HI! I'm Biff, I don't have a hybrid or plan on buying one, "I have a cat-less turbo Scion tC that gets 32MPG hwy and 15-21 City with a CEL on 100% of the time since it has no cats, I also plan on getting a V8 Lexus LS400, make it VIP and install turbo and straight pipes. But, my dad is in the market of buying a Prius and he happens to be a tree hugging hippy! and also wants to make it look a bit better, and that's why I'm here. He test drove a Prius and loved it, he wants to get a navy blue one with a leather interior, the only problems are: he hates how the grille looks, wants 15-16" JDM branded rims that are lighter, he said it's way too high to get better MPGs on hwy, and he wishes the brakes have more feel to it than being mushy. So, is it possible to have a better looking body kit on the Prius that also give better aerodynamics? Are there wheels that are lighter than the OE 15"s and are there progressive rate lowering spring that drop it by about 1.5-2" and is it possible to have better brake feel even if it has that regenerative brakes? I ask too many Q's do I? Anyway, Thanks for the tips!
He should consider a #6 touring. There are body kits but they won't improve the aerodynamics as they Prius has already been designed for that. Can't speak for the rims, but there are plenty of threads here on both rims and tires. Most people take a mileage hit with the bigger rims and tires. Now sure if there are "lighter" rims when you're going bigger than what is on the car. You've found a site with a lot of info. Search around and you'll gather great information for your Dad. And the dark blue with the gray interior is so very attractive. Very good choice.
turbo tC??? I would've thought supercharged. Where'd you get a turbo for the 2AZ? Also, I'm not aware that the UR engine could be turbocharged either. Anyway, the rims on the Prius are already lightweight. The 15" rims weigh 14 lbs each. Also the grille is chromed. You can get a black one from Japan, not a problem. Its aerodynamics is already best-in-class at a Cd of 0.26. The only current production car that beats it is the LS430 and LS460. Modellista and Kenstyle are the two that make bodykits for the Prius. I prefer the Modellista kit myself. The suspension setup can be upgraded using TRD Sportivo parts or TOM'S front/rear braces. As for brakes, not that I know. They're pretty standard rotors and pads.
There are a bunch of turbo kits for the tC (it actually gave me a headache) but I got a GReddy kit plus a few more stuff from GReddy also, and it only cost me 4grand to turbo the tC including exhaust and suspension. And for the LS400, (it's old) it has a 1UZ-FE (not the new UR) that could easily hit 550WHP or more when built from the ground up and turbo'd. Also, what MPGs should my dad expect when driving it on highway when made as aerodynamic as possible and lowered by 2 inches with lighter rims? Thanks for the advice on parts. (I didn't know they have it in TRD...)
Not bad considering TRD offers the supercharger for the tC for $5k but it does have a warranty. ahh sorry. Yes UZ not UR lol. Depends how fast he's going. At 70mpg, my stock car on 15s get 46mpg. At 62mph, it rises quick to 50mpg. The Prius is pretty flat underneath and you can see even the roof's curved in to minimise eddies around the edges of the roof.
Good luck to your dad improving the aerodynamic drag of the lowest drag 4 door production car on the market. Has he weighed the wheels on a Prius to know the JDM ones are lighter, I think he might be disapointed. There are very few wheels that are lighter.
