't think it matters if all shapes of Prius lay us all to waste. The sense that you're doing something special comes with the territory of achieving lofty goals in a machine relying on your most dedicated effort. If my idea of fun holds any weight, a nonchalant effort at the track or autocross event for a fast time will never make for more laughs or unexpected silliness than trying your damnedest against the will of a mass that conspires against you. Short-comings can make driving memorable. Call it the narrative of the underdog, but there's something inspiring about the old police car that's running over cones as the driver fights to keep it straight on an autocross course that captures more of the imagination than Corvettes competing over tenths of a second.

And from my impressions, for whatever they may be worth, the 1st-generation Kia Soul I had the pleasure of riding along passenger-side went through the rounds confidently and delivered on what Motortrend said. For that, it would get my money over the Cube I drove as a rental, as I can say with certainty that it is nothing to be afraid of. (Can’t leave it in the dust entirely: our cruise was kooky fun and entertained five hamsters)

Should we be daunted by the Kia Soul? Depends on what you drive, but if it resonates then this one's for you. (And me) Ask yourself: What if?

Only one way to find out, I'd say.

Axle Articulation and Rear Suspension Travel

This is what you call "Happen-Stance..."

You'd swear this was the work of hydraulics! Hopefully there's enough travel, there.

Dad's 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis

             

"Seriously?!" Ken is both horrified and disappointed- I just made it back from a 1,500 mile trip from Florida in this 17-foot sled and talking nonsense about how awesome it was. My father was more than happy to pass the keys over, which to his dismay led to situations where my imagination perceived the occasional highway loop on the interstate passing Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana to be an opportunity for rally-style shenanigans- just like the pros!

"I want one!" Hank is trying to be understanding, by default, before diving into conclusions about these illusions of making one of these tanks work through a corner, or somehow drift. We hold these measures of dynamic qualities to a high esteem. After all, when we say "driving" is fun, it's usually because we imagine sliding a given set of tires (Not limited to just two) and while on the brink, somehow pulling of movie stunts, often on the street.

Anyway, so about this car: A Ford 2-Valve Modular V8- love it or hate it, this engine is a perennial workhorse and capable power-plant that will be with us for a long time; the 4-speed automatic has massive gaps, but keeps noise (Though a lovely one) levels tame commensurate with low-RPM operation; six-passenger capacity "and a BIG BACKSEAT!," as the former owner, a WWII veteran finishing a half-spent cigarette, exclaimed to me with a hearty chuckle.

Taking it around the corners, the V8 growls induce a sense of urgency magnified by the awesome greenhouse in full view of the lengthy hood so comfortably housing it. Slinging this beast through a battery of otherwise ordinary, albeit curvaceous roads drew me towards my destination as if it was a crime-scene-in-progress or a newly discovered zombie spawning zone. Only the lack of a grill guard prevented me from blasting through locked scrap yard gates or working through ailing, dried out shrubs on an off-road mission to trouble.

Of course, looking at it without bias or going off of this explanation alone, an easily accessible imagination may be the key to fun in a Marquis.

This car carries its police car heritage strongly and I'll never forget a Jalopnik reader's comment that sums up the Panther's best quality so well: "Its strong sense of duty."

I still want one!

Universal Car Garage

Here are the two names I'm most familiar with- The "GXE" is on my 2002 Nissan Sentra and the Pony badge on my 1998 Mustang. For very little money, you can go very far with either of the two. I happen to have both, enjoying the differences that make front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive, automatics and manuals, or small and big displacement engines fun to differentiate. 

Over the course of six years, we've had the chance to be around some of the cars that only Gran Turismo or Forza would provide. We've been lucky enough to actually work on some of them in real life and in our own driveways.

Enter Universal Garage: Here, we work on and cruise in all kinds of makes and models. From my B15 Sentra GXE to my good friend Ken's Nissan 350z Track-Pack, there's always something to do and someone to compete with. 

The transition from casual meet-goer to a novice autocross entrant is bound to be quirky.

But because I'm finally feeling like a true rookie I've decided to keep track of the times here, in this little writing space, to see how far we go...

The spirit we carry is that of our own garages: open for work or entertainment at anytime. 

Except for when it's 105 out in Texas again... Then I'm just inside writing.