Frank Hong’s 2013 Subaru BRZ
“I’ve basically changed out every single piece of the suspension,” Hong tells us. Most of those aftermarket components come from Whiteline Performance, while ST coilovers give the car a lower center of gravity and a sinister look. Energy Suspension bushings are also on hand to deliver more immediate response – and immediacy is important when you’ve got more than three times the stock output under the hood. The fully rebuilt SUBARU BOXER® engine retains its factory 2.0-liter displacement but now sports forged internals with 10:1 compression, a ported and polished cylinder head, and a custom BorgWarner turbo setup that allows Hong to adjust the boost levels on the fly.
Nguyen Le’s 2013 Subaru BRZ
Just one glance at Le’s ride makes it clear that this is no garden-variety BRZ. The Varis® body kit provides an aggressive look while making room for the wide WORK® Meister® S1 wheels, which hide Brembo®1 brakes from a 2008 STI behind them. A fan of the RWB Porsche, Le also added the rear wing from a 993 GT2 Evo 2 as well. “When I was building the car, I wanted to follow the STI philosophy of balanced performance,” Le says. “That was sort of the blueprint of my build. I wanted a well-rounded car, not just … a straight-line drag racer or something like that.” When he does get the itch to send his BRZ down the 1320, the Piper UK rally camshafts, forged pistons and connecting rods, heavily reworked valvetrain, and Precision 6466 64 mm ball bearing turbocharger ensure the car has plenty of scoot to back up the racy aesthetic.
1 Brembo® is a registered trademark of Freni Brembo, S.p.A.
