Hmm... Looking at these items, colour me unimpressed...
I obviously have no previous experience with the 2NR-FKE, but considering its roots, and I can't say my expectations for it would be all that high. DI will help with both power and fuel economy; revised ports would likely improve air flow (both intake and exhaust), but the combustion chamber remains a decidedly undersquare design. Compared to the 1.5L DJ Demio / ND Miata engine, you can see for the numbers yourself:
Toyota 2NR-FKE
bore x stroke: 72.5 mm × 90.6 mm
Mazda SkyActiv-G 1.5
bore x stroke: 74.5 mm × 85.8 mm
You can easily see that while both engines are undersquare / long stroke type, the 2NR-FKE has both a smaller bore and a (much) longer stroke. With such a long stroke, I can't imagine why the engine would be rev happy at all, or how it could achieve a high redline. You may not care about rev-ability or high redline, and a robust low end is usually good for everyday street driving, but you almost always want the opposite in a sporty car.
The suspension is a strut type setup. Do I really need to say anything more? Yes, supporters of the car will say Porsches run on struts as well, and yes, the FRS also drives phenomenally well with its struts. Still, I'd argue that these cars drive well
in spite of having a strut suspension setup, not
because of the strut setup. Look at any double wishbone car that gets driven aggressive and pay attention to their tire wear. Now look again at those cars that run with struts. That difference is all you really need to see.
The S-FR can obviously still do well in spite of these shortcomings... but like I said... it's in spite of, not because of...
