ForeverCar’s ITS Journal

I picked it up 2 days ago. It is an amazing car!

I plan on sharing my ITS journey here as a way to be helpful to the community. I have been fortunate and get to enjoy many incredible cars. Besides the more comparable cars, I am also happy to share other experiences as well.

Day 1, I put around 100 fun miles on the car using the stock tires. Weather is cold and wet in the PNW.

Shifter is likely one of the best currently available. It’s not as good as the S2000 one but the mechanism is sufficiently different for an apple-to-apple comparison.

Engine is a highlight. Of course, I wish it has a higher maximum rpm. However, with the stock gearing, it is pretty much perfect.

In comfort suspension mode, the ride is supple and truly comfortable while still very composed. On the street, unless I am on really great roads, comfort suspension mode the way to go for me.

For what I want the car for, I would say it’s the best car there is regardless of price!

Day 2, I put another 100 fun miles on the car. However, I swapped over to another set of stock wheels with Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06+ in 265/30/19. As great as the Michelin PS4S is, the DWS is better in cold and wet. During the wheels swapping process, I got to admire the nice brakes. It is great that the TPMS just works without any tools or reset incantation.

Around this category of cars, I have had Focus RS, FK8 Civic Type R, second generation BRZ, Miata RF, VB WRX, M2 competition, 718 Cayman S, and 718 Cayman T.

In the coming days, I plan on sharing my thoughts on how the ITS compares.

ForeverCar said:

Around this category of cars, I have had Focus RS, FK8 Civic Type R, second generation BRZ, Miata RF, VB WRX, M2 competition, 718 Cayman S, and 718 Cayman T.

In the coming days, I plan on sharing my thoughts on how the ITS compares.

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Excited to hear how the car compared to the BRZ, because that’s the trade I’m planning to make.

VtecBuddy said:

Excited to hear how the car compared to the BRZ, because that’s the trade I’m planning to make.

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@VtecBuddy Happy to share.

First, it might help to provide a bit of context. Both the BRZ and ITS for me is meant to fulfill a particular role. For many years, I lament that it rains frequently in the PNW. I finally realized I can enjoy driving in the rain with the “right” car (duh)! Besides a fun car in all weather conditions, having back seats is a big plus.

Second, a caveat as the BRZ and the ITS is somewhat apple and orange.

The second generation BRZ has a really good engine. Torque curve is much flatter compared to the first generation, the engine still likes to rev, and it has a decent amount of power. The interior feel is more utilitarian. While the shifting mechanism does not require cables, it has enough play to feel a bit sloppy. The old school and pure FR setup is as good as it gets though.

On the ITS side, interior feels quite nice and the engine (even with a lower maximum rev and turbocharged) feels more soulful. The shifter is about as good as it gets. However, ITS is a bigger car, has a higher center of gravity feel, FF, and turbocharged. The engineers did an amazing job. Even for a diehard FR (or MR) enthusiast, the FF setup of the ITS is worth a try before dismissing it. Sure, it doesn’t put the power down as well as a RWD setup and it affects the steering some.

At the end of the day, it depends on what one prioritizes.

A few weeks ago, I got to spend ~3 days exploring the roads in the tail of the dragon area in one of my other cars. It was more amazing than I had imagined. Hope this group doesn’t mind me sharing non-ITS content. I mainly want to offer a unique perspective and sharing non-ITS content provides the context that might be helpful to you.

I would be happy to share more in the coming days on this too.

Dude please feel free to lean in on the other car content. I think early on this board was starved of ITS content but now that there's a shitload of it out there I think we all could use some context.

I for one have my current stretch goal/aspiration car set at a McLaren Artura. So no, I don't mind the McLaren content not one bit.

I will add though as someone who has viewed McLaren from the periphery, it is legit hard for me to tell the models apart, both visually and functionally. So if you don't mind elaborating on your experience on the Dragon, and/or anything else you care to share about any of your other cars or cars you get to drive, I'm certainly here for it.

ForeverCar said:

I picked it up 2 days ago. It is an amazing car!

I plan on sharing my ITS journey here as a way to be helpful to the community. I have been fortunate and get to enjoy many incredible cars. Besides the more comparable cars, I am also happy to share other experiences as well.

Click to expand...

what color interior does it have?
I'm hoping for a white exterior and ebony interior, second choice lunar silver with ebony.

optronix said:

Dude please feel free to lean in on the other car content. I think early on this board was starved of ITS content but now that there's a shitload of it out there I think we all could use some context.

I for one have my current stretch goal/aspiration car set at a McLaren Artura. So no, I don't mind the McLaren content not one bit.

I will add though as someone who has viewed McLaren from the periphery, it is legit hard for me to tell the models apart, both visually and functionally. So if you don't mind elaborating on your experience on the Dragon, and/or anything else you care to share about any of your other cars or cars you get to drive, I'm certainly here for it.

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@optronix Thank you. Yes, I would be happy to share my perspective on McLaren. The one I drove around tail of dragon is a 720S coupe. Visually, some McLaren models are pretty tough to distinguish. McLaren wise, this happens to be the 7th one I have had (only have this 720S currently) so hope to share helpful perspectives.

Having an aspirational car is good as long as one can still enjoy the current moments and journey.

lumper said:

what color interior does it have?
I'm hoping for a white exterior and ebony interior, second choice lunar silver with ebony.

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Yes, ebony interior which is also my preference. Although blue exterior is my first choice, all the other colors are pretty great too. I am not a fan of the red and tiger eye pearl though.

ForeverCar said:

Yes, ebony interior which is also my preference. Although blue exterior is my first choice, all the other colors are pretty great too. I am not a fan of the red and tiger eye pearl though.

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I agree, I want the ebony interior only and I prefer the white or Lunar Silver, both look great, I would consider a tiger's eye if I had to.
I am not a fan of darker colors like the black, red, blue etc.. even liquid carbon is too dark for my liking.
I did just go see one, and it was beautiful, but to live with it, I really want Lunar silver first choice, or white.?
I hadn't seen a white with ebony interior, so I am happy to see you got one.
When I started looking, I thought I wanted the orchid interior, but it wasn't white enough, then I figured red, but honestly, I don't like red, I just liked the color matched leather part in the front, but once I saw the black in person I realized, this is what I want.
The contrast stitching all throughout is great.

My only complaint is that leather part that is color matched in the front, in the ebony interior it kind of disappears, it doesn't have the same impact that the red one has.

So, I am toying with the idea of having someone add a stitch to the seam for me to match the rest of the contrast stitching in the interior, for some reason they didn't include it on this one part.
I'm thinking of removing that piece and taking it to a tailor or upholstery shop to see if they can do it for me.

lumper said:

I agree, I want the ebony interior only and I prefer the white or Lunar Silver, both look great, I would consider a tiger's eye if I had to.
I am not a fan of darker colors like the black, red, blue etc.. even liquid carbon is too dark for my liking.
I did just go see one, and it was beautiful, but to live with it, I really want Lunar silver first choice, or white.?
I hadn't seen a white with ebony interior, so I am happy to see you got one.
When I started looking, I thought I wanted the orchid interior, but it wasn't white enough, then I figured red, but honestly, I don't like red, I just liked the color matched leather part in the front, but once I saw the black in person I realized, this is what I want.
The contrast stitching all throughout is great.

My only complaint is that leather part that is color matched in the front, in the ebony interior it kind of disappears, it doesn't have the same impact that the red one has.

So, I am toying with the idea of having someone add a stitch to the seam for me to match the rest of the contrast stitching in the interior, for some reason they didn't include it on this one part.
I'm thinking of removing that piece and taking it to a tailor or upholstery shop to see if they can do it for me.

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Interesting observations. I am not particularly picky about interior so I am pretty happy with the red contrast stitching of the ebony interior. The alcantara middle pieces have a red undertone too which is neat. I didn’t pay any attention to the backseats though as I have it mostly cover for my doggo.

ForeverCar said:

Around this category of cars, I have had Focus RS, FK8 Civic Type R, second generation BRZ, Miata RF, VB WRX, M2 competition, 718 Cayman S, and 718 Cayman T.

In the coming days, I plan on sharing my thoughts on how the ITS compares.

Click to expand...

Really interested in your upcoming comparison of the ITS and the 718's.

ForeverCar said:

A few weeks ago, I got to spend ~3 days exploring the roads in the tail of the dragon area in one of my other cars. It was more amazing than I had imagined. Hope this group doesn’t mind me sharing non-ITS content. I mainly want to offer a unique perspective and sharing non-ITS content provides the context that might be helpful to you.

I would be happy to share more in the coming days on this too.

Click to expand...

Quick question since you've driven a McLaren, something most of us won't attain.

Matt Farah from The Smoking Tire mentioned that "South of a McLaren, he didn't really thing could probably go faster around back country/canyon roads.

I'm sure there are a few P cars, but I'm wondering if this is journalistic hyperbole or if the gap minimal considering one is 3-4 times more expensive.