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Originally Posted by Clark_Kent
Love it! Any long(er) term impressions you can share?
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Sure. 3,600 miles on the car to date with a mix of commute, road trip, autocross, and track.
My TLDR impression is that this car is as near to a homologation special as one can get in 2023 south of $50K. It has a lot of character and makes the driver smile on the regular, while being able to do the commute/groceries/road trip. It does not shine in those realms though, as cabin noise can be loud (Corolla), a small gas tank, and buzzy exhaust under 2000rpm.
There are number of cars for sale with very low miles. I would say 1) a bit rougher and less civil for daily use than some really like and 2) values remain high, people cashing out into a higher level trim or other platform
Shift feel is rather bolt-action with little play and requires deliberate motion versus the gold-standard Honda or Porsche shifter. The clutch feel is light and something I am not a hug fan of - this seems to be the standard in all cars recently. It is forgiving and the car is equipped with rev matching should you choose to use it (I have never once turned it on). Electronic steering is not the greatest system I have encountered, improves a bit with sport mode.
I was able to road trip the car 600 miles each way for a track event and it was very comfortable using the radar cruise control and lane assist. No pain from the seats which I have gotten from my Z4M and Miata. Cabin noise can be a bit loud and the interior design and materials are fairly barebones. Car could use an armrest...
On track the stock brakes (DOT4 fluid) were strong, predictable, and without fade. Held up to three 25 min sessions in 85F ambient temps without breaking a sweat. Chassis is fairly rigid and the setup has an awful lot of grip even on the stock tires. It is not as playful as a RWD platform and I do miss that at times.
In black the car is rather unassuming and blends in with traffic akin to a regular Corolla - it only draws attention from fellow enthusiasts. We like its small size and nimble handling, makes every day a little less boring and the kiddos enjoy the turbo blowoff noises! I am eager to see how it performs this coming winter season.