Websitesdown
Senior Member
I read through it. You're welcome, they are nice cars.Communist, they love helicopters.
Sponsored
Sponsored
Chopsuey’s 2025 Civic Si Build Thread
- Thread starter chopsuey34
- Start date
- Watchers 7
I read through it. You're welcome, they are nice cars.Communist, they love helicopters.
chopsuey34
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2022
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 296
- Reaction score
- 224
- Location
- West Michigan
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Civic Si
- Thread starter
- #47
Mods I (will) regret (redux):
Now that I sold my Si, what mods do I regret and what mods don’t I regret? (Here's a LINK to the original post)
Decals / Looks / Exterior Mods
I bought the car thinking I’d keep it for seven years. I wanted it to look exactly like I wanted it too. One 10-minute test drive at CarMax on a random Saturday morning changed all of that. I wouldn’t have changed the exterior appearance of the car if I had known that. Que sera, sera. Here are a few cars that inspired me:
Tune
Honestly, didn’t really need to do this. It wasn’t all that and didn’t really change the fundamentals of the car. Yes, I was running Phearable 1.5R Map 1 most of the time, but I did try Map 2 a few times. Sure, it made the car quicker, but I started to worry about the clutch life even though I was still using Map 1. Forget it bro, I don’t want any headaches with my driving experience.
Intercooler
"I probably didn't need intercooler living in Michigan. It’s really a 3 months out of the year mod. But I’ve never heat soaked. My planned power levels probably don’t need an intercooler, either. In retrospect, I would have purchased the WOT cool plate first, then assessed if I needed an intercooler."
All of this still stands. Lesson: Select mods on the basis on need, not want
Rigid Collars
"I couldn't feel much of a difference on the street, even after an alignment. While I don't regret buying them and the pain in the ass it was to install them, I probably won't ever install them again on any other of my cars. Chasing problems that don’t exist is how companies market to auto enthusiasts. FYI the Honda HRC cars don’t run rigid collars, at least they don’t list them in their mod lists."
All of this still stands. I kind of fucked up the install and nearly cross-threaded a subframe bolt. The car spend 10 days on jackstands as I researched solutions. A friend advised me to chase the thread to clean it up. That worked. Totally not worth the effort. Lesson: Honda engineers know more about car suspensions than you do, and aftermarket companies want to sell you things.
Wheels
"I don’t regret my Enkeis because they look dope, but on the street, I don’t really notice that much of a difference in handling despite dropping 30lbs of unsprung weight. Unless I’m buying a Miata, I’m only buying high-quality spacers to push the stock wheels out to flush. If I ever buy an Accord, that’s what I’d do because 19” Accord wheels have always been dope."
All of this still stands. With my BRZ, the stock wheels look great and weight 23 lbs. I don’t have any reason to change them. Going to a 17” lightweight tire really won’t change much and won’t make a street car much faster. I will say that running 245-width DWS06+ on a FWD car with 200 horsepower is silly. I don’t really know why Honda went with 235-width tires stock, but ok. Lesson: The weight of the wheel doesn’t change street performance by much. Tire choice is a more impactful decision.
Time
I wrote about the opportunity cost of drooling over wheels and mods on the internet in my previous post, and my thoughts still stand. However, I now have that experience and don’t need to drool over any more cars, mods, or wheels again (business types call this operating leverage).
If I could do it again, these are the mods I would do and call it a day:
PRL RMM
Acuity Shifter
HPT WOT Performance Cooling Plate (PRL Intercooler if Cooling Plate isn’t enough)
Stock Wheels + 235/40/18 DWS06+ tires + Wheel spacers + extended studs
These two comments really sums it up for me. The Pareto principal affects cars mods just like it does everything else, and I don’t want any headaches or asterisks or inconveniences with my driving experience. I’m just driving my cars on the street.
Now that I sold my Si, what mods do I regret and what mods don’t I regret? (Here's a LINK to the original post)
Decals / Looks / Exterior Mods
I bought the car thinking I’d keep it for seven years. I wanted it to look exactly like I wanted it too. One 10-minute test drive at CarMax on a random Saturday morning changed all of that. I wouldn’t have changed the exterior appearance of the car if I had known that. Que sera, sera. Here are a few cars that inspired me:
Tune
Honestly, didn’t really need to do this. It wasn’t all that and didn’t really change the fundamentals of the car. Yes, I was running Phearable 1.5R Map 1 most of the time, but I did try Map 2 a few times. Sure, it made the car quicker, but I started to worry about the clutch life even though I was still using Map 1. Forget it bro, I don’t want any headaches with my driving experience.
Intercooler
"I probably didn't need intercooler living in Michigan. It’s really a 3 months out of the year mod. But I’ve never heat soaked. My planned power levels probably don’t need an intercooler, either. In retrospect, I would have purchased the WOT cool plate first, then assessed if I needed an intercooler."
All of this still stands. Lesson: Select mods on the basis on need, not want
Rigid Collars
"I couldn't feel much of a difference on the street, even after an alignment. While I don't regret buying them and the pain in the ass it was to install them, I probably won't ever install them again on any other of my cars. Chasing problems that don’t exist is how companies market to auto enthusiasts. FYI the Honda HRC cars don’t run rigid collars, at least they don’t list them in their mod lists."
All of this still stands. I kind of fucked up the install and nearly cross-threaded a subframe bolt. The car spend 10 days on jackstands as I researched solutions. A friend advised me to chase the thread to clean it up. That worked. Totally not worth the effort. Lesson: Honda engineers know more about car suspensions than you do, and aftermarket companies want to sell you things.
Wheels
"I don’t regret my Enkeis because they look dope, but on the street, I don’t really notice that much of a difference in handling despite dropping 30lbs of unsprung weight. Unless I’m buying a Miata, I’m only buying high-quality spacers to push the stock wheels out to flush. If I ever buy an Accord, that’s what I’d do because 19” Accord wheels have always been dope."
All of this still stands. With my BRZ, the stock wheels look great and weight 23 lbs. I don’t have any reason to change them. Going to a 17” lightweight tire really won’t change much and won’t make a street car much faster. I will say that running 245-width DWS06+ on a FWD car with 200 horsepower is silly. I don’t really know why Honda went with 235-width tires stock, but ok. Lesson: The weight of the wheel doesn’t change street performance by much. Tire choice is a more impactful decision.
Time
I wrote about the opportunity cost of drooling over wheels and mods on the internet in my previous post, and my thoughts still stand. However, I now have that experience and don’t need to drool over any more cars, mods, or wheels again (business types call this operating leverage).
If I could do it again, these are the mods I would do and call it a day:
PRL RMM
Acuity Shifter
HPT WOT Performance Cooling Plate (PRL Intercooler if Cooling Plate isn’t enough)
Stock Wheels + 235/40/18 DWS06+ tires + Wheel spacers + extended studs
These two comments really sums it up for me. The Pareto principal affects cars mods just like it does everything else, and I don’t want any headaches or asterisks or inconveniences with my driving experience. I’m just driving my cars on the street.
chopsuey34
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2022
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 296
- Reaction score
- 224
- Location
- West Michigan
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Civic Si
- Thread starter
- #48
Civic Si Retrospective:
I sold my Civic Si two weeks ago. Here are some thoughts and reflections about the car and the modifications I did to it:
“My goal is to put some money into my Si and turn it into “what it should have been from the factory”. But in doing so, I don’t want to fundamentally change its character or power. If I wanted something more powerful or different, I would have just bought that something else.”
True, I didn’t want to fundamentally change the car’s character or power. Turns out mods didn’t really do that and I could have saved a few thousand bucks. Oh well, itch scratched.
“This is my first Honda. I’m not a Honda guy, and I’m not a VTEC, 90’s golden era Honda fan boy, either. I also don’t like torqueless, high revving engines, the kinds that Honda was famous for building back in the day. But I am an “NA” guy, and this is my first turbo.”
I remain an “NA” guy, and I don’t want anything to do with turbos anymore. I wanted a mini V6, and I got it in the FA24.
“With my build, I want to replicate a naturally aspirated engine, meaning I want as much throttle response and as little turbo lag as possible. I also want to avoid the temptation of abusing the turbo and turning the L15CA into a torque monster with a camel hump dyno sheet. Instead, I want to aim for a “mini V6” feeling that I believe the 1.5T is capable of: more, linear power. And in fact, I don’t need much more power at all. I’d rather some more response than anything. I’d rather use 100% of 200hp (or 220hp) than 70% of 315hp.”
“I’m an NA guy. This 2025 Civic Si is my first turbo car. I'm already sick of turbos feeling lazy and weak in the heat, and then sharp and powerful at night when it’s cooler. I can slam and jam NA engines all day no matter the temperature or humidity. Turbos, however, like to load manage like NBA players, they work when they feel like it, those prima donnas (“I’ll manage my load into your mom” – see, turbos are moody, just like teenagers, yelling at them doesn’t work, I tried :/ ). One carries on, though.
FWD kind of sucks, but I’m ok with it. Michigan winters remind me every year why I don’t daily a RWD anymore like I used to.”
All true, see above about the FA24. My major gripe with the Civic Si is the 1.5T engine. It’s not great. The motor kind of felt delicate and I didn’t like that I had to concern myself with things like waiting for operating temps and LSPI. Plus, you can’t make a small displacement turbo engine feel like a large-displacement NA engine, even with a tune. Moving to the 2.0T in the CTR wouldn’t help, either. Sure, the “turbo shove” is a great feeling once it’s spooled up, and the low-down torque is nice, but it’s just not my style. I hate turbo lag (even on this 1.5T with a peanut turbo), and I don’t want to wait for power. It’s my horsepower and throttle response, and I want it now!
I stand by these comments. Turbocharging did not go well for me, and I went back to NA. And I will deal with Michigan winters.
“Engine: I don’t have experience with turbo engines coming from an NA background. I like the torque in the low and mid-range. A 1.5L shouldn’t feel this powerful but it does! (The GR Corolla 1.6T must be a blast). I like the linear power of the engine; it builds like an NA engine and doesn’t fall off at the top end. I can get up to +100mph pretty easily, no complaints. Well done, Honda. But I’ll complain anyways: the total power output leaves more to be desired, and I know it can give me more (Imma tune that bitch up to 30psi with tariff free ‘Murika-grown ethanol, yee haw!).”
Tuning a small displacement turbo engine doesn’t really do it for me.
Suspension: Rides great. Like a dream.
Handling: I really liked the Civic’s LSD. It really pulls out of corners hard. High point of the handling.
Styling: I still love the 11th gen Civic styling. It’s a beautiful car.
Exhaust: I’m an “NA” guy. I prefer an excellent exhaust note over turbo whoosh noises. I still prefer an exhaust note over turbo noises. The only expensive mod I’m planning on doing to the BRZ is an HKS axleback.
Money:
OTD cost for my 2025 Civic Si purchased in February 2025 was $34,250.54 ($31,855 MSRP). Pre-trade in, my total cost of ownership was $44,135.26. I traded it in for $30,000 with Carvana. As of writing this post, my post-trade in total cost was $12,633.81 dollars (not including gas) for the pleasure of owning, driving, and modding my 2025 Civic Si. That’s $8,422.54 per year.
Cars are expensive! Why did I become a car enthusiast?? When people ask me if I’ve gone on vacation recently, I say “No, my vacation budget is in the garage”. That doesn’t play well on dating apps…
Dang, Hondas have strong residuals. I’m not going to lie. The moment I read that Honda would pause production of the Civic Si, I knew my car’s value immediately jumped. That helped sway me into trading it in for BRZ. I wonder how much dealers will be price gouging Si’s starting October 2026?
I’m not going to tell you what I paid for my Subaru BRZ, that’s none of your business. But I got a screaming deal for it. It has a seven-year warranty on it, which is why I’m keeping it mostly stock. But I will say this: I’m not running a DCF on my car’s value this time around. Fuck that. Life’s too short. I want to drive more and read shit on car forums less.
Buying cars is an emotional decision, not a financial one. The smartest thing you can do is buy a beater for less than $5,000 and drive it for 10 years. That’s what I did. My Scion xB 5MT with 180,000 miles is still going strong. I picked it up in 2018 for $3,000. It was sitting on the lot for 3 months because nobody in Hastings, MI wanted a stick-shift import that smelled like dog. I was able to beat the price down by $500. The dealer just wanted it off the lot. Anyways, I saved a lot of money driving that thing (and still do, just now for groceries and gym runs). I also saved a bunch of money waiting a year for the refreshed Civic model. My 401k loves me for that. But had I known to go with the GR86/BRZ, I would have purchased in 2024. Oh well, spilt grapes, I guess.
While the 11th generation Civic Si was a great experience, I’ve moved back to my natural territory. I still value the experiences I had with the car, though:
- I’ve lived with a Honda shifter.
- I modded a car out to how I wanted it done.
- I don’t need to obsess about mods much anymore.
- Everything I learned about Civics and cars from the forum members on this site.
- I learned how to write because of this car.
For a time, I was deeply obsessed about this car, and that obsession engendered feelings within me about my love of cars and driving, leading to the posts in this build thread. Cars to me aren’t things that take me from A to B, or what most people consider afterthoughts and inconveniences of daily life.
There’s something more to cars than just their metal and rubber. When I hear folk tales about Japanese katana containing the souls of local deities, I know what they mean. While cars aren’t living things, they still have different personalities. One of the things that fascinates me most about them is that their engineers can design them to have particular characters and behaviors. It’s those engineered personalities that I attach to like I have attached myself to my parents’ dog, Bodie. It’s those personalities that can develop into deep bonds and relationships between driver and automobile. And it’s those personalities that make me the car enthusiast that I am, because to me, a car is much more than just a thing. My cars are something that I form a strong connection with over the years and who become just as close to me as the family dog, or perhaps, even a friend.
I sold my Civic Si two weeks ago. Here are some thoughts and reflections about the car and the modifications I did to it:
“My goal is to put some money into my Si and turn it into “what it should have been from the factory”. But in doing so, I don’t want to fundamentally change its character or power. If I wanted something more powerful or different, I would have just bought that something else.”
True, I didn’t want to fundamentally change the car’s character or power. Turns out mods didn’t really do that and I could have saved a few thousand bucks. Oh well, itch scratched.
“This is my first Honda. I’m not a Honda guy, and I’m not a VTEC, 90’s golden era Honda fan boy, either. I also don’t like torqueless, high revving engines, the kinds that Honda was famous for building back in the day. But I am an “NA” guy, and this is my first turbo.”
I remain an “NA” guy, and I don’t want anything to do with turbos anymore. I wanted a mini V6, and I got it in the FA24.
“With my build, I want to replicate a naturally aspirated engine, meaning I want as much throttle response and as little turbo lag as possible. I also want to avoid the temptation of abusing the turbo and turning the L15CA into a torque monster with a camel hump dyno sheet. Instead, I want to aim for a “mini V6” feeling that I believe the 1.5T is capable of: more, linear power. And in fact, I don’t need much more power at all. I’d rather some more response than anything. I’d rather use 100% of 200hp (or 220hp) than 70% of 315hp.”
“I’m an NA guy. This 2025 Civic Si is my first turbo car. I'm already sick of turbos feeling lazy and weak in the heat, and then sharp and powerful at night when it’s cooler. I can slam and jam NA engines all day no matter the temperature or humidity. Turbos, however, like to load manage like NBA players, they work when they feel like it, those prima donnas (“I’ll manage my load into your mom” – see, turbos are moody, just like teenagers, yelling at them doesn’t work, I tried :/ ). One carries on, though.
FWD kind of sucks, but I’m ok with it. Michigan winters remind me every year why I don’t daily a RWD anymore like I used to.”
All true, see above about the FA24. My major gripe with the Civic Si is the 1.5T engine. It’s not great. The motor kind of felt delicate and I didn’t like that I had to concern myself with things like waiting for operating temps and LSPI. Plus, you can’t make a small displacement turbo engine feel like a large-displacement NA engine, even with a tune. Moving to the 2.0T in the CTR wouldn’t help, either. Sure, the “turbo shove” is a great feeling once it’s spooled up, and the low-down torque is nice, but it’s just not my style. I hate turbo lag (even on this 1.5T with a peanut turbo), and I don’t want to wait for power. It’s my horsepower and throttle response, and I want it now!
I stand by these comments. Turbocharging did not go well for me, and I went back to NA. And I will deal with Michigan winters.
“Engine: I don’t have experience with turbo engines coming from an NA background. I like the torque in the low and mid-range. A 1.5L shouldn’t feel this powerful but it does! (The GR Corolla 1.6T must be a blast). I like the linear power of the engine; it builds like an NA engine and doesn’t fall off at the top end. I can get up to +100mph pretty easily, no complaints. Well done, Honda. But I’ll complain anyways: the total power output leaves more to be desired, and I know it can give me more (Imma tune that bitch up to 30psi with tariff free ‘Murika-grown ethanol, yee haw!).”
Tuning a small displacement turbo engine doesn’t really do it for me.
Suspension: Rides great. Like a dream.
Handling: I really liked the Civic’s LSD. It really pulls out of corners hard. High point of the handling.
Styling: I still love the 11th gen Civic styling. It’s a beautiful car.
Exhaust: I’m an “NA” guy. I prefer an excellent exhaust note over turbo whoosh noises. I still prefer an exhaust note over turbo noises. The only expensive mod I’m planning on doing to the BRZ is an HKS axleback.
Money:
OTD cost for my 2025 Civic Si purchased in February 2025 was $34,250.54 ($31,855 MSRP). Pre-trade in, my total cost of ownership was $44,135.26. I traded it in for $30,000 with Carvana. As of writing this post, my post-trade in total cost was $12,633.81 dollars (not including gas) for the pleasure of owning, driving, and modding my 2025 Civic Si. That’s $8,422.54 per year.
Cars are expensive! Why did I become a car enthusiast?? When people ask me if I’ve gone on vacation recently, I say “No, my vacation budget is in the garage”. That doesn’t play well on dating apps…
Dang, Hondas have strong residuals. I’m not going to lie. The moment I read that Honda would pause production of the Civic Si, I knew my car’s value immediately jumped. That helped sway me into trading it in for BRZ. I wonder how much dealers will be price gouging Si’s starting October 2026?
I’m not going to tell you what I paid for my Subaru BRZ, that’s none of your business. But I got a screaming deal for it. It has a seven-year warranty on it, which is why I’m keeping it mostly stock. But I will say this: I’m not running a DCF on my car’s value this time around. Fuck that. Life’s too short. I want to drive more and read shit on car forums less.
Buying cars is an emotional decision, not a financial one. The smartest thing you can do is buy a beater for less than $5,000 and drive it for 10 years. That’s what I did. My Scion xB 5MT with 180,000 miles is still going strong. I picked it up in 2018 for $3,000. It was sitting on the lot for 3 months because nobody in Hastings, MI wanted a stick-shift import that smelled like dog. I was able to beat the price down by $500. The dealer just wanted it off the lot. Anyways, I saved a lot of money driving that thing (and still do, just now for groceries and gym runs). I also saved a bunch of money waiting a year for the refreshed Civic model. My 401k loves me for that. But had I known to go with the GR86/BRZ, I would have purchased in 2024. Oh well, spilt grapes, I guess.
While the 11th generation Civic Si was a great experience, I’ve moved back to my natural territory. I still value the experiences I had with the car, though:
- I’ve lived with a Honda shifter.
- I modded a car out to how I wanted it done.
- I don’t need to obsess about mods much anymore.
- Everything I learned about Civics and cars from the forum members on this site.
- I learned how to write because of this car.
For a time, I was deeply obsessed about this car, and that obsession engendered feelings within me about my love of cars and driving, leading to the posts in this build thread. Cars to me aren’t things that take me from A to B, or what most people consider afterthoughts and inconveniences of daily life.
There’s something more to cars than just their metal and rubber. When I hear folk tales about Japanese katana containing the souls of local deities, I know what they mean. While cars aren’t living things, they still have different personalities. One of the things that fascinates me most about them is that their engineers can design them to have particular characters and behaviors. It’s those engineered personalities that I attach to like I have attached myself to my parents’ dog, Bodie. It’s those personalities that can develop into deep bonds and relationships between driver and automobile. And it’s those personalities that make me the car enthusiast that I am, because to me, a car is much more than just a thing. My cars are something that I form a strong connection with over the years and who become just as close to me as the family dog, or perhaps, even a friend.
Last edited:
chopsuey34
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2022
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 296
- Reaction score
- 224
- Location
- West Michigan
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Civic Si
- Thread starter
- #49
Speaking about dogs...
chopsuey34
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2022
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 296
- Reaction score
- 224
- Location
- West Michigan
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Civic Si
- Thread starter
- #50
These are my rules for determining whether a car can be considered a daily driver:
1) Can you leave the car at the mall for an afternoon? (you have to park close to the mall, none of this parking way far out shit)
2) Can you leave the car at the train station for a weekend?
3) Can you leave the car at the airport for a week?
If you can do these three things without worrying about your car, it's a daily. If not, she's a garage princess.
1) Can you leave the car at the mall for an afternoon? (you have to park close to the mall, none of this parking way far out shit)
2) Can you leave the car at the train station for a weekend?
3) Can you leave the car at the airport for a week?
If you can do these three things without worrying about your car, it's a daily. If not, she's a garage princess.
CG13
Senior Member
I read through the thread. My main takeaways are that the SI never seemed like the best fit for what you were after. The Type R would have been a better starting point.
I also enjoy NA engines but I disagree with the turbocharged assessment. Unfortunately you have to spend a lot to get the level of enjoyment out of them that older, cheaper, NA vehicles offered.
Here’s my LONG journey with cars (starting 2006 when I had the cash to buy) to give some perspective on my opinion:
2007 RX-8 - fun but I should have purchased an S2000, I blame the shit Honda dealers who wouldn’t allow a test drive)
2012 TT-S- terrible driving experience, great interior, terrible brakes and FWD focused AWD system
2013 GT-R- good car, heavy and overheated on track
2015 GT-R Nismo- great car, still too heavy but I miss this one. GREAT engine and today feels analog compared to new cars
2017 Focus RS- I modded this thing to the extreme but could never overcome the overheating differential and garbage interior quality
2018 Ariel Nomad- the K24 experience. NA and 1600 lb. No power steering, no ABS, no sound deadening or doors or windows, ANALOG to the extreme. What a fun vehicle. At the same time I started shooting a Leica M camera system (manual everything) to focus on what I really enjoy. This sounds similar to where you are right now with the switch to BRZ and the disdain for forced induction.
2019 GT3-RS- what I thought was the ultimate NA vehicle and a halo car for me ( like the Nismo). Ultimately I loved this on the street and didn’t love it on the track. Too expensive to deal with body damage (even with full PPF), handling with the rear wheel steering was hard for me to adjust to, PCCB brakes weren’t ideal for track, etc). I really missed the manual transmission with this car. I drove a 911T that had stripped interior, the same carbon bucket seats and a manual and honestly think I preferred that car, even with the much less special turbo engine.
2020 Lotus Evora GT- this was my course correction, similar again to your move to BRZ. The car was great to drive. The supercharged engine felt like a NA engine in terms of throttle response. This is where I think you may change your opinion on forced induction, if you sample more cars. Ultimately the manual transmission was a big detractor, just not great and no easy fix available. It was hard to heel/toe with inconsistent throttle response on blips and couldn’t do a 5-3 downshift when the chassis was under full load. Also replacement parts and maintenance were a big issue because of the very low production volume.
2024 FL5- love the car. Modding extensively for track use. Cooling issues are my biggest complaint. Love the manual, love the engine, love the light weight (as light as the Lotus, wtf), feels special in a way the GT3-RS and Nismo did, best seats I’ve had, also practical in that I can load four wheels/tires and all my track gear with no trailer. Stock it doesn’t feel raw the way I’d like but mods have addressed the character.
All that said, I love the thread and enjoyed the journey. I appreciate the willingness to step back and change directions when you have the conviction to do so. I think you’ll have trouble with new cars in the future. Hybrid setups are heavy and not performance oriented.They aren’t better than what you’re driving now in terms of driver engagement. See the newest NSX, which is a heavy beast and far worse than the previous generation in terms of engagement.
I think you may love an S2000 or a 911 or Cayman. I also think an FK8 or FL5 or a GT-R could satisfy you if you get past the “parking lot anxiety” and all that.
I also enjoy NA engines but I disagree with the turbocharged assessment. Unfortunately you have to spend a lot to get the level of enjoyment out of them that older, cheaper, NA vehicles offered.
Here’s my LONG journey with cars (starting 2006 when I had the cash to buy) to give some perspective on my opinion:
2007 RX-8 - fun but I should have purchased an S2000, I blame the shit Honda dealers who wouldn’t allow a test drive)
2012 TT-S- terrible driving experience, great interior, terrible brakes and FWD focused AWD system
2013 GT-R- good car, heavy and overheated on track
2015 GT-R Nismo- great car, still too heavy but I miss this one. GREAT engine and today feels analog compared to new cars
2017 Focus RS- I modded this thing to the extreme but could never overcome the overheating differential and garbage interior quality
2018 Ariel Nomad- the K24 experience. NA and 1600 lb. No power steering, no ABS, no sound deadening or doors or windows, ANALOG to the extreme. What a fun vehicle. At the same time I started shooting a Leica M camera system (manual everything) to focus on what I really enjoy. This sounds similar to where you are right now with the switch to BRZ and the disdain for forced induction.
2019 GT3-RS- what I thought was the ultimate NA vehicle and a halo car for me ( like the Nismo). Ultimately I loved this on the street and didn’t love it on the track. Too expensive to deal with body damage (even with full PPF), handling with the rear wheel steering was hard for me to adjust to, PCCB brakes weren’t ideal for track, etc). I really missed the manual transmission with this car. I drove a 911T that had stripped interior, the same carbon bucket seats and a manual and honestly think I preferred that car, even with the much less special turbo engine.
2020 Lotus Evora GT- this was my course correction, similar again to your move to BRZ. The car was great to drive. The supercharged engine felt like a NA engine in terms of throttle response. This is where I think you may change your opinion on forced induction, if you sample more cars. Ultimately the manual transmission was a big detractor, just not great and no easy fix available. It was hard to heel/toe with inconsistent throttle response on blips and couldn’t do a 5-3 downshift when the chassis was under full load. Also replacement parts and maintenance were a big issue because of the very low production volume.
2024 FL5- love the car. Modding extensively for track use. Cooling issues are my biggest complaint. Love the manual, love the engine, love the light weight (as light as the Lotus, wtf), feels special in a way the GT3-RS and Nismo did, best seats I’ve had, also practical in that I can load four wheels/tires and all my track gear with no trailer. Stock it doesn’t feel raw the way I’d like but mods have addressed the character.
All that said, I love the thread and enjoyed the journey. I appreciate the willingness to step back and change directions when you have the conviction to do so. I think you’ll have trouble with new cars in the future. Hybrid setups are heavy and not performance oriented.They aren’t better than what you’re driving now in terms of driver engagement. See the newest NSX, which is a heavy beast and far worse than the previous generation in terms of engagement.
I think you may love an S2000 or a 911 or Cayman. I also think an FK8 or FL5 or a GT-R could satisfy you if you get past the “parking lot anxiety” and all that.
Last edited:
chopsuey34
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2022
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 296
- Reaction score
- 224
- Location
- West Michigan
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Civic Si
- Thread starter
- #52
Thanks for reading my thread, man. Good to know that people still read! I used to post stuff like this on LinkedIn, and I realized I could get away with a bunch of wild shit because... nobody reads until the end of the post.
You're right. A Cayman is the next step. I've always known that I'm a closeted Porsche owner. I just need to come to grips with it. I've even secretly been flirting with joining the PCA. I just need to take that next step and come out in public, liberate myself, and join the cult ("One of us! One of us!"). But I'm scared that people will judge me for my conspicuous yuppie consumption. Being in the 5% is the worst! (kidding) What is the most stealth-wealth Porsche I can buy? Oh wait, that car doesn't exist thanks to decades of marketing.
jk but seriously, a Cayman is in my future. And yeah, I hear you. Hybrid probably isn't the greatest, either, too.
Let me ask you a question: You've driven so many cars, how do you enjoy your cars worry-free? I could afford a C8, but there reasons why I haven't purchased something more expensive or powerful: I prefer slow car fast, my use case, etc.. The biggest is the anxiety would be too much for me (same with FL5). How do you just let go with your cars and not worry? I have a fit over mine every time I drive to a public place over the threat of door dings and scratches. Anthony de Mello says that this attachment is causing me pain. He's right.
Cars don't have feelings. I love them, but they can't love me.
Cars don't have feelings. I love them, but they can't love me.
Cars don't have feelings. I love them, but they can't love me.
Sorry, I have to say these things when my OCD flares up. Like when I pet my cat and he flips over and shows me his belly, but my car won't no matter how many times I wax it. It doesn't help that the BRZ has a smile. Stuffed animals with big cartoon eyes are nightmares.
How can I emotionally detach from my cars beyond professional therapy for my OCD?
Right now, the only solution I've thought of is to have some XXX% of wealth above the value of the car so that it becomes "insignificant" to me financially. Throw away money, so to speak. FL5 is ~$50k, I need ~$500k. 296 is $333k, I need $3,333k (probably more). But that'll be a long time coming.
I never got into photography. What's a good starter camera that goes beyond my Galaxy phone?
@Unity Performance you in this thread, bro? Hit the people up with some discount codes (and post them in here). Don't worry, literally no one will redeem them because no one reads.
YOU ON HERE, BRO? White CTR turning right onto Crescent St. from Division Ave. (near Van Andel Institute) at approximately 3:50pm in Grand Rapids.
Last edited:
chopsuey34
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2022
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 296
- Reaction score
- 224
- Location
- West Michigan
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Civic Si
- Thread starter
- #53
Speaking of cars having feelings...
CG13
Senior Member
Just drive the car. There’s nothing so special about an FL5 that I’d worry any more than with an Si. Both can be easily repaired or replaced if necessary. I don’t care about cosmetic issues, scratches, door dings. It’s a large machine that I drive so it’s going to have wear and tear.
I did draw the line with the Nismo and the GT3-RS with the very high cost of body parts. It made both unsuitable for track driving for me.
Whatever you spend on a car, it’s going to depreciate, unless you buy something like an S2000 or E46 M3, where the values seem to have stabilized. I just wouldn’t worry about it if you can afford the car in the first place.
Anything from Nikon, Sony, Canon is better than a phone camera when paired with a decent lens.
Sponsored
