I happened to be on the west coast for work and managed to get a day off so I decided to pay GTM a visit. Sam was nice enough to spend some time with me talking about the kit and even let me take the demo car for spin!
The first words out of my mouth after the test drive were "I want it". Other than me needing a little practice getting off the line with the OS Giken clutch, the car was extremely drivable and felt stock when staying out of boost. Lay into the throttle and the car responds immediately and pulls hard. I noticed the traction control light blinking pretty much every time I stomped on the gas, even in 3rd gear. So getting used to laying down the power will take some time but even with the traction control fighting you, it's a blast to drive. In my own car, I'll be curious to see what it's like with VDC shut off
I'm sure it'll be a handful.
The demo car had the 18gs and was making around 450 whp which is my goal. I was curious if the 18gs would feel a little laggy but I was happily surprised by how quickly they spooled. I'll definitely be going with those over the 16gs even though I don't have huge HP goals. I figure it gives me peace of mind in case I ever get the itch to go for more power or open up the exhaust without worrying about boost creep.
Sam was happy to answer all my questions and show me around the shop. I know these guys stay extremely busy so I really appreciate him taking time out of his day for me. I'm completely sold on this kit and GTM. The wait for the release is going to be even more painful now!