Top 10 Must-Have Mods for the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ
Top Mods for the GT86 and BRZ
The Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ have earned a cult following among car enthusiasts, particularly those who love driving a well-balanced, rear-wheel-drive sports car. These cars offer a fantastic platform for modifications, it was even desinged this way with subaru japan offering the car with steel wheels and unpainted bumpers in the expectation of them being modified straight from the dealer, the growning support for these cars is allowing you to enhance performance, aesthetics, and driving experience.
Whether you're looking to hit the track or simply want to make your daily commute more exciting, here are the top 10 must-have mods for your GT86 or BRZ.
1. Coilover Suspension System
Keywords: GT86 coilovers, BRZ suspension upgrade
Upgrading your suspension with a quality coilover system is one of the best ways to improve the handling and stance of your GT86 or BRZ. Coilovers allow you to lower the car's ride height, adjust the damping, and fine-tune the suspension to your liking. Popular brands like KW, Tein, Ohlin, MeisterR and BC Racing offer coilovers specifically designed for these models, providing a perfect balance between performance and comfort. we persoanlly run MeisterR ZetaCRD on our car and they are hard to beat at their price range.
Why You Need It:
Improved handling and cornering ability, isn’t this what you bought this car for?
Adjustable ride height and damping settings because lowering the centre of gravity is often good, don’t go too far though as the Macpherson struts will send your roll centre way off and hinder the gains in handling you are trying to achieve, for serious lows you can always go for an air-ride setup.
Enhanced aesthetics with a lowered stance because nobody wants a stock arch gap.
2. Performance Exhaust System
Keywords: BRZ exhaust, best GT86 exhaust
One of the most popular mods for any car enthusiast is upgrading the exhaust system. There are so many options to choose from here however a word of caution, the most power is gained from replacing the stock exhaust manifold or headers for the americans reading this, but these also effect volume of the system, we would advise doing the exhaust manifold or headers first to see how it sounds, most do it the opposite way around and regret the noise afterwards.
Why You Need It:
Increased horsepower and torque
Improved exhaust note with a sportier sound
Reduced weight (especially with titanium options)
Flatten out the torque dip that these cars come with from the factory.
3. Cold Air Intake
Keywords: GT86 cold air intake, BRZ intake upgrade
A cold air intake (CAI) is actually a pretty terrible waste of money for the most part as the OEM setup is hard to beat, one thing we dont love about the GT86, BRZ intake is the sound tube resonating sound into the cabin, there is also a mildly restrictive and pretty ugly serrated induction hose from the airbox to throttle body, luckily many suppliers offer a resonator delete that replaces the rubber hose with a lovely silicon version, this includes us which to can pick up in a choice of colour, Silicone intake hose, the sound tube delete is a favourite first mod as its cheap, easy to fit and although performance gains are marginal at best, its certanly a nice improvement aesthetically.
Why You Need It:
Delete the sound tube resonator for a more naturally raw sound.
Improved air flow with smoother silicon intake pipe.
Enhanced engine bay aesthetics.
4. Lightweight Wheels
Keywords: best wheels for GT86, BRZ lightweight wheels
Swapping out the stock wheels for a set of lightweight aftermarket wheels is a great way to reduce unsprung weight and improve your car's handling and acceleration. Look for wheels made from high-quality materials like aluminum or forged alloys. Brands like OZ, Volk Racing, Enkei, and Rays Engineering offer a variety of styles and finishes to suit your taste when the budget allows, but Rota, XXR and Ultralite also offer some cheaper alternatives for those on a budget.
GT86 BRZ PCD : 5x114.3mm
GT86 BRZ Centre Bore: 56.1mm
GT86 BRZ Width and offset recommendation: 8J ET35 R17, with tyre 235/45/R17 is a great size for a good stance on a lightly modde dcar.
Why You Need It:
Reduced unsprung weight for better handling
Improved acceleration and braking performance
Enhanced visual appeal
Fitting bigger 4 piston calipers
Better offset for the correct arch fitment.
More width for increased grip.
5. Performance Tires
Keywords: best tires for BRZ, GT86 performance tires
No matter how powerful your car is, it’s only as good as the tires it rides on. Upgrading to a set of high-performance tires is essential for maximizing the potential of your GT86 or BRZ. Tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, Bridgestone Potenza RE-71R, and Nitto NT05 offer excellent grip, both on the street and the track.
Why You Need It:
Improved grip and handling
Better performance in wet and dry conditions
Enhanced stability at high speeds
6. Front Strut Tower Brace
Keywords: BRZ strut brace, GT86 handling mods
The GT86 and BRZ has a Macpherson strut front suspension setup, these put a lot of suspension loading through the shock absober and strut tower itself, because of this they have a tendance to flex under high loads.
A front strut tower brace is a simple and affordable modification that improves chassis rigidity, leading to better handling and increased driver feedback. This is especially useful during cornering at high speeds. The gt86 and BRZ have braces from the factory but a brace from tower to tower closes this triangle greatly improving stiffness, we offer a carbon fibre strut brace to keep weight down. strut braces are easy to install and deliver noticeable improvement.
The rear being multilink a strut brace is a little wasted on these cars, but some are availble but reduce boot space/access aswell. so no good for the camping trips or fitting the drift wheels in there.
Why You Need It:
Increased chassis rigidity
Great just as a functional engine bay dress up mod.
Improved steering response
7. Brake Upgrade
Keywords: GT86 brake upgrade, BRZ performance brakes
Upgrading your brakes is crucial for anyone looking to take their GT86 or BRZ to the next level, especially if you're planning on track days or spirited driving. Consider upgrading to larger rotors, performance brake pads, and stainless steel brake lines, these can improve braking but ultimately still retain the stock sliding pin calipers, These have a tendency to flex and can also stick especially as the cars start to age. switching to a ridged caliper not only removes the slider issues entirely but gives you far upgraded performance usually even with a less aggressive pad, larger pad areas and lower temperatures, most are fitted with larger disks.
Our front and rear GT86 BRZ big brake kits or BBKs are a great example and are based off the Impreza STI Brembo OEM calipers.
Why You Need It:
Enhanced stopping power
Improved brake feel and response
Reduced brake fade under hard use
9. Aftermarket ECU Tune
Keywords: BRZ ECU tune, GT86 performance tuning
An aftermarket ECU tune is one of the most effective ways to unlock additional power from your GT86 or BRZ. Tuning optimises the engine's performance by adjusting the air/fuel ratio, ignition timing, and other parameters. EcuTek and OpenFlash Tablet are popular tuning solutions that offer customizable maps to suit your driving style.
Why You Need It:
Increased horsepower and torque
Improved throttle response and fuel efficiency
Customizable maps for different driving conditions
10. Oil system upgrades
Keywords: GT86 Pick up pipe, BRZ oiling mods, FA20 oiling mods
For those looking to drive their car harder than most, a GT86 BRZ sump baffle and matching GT86 BRZ Pickup pipe tube are a great investment, due to the nature of the flat 4 engine, oil tends to get stuck where we don’t need it during cornering, the GT86 BRZ sump baffle assists in in keeping it in the sump when we can use it and the pickup tubes reduce restriction and allow for a smoother flow of oil giving making the oil pump more efficient.
We offer a Baffle and Pickup pipe and have a discount when you order them together using code Baffled.
Why You Need It:
Peace of mind that the sump and pick up in clear and free of silicone
Improved oil flow from sump to pump with the GT86 pick up pipe.
Keep the oil where its needed using the Baffle.
Conclusion:
The Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ are fantastic cars right out of the box, but with the right modifications, they can be transformed into true performance machines. Whether you're aiming for better handling, more power, or a unique look, these top 10 must-have mods will help you achieve your goals. Start your modding journey today and make your GT86 or BRZ truly your own, if you are wondering what happened to number 8, Its seat time, the best you can ever do is get out in your car as much as possible and enjoy it.