Willtl

This looks great, very interested!

Or a Focus RS, or save a bit more for a Mustang.

It isn't really a rival to the GT86/BRZ because it is for a slightly different audience with a different budget. If you are set on having a convertible, you won't be interested in the GT86. If you want that massive rear passenger space, you won't be interested in the Fiat (or MX5). The list is longer than that, but you get my point.

Yep, I've had those before on another car. Costco. My local Costco has just started selling fuel, with their 99 RON 1.07XX per litre. Have that in the BRZ at the moment.

That is a big difference. Mine is within 4% of actual. Do you think your mods have thrown this off or was it always 15% off?

I don't think the ratio of GT86s to BRZs is going to change anytime soon. If you check the howmanyleft website you will see there are 4,750 GT86s out there compared to just 457 BRZs. When I ordered mine in July last year I was told that there were only 3 unreserved cars coming into the country for the rest of the year so if I didn't like the colours available I'd have to wait until 2016. Subaru doesn't deal in as many cars as Toyota and doesn't have the sizable dealer network - the ratio is just over 10 to 1 and I expect that gap to be maintained. If you don't have a big preference for a BRZ you are unlikely to want to wait 4 months for a BRZ when you can get a GT86 much sooner.

Wow, planning ahead slightly! If you look at the 2nd hand BRZ market now you should find one for £16k so I'm fairly certain £15k will get you one in 3.5 years time. I bought a BRZ for the same reason you want one, the exclusivity. I think the prices hold slightly better than the GT86 because there is only about a tenth as many, but as I said above you should still find one in your price range. I don't think you'll have any problems with these cars. My first car (when I was 19) was a Ford Capri. RWD and no driving aids. I once did a 360 spin in the snow at a roundabout (without even trying, how good am I). Like any car, be sensible and you'll be fine.

Trip computer does count idling, I've seen mine go down when sitting around going nowhere.

Sure it isn't third by now?

Yes, the fuel consumption on this can be good. My record so far is 45.43 mpg (true, computer said 47.x) and I think 50mpg would be possible in the right circumstances. Normally I'm getting mid 30s.

Good numbers! Is the 47 what the car reports or actual? I've got 47.X on a long trip before, but when I filled up the car the real figure was 45.43. I had a fair bit of traffic though so I reckon something close to 50mpg is possible. The average consumption (real, not what the car says) is about 36mpg in the 6 months I've had it.

A pretty weak effort but hopefully things can improve. Surprised the format has remained almost identical. Top Gear needed a shake up, the humour was repetitive (vandalising May's car, registration plates with messages that Clarkson has to point out because clearly the audience is too stupid to notice for themselves, making plans and maps in the shape of male genitalia, etc etc) and the challenges and trips were based around 2 or 3 different themes. Top Gear had become very stale.

Thanks for that Keith, apart from the joy and excitement of manually changing the gears, do you think I'll miss any power or agility in an auto? Manufacturers figures show 0-60 time slower on the auto and slower top speed...

See how much somewhere like Halfords Autocentre charge, that will probably be the cheapest established place.

That doesn't seem unreasonable. I actually think it is quite good when you factor in labour costs.

That is pretty good, I paid £23K (new) for my BRZ with the alcantara leather option, reversing sensors, side fins and mats. The other day I visited one of our other offices and as I was leaving, a couple of colleagues saw the car and I enjoyed the sense of shock on their face and watching them stare at the car as I drove away. Had a call with one this morning and the first thing he wanted to know about was the car! This kind of value does not depreciate.

Do GT86s count? They are re-badged Subarus after all.

If you have multiple cars in your household, I'd suggest going with RAC as they give you discount for each car. We have everything other than Euro cover on our Dodge and A6 which is about £128 annually. What is interesting is when we added my son's car, the cover from April to September (when the current cover ends) was just £5.61!

Can you expand on that? What benefits are there from mapping the stock car? Op - welcome BTW.

Following on from Tareim's comment in the "Debadge...or not?" topic, which registration size do people think looks the best?

What has changed? Looks the same as the current one.

I took the BRZ and Subaru lettering off mine to create an air of mystery. I don't think most people will know what this car is or recognise the Subaru logo.

Large print version for short sighted people I reverse over.

Really? We actually have 3 on our cars, all were £249! If you want one of them, happy to sell you one for £5k.

no, mine isn't that big and neither is the other 3 BRZ's I've seen Richardcarman's on here is the same. I have a normal size rear plate in my garage from a previous car, I'll see if that looks better. I think the dealer may have made holes near the top though which will limit where I can put the other plate.