The second-generation Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ are not cars people buy because they dominate a spec sheet. They are light, responsive, approachable, and rewarding at speeds that can still be enjoyed on a good road. That creates an interesting question when it is time to modify one: do you preserve that naturally aspirated character and sharpen everything around it, or add forced induction and turn up the entire experience?

In the video, Yo drives two GR86s that answer that question in completely different ways. Tim’s @anothergr86 build stays naturally aspirated and focuses on response, balance, and driver involvement. Adriel’s @thatredgr86 build uses a Vortech supercharger to deliver substantially more power without abandoning the linear feel that makes the FA24 enjoyable.

Neither philosophy is automatically better. The right one depends on what you want the car to do—and, just as importantly, how you want it to feel while doing it.

The Same Platform, Two Different Definitions of Better

The factory 2.4-liter FA24 makes the 2022+ GR86/BRZ a much stronger starting point than the original FA20 platform. It has more displacement, more torque, and a broader usable powerband, but the appeal of the car is still rooted in chassis balance rather than straight-line speed.

That gives owners two clear paths:

  • The naturally aspirated philosophy: improve response, grip, braking, balance, sound, and driver confidence while preserving the engine’s factory-style power delivery.
  • The supercharged philosophy: retain a linear powerband while adding enough airflow and power to make the car significantly faster everywhere.
Feature Naturally Aspirated Build Supercharged Build
Primary Goal Sharper response, balance, and usable pace A major increase in acceleration and torque
Engine Character Factory-like and rev-focused Depends on supercharger type, but remains directly tied to engine speed
Heat and Complexity Lower Higher; adds a belt drive, charge cooling, tuning, and more service points
Best Environment Back roads, autocross, momentum driving, and track development Street driving, canyon roads, fast track use, and stronger straight-line performance
Weight 5 lbs 3 lbs
Main Tradeoff Power gains remain modest Higher total cost and greater thermal, drivetrain, and tuning demands

Philosophy One: Build the Naturally Aspirated Car Around the Driver

A naturally aspirated build is sometimes treated like the option for someone who simply has not added boost yet. That misses the point. A well-developed NA GR86/BRZ can be an extremely intentional car.

Owner: @anothergr86

Instead of asking the engine to transform the platform, this philosophy improves the systems that let the driver access more of what is already there. Tires, alignment, suspension, brakes, cooling, seating position, and driver seat time can all make the car faster and more communicative without changing its fundamental character.

Intake, header, exhaust, and ECU calibration can improve sound and response, but no collection of basic bolt-ons will create the same acceleration as a properly engineered forced-induction system. The value of the NA route is not a dramatic dyno number. It is the cohesion of the complete car.

What an NA Build Does Well

  • Preserves the predictable relationship between throttle position, engine speed, and rear-tire load.
  • Encourages momentum driving, clean inputs, and better corner entry and exit technique.
  • Keeps heat, weight, plumbing, and underhood complexity comparatively low.
  • Allows more of the budget to go toward tires, brake pads and fluid, dampers, alignment components, cooling, and track time.
  • Makes it easier to use the full powerband without immediately overwhelming the chassis or the road.

That last point matters. A car does not need to be slower to be more involving, but it does need to let the driver participate. Yo’s reaction to Tim’s car captures that perfectly: Adriel’s supercharged GR86 is significantly faster, yet Tim’s naturally aspirated build feels closer in philosophy to Yo’s GT3. It rewards carrying speed, choosing the right gear, and working with the chassis rather than relying on torque to erase a mistake.

Who Should Stay Naturally Aspirated?

The NA path makes the most sense if your favorite part of the platform is its balance, if you want to develop as a driver, or if the car sees long track sessions where simplicity and heat management are priorities. It is also the smarter starting point for an owner who has not yet established a baseline with good tires, brakes, alignment, and seat time.

The limitation is straightforward: if you already know the car feels slow to you in a straight line, chassis work and an exhaust will not solve that problem. At some point, more acceleration requires moving more air.

Supercharged 22+ GR86

Philosophy Two: Add Power Without Losing the Car’s Character

A supercharger is driven mechanically by the engine, usually through a belt. Unlike a turbocharger, it does not wait for exhaust energy to build. The engine and compressor are directly connected, so response is immediate—but the shape of the powerband depends heavily on the type of supercharger.

For the GR86/BRZ, that can mean two very different experiences. A centrifugal unit adds more and more airflow as RPM rises, making the FA24 feel like a larger, stronger naturally aspirated engine. A positive-displacement unit moves a fixed volume of air per revolution and produces a much stronger low- and midrange response.

Both make the car faster. The real choice is where you want that added performance to live.

GR86/BRZ Supercharger Types Explained

Centrifugal Superchargers

Strengths

  • Linear, RPM-dependent power delivery
  • Strong top-end performance
  • Less abrupt torque at low RPM than a positive-displacement setup
  • A character that can feel like a larger-displacement NA engine
  • A strong match for drivers who want more speed without completely changing how the car asks to be driven

Tradeoffs

  • Less low-RPM torque than a Roots-style or twin-screw unit
  • Full performance is concentrated higher in the rev range
  • Additional belt, oiling, intercooler, piping, and calibration requirements

Roots & Twinscrew Superchargers

Strengths

  • Immediate response and strong low- to midrange torque
  • Effortless acceleration without always needing a downshift
  • An OEM-like powerband when the system and calibration are properly developed
  • Excellent street and canyon-road drivability

Tradeoffs

  • More torque arrives earlier, increasing demand on the tires, clutch, transmission, and engine
  • The intake manifold, intercooler circuit, pump, and heat exchanger add weight and complexity
  • Repeated hard use still requires careful attention to intake-air, coolant, and oil temperatures

Vane Superchargers

A vane supercharger uses an offset rotor with sliding vanes that trap and move pockets of air through a cylindrical housing. The concept appeared in older racing and specialty applications, but sliding contact creates friction, sealing, lubrication, and wear challenges that modern centrifugal and positive-displacement designs solve more effectively.

There is no established modern bolt-on vane-supercharger system for the 2022+ GR86/BRZ. For a current FA24 build, it is useful engineering history—not a realistic shopping option.

1. Centrifugal Superchargers

A centrifugal supercharger uses a high-speed impeller to draw in and accelerate air before converting that velocity into pressure. The compressor side works much like the cold side of a turbocharger, but it is driven from the crankshaft rather than by an exhaust turbine.

Because compressor speed rises with engine speed, boost and power generally build toward redline. That creates a smooth, progressive delivery with strong top-end performance. For owners who like the way the FA24 already revs and responds but want substantially more of it, a centrifugal system is usually the closest match.

Cetrifugal Superchargers Contiued

The Jackson Racing FA24 Supercharger System is the clearest current example for the 2022–2026 platform. It uses a Rotrex C38-81 centrifugal supercharger, a dedicated traction-fluid circuit with its own cooler, a front-mount air-to-air intercooler, and a blow-through MAF arrangement. Jackson Racing advertises up to a 40% increase in horsepower and 35% increase in torque, with both Tune It Yourself and factory-calibrated versions available.

HKS also offers its GT2-7040L centrifugal supercharger system for the FA24-powered ZN8/ZD8 platform. It is a vehicle-specific package with brackets, piping, intercooling, and traction-fluid components. As with any tuner-oriented forced-induction package, exact calibration, included electronics, emissions status, and regional availability should be confirmed before ordering.

Jackson Racing FA24 Supercahrger

2. Roots-Style and Twin-Screw Superchargers

Roots and twin-screw superchargers are both positive-displacement designs, but they are not identical. A Roots-style unit uses meshing lobes to move air into the intake manifold, while a twin-screw design uses interlocking rotors that compress the air internally as it travels through the housing.

For a second-generation GR86/BRZ, the best-known example is the Harrop TVS1320. The Eaton TVS1320 is an advanced Roots-style unit with four-lobe, high-twist rotors. Harrop integrates it into a one-piece manifold and supercharger housing with twin water-to-air intercoolers, a dedicated low-temperature radiator, and an electric coolant pump.

The result is immediate torque and a much fuller powerband from low RPM. Harrop lists 303 horsepower and 237 lb-ft of torque at the hubs for its Stage 1 calibration—gains of 41% and 36%, respectively, in Harrop’s test conditions. Those numbers should not be compared directly with chassis-dyno, engine, or owner-reported figures, but they show the intent of the package: a broad increase in usable performance rather than a narrow top-end hit.

Adriel’s Vortech-Supercharged GR86: A Real-World Example

Adriel did not choose the Vortech system simply to chase the largest possible number. Vortech invited him to participate in research and development, and the resulting build fits his goal: preserve the dynamic, linear relationship between the pedal and the rear tires while making the entire powerband feel larger.

In the video, Adriel describes a daily setup around 320 horsepower with the ability to make roughly 380 horsepower at the upper end of the combination. Those are owner-reported figures from the video and should be understood in the context of the fuel, calibration, dyno type, and measurement point used for his car.

More important than the peak figure is the ownership history. Adriel reports approximately 50,000 miles without a major engine or transmission issue, with a couple of clamps being the notable fixes. The engine and stock transmission have otherwise remained largely untouched from a power-modification standpoint.

That is encouraging, but it is still one owner’s experience—not a universal reliability guarantee. Installation quality, tuning, fuel quality, operating temperature, maintenance, driving style, and torque level all matter. A conservative, well-developed package that has survived 50,000 miles is very different from assuming every stock FA24 will tolerate every pulley, fuel, or calibration combination.

A Quick HKS and Vortech Fitment Clarification

HKS offers both turbocharged and supercharged solutions for the FA24, so the product names matter. The HKS GTIII-RS kit available through Driven.Media is a turbocharger system, not a centrifugal supercharger. HKS’s relevant centrifugal system is the GT2-7040L supercharger kit.

The linked Vortech page also requires caution. Its title references a GR86/BRZ tuner kit, but the listing is currently unavailable and its product description identifies an FA20-specific H67B system. Until Vortech confirms FA24 fitment for a specific part number, it should not be treated as a verified 2022+ GR86/BRZ option.

The Kit Is Not the Complete Build

Forced induction changes more than the horsepower number. Before choosing a kit, budget and plan for the complete system around it.

  • ECU calibration: A safe tune from someone experienced with the FA24 is essential. A tuner kit is not a complete running solution.
  • Fuel: Use the octane and fuel type required by the calibration. Do not change fuel blends without the correct tune.
  • Charge cooling: Confirm intercooler installation, confirm if it’s either an air-to-water or water-to-air setup, hose routing, and airflow.
  • Engine-oil temperature: Track use may require additional oil cooling and more frequent inspection. The correct setup depends on climate, session length, and use.
  • Clutch and drivetrain: A stock clutch may survive a conservative setup, but added torque and aggressive driving can shorten its life.
  • Tires and brakes: More speed increases braking demand and makes tire quality and braking performance even more important..
  • Maintenance: Belts, clamps, couplers, filters, dedicated supercharger fluid, spark plugs, and fluid intervals become part of the ownership plan.
  • Emissions and warranty: Confirm current federal, state, and local legality as well as the effect on factory and component warranties before ordering.

A reliable build is not created by the compressor alone. It is the result of conservative goals, compatible hardware, a proven calibration, careful installation, good fuel, and consistent maintenance.

Which Build Philosophy Is Right for You?

Choose Naturally Aspirated If:

  • You care more about feel, balance, and driver development than straight-line speed.
  • You want to use more of the car’s performance more often.
  • You prioritize lower complexity and easier heat management.
  • Your next dollars would be better spent on tires, brakes, suspension, alignment, cooling, or track time.

Choose a Centrifugal Supercharger If:

  • You like the FA24’s existing character but want much more power as the revs rise.
  • You want strong top-end performance with progressive delivery.
  • You are willing to build around the kit with proper calibration, cooling, fuel, and maintenance.

Choose a Roots-Style Supercharger If:

  • You want immediate throttle response and a much stronger low- and midrange.
  • You want the car to feel faster during normal street and canyon driving without constantly chasing redline.
  • You prefer a broad, OEM-like torque curve over a top-end-focused rush.

Our Take

The best BRZ/GR86 build is not the one with the longest parts list or the highest dyno sheet. It is the one whose modifications all support the same purpose.

Tim’s naturally aspirated GR86 proves that a cohesive chassis and a responsive engine can create a serious driver’s car without forced induction. Adriel’s Harrop-supercharged GR86 proves that a well-developed boost package can make the platform dramatically faster while preserving a linear, usable personality. Yo’s impressions draw the line between them: the supercharged car is clearly faster, while the NA car feels closer to the GT3 philosophy.

If you are still learning what the stock chassis can do, start with tires, brakes, alignment, suspension, and seat time. If you already know that what you are missing is acceleration, choose the supercharger whose power delivery matches the roads and events you actually drive.

22+ GR86 / BRZ Superchargers

Vendor:HKS

HKS GT2 S/C SYSTEM W/ ECU PACKAGE - 2013-2021 Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ / Scion FRS

$4,510.00
Vendor:HKS

HKS VERSION UP KIT to GT S/C SYSTEM - 2013-2021 Toyota 86 / Subaru BRZ / Scion FRS

$779.96
Vendor:Jackson Racing

Jackson Racing FA24 Supercharger System - 2022+ Subaru BRZ / Toyota GR86

From $5,499.00

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