i havent read all of the posts, but i think the evo MR edition will beat the rx-8, at least that is what i got from reading car and driver for the past 3 years...Im personally a evo 5 fan (one of my dream cars)...if i was you i would have trade it in either for the fact that i wouldn't be want to be seen as a punk driving some mitsubishi, where the rx-8 has class. I agree with your choice of keeping the rx-8, GOOD JOB!!!

 

Sorry, you don't buy a EVO MR for the interior. Here is a great Top Gear video of a EVO MR taking out a Lamborghini Murcielago at the track. Love it or hate it, it is one of the greatest street legal track cars avalilable under $40,000.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...899&q=top+gear

 

This was NOT a US spec MR. This was a British 490hp beast. But the point is well taken!!!!!!

 

I'll go a step further and say the Evo and STI are the two best performance bargains ever made. That is why so many other car owners like the bash them, it bugs them that their car that they paid just as much or more for doesn't have near the same performance so they critisize the exterior and interior looks as a result. All I can say is that it sucks for you guys that don't like the looks of these cars and need a car that your insecure self will feel comfortable picking clients up in, you're missing out on a lot of fun.

 

Why is this concept so hard to understand? I will have to disagree though that they are the BEST bargins ever. I dont know the inflation rate from the '70s, but cars were damn cheap then.

 

The FQ400 is 400bhp, but yeah...the USDM Evos have about 100 less HP/TQ.

 

Sorry, Got over zealous with the hp. Thank you.


\/ \/ \/ And to save posts and continue with the apologetic theme, I edit pro-actively for Ike below. Yeah, I cant think of any cars from the sixtys and seventies that had weight to hp ratios near 10 and also had great handing. THough the 240z was close as well as the MG. But those arent really what we are discussing, are they?

 

Well, regardless, there was no car in the 70s that could offer the type of all around performance that the Evo and STI can. Hell most of the muscle cars from the 70s had a hard time getting traction in a straight line let alone traction around a turn. Real world, every single muscle car from that era is slower than an Evo or STI.

 

Now why would it bug anyone that paid the same for a different car, that the Evo/Sti perform better? They obviously could've opted for the better performing, less asthetic/cosmetic vehicle, but didn't for a reason. For those that need a "respectable" car to pick up clients in, it's not about being insecure. Clients have certain expectations. To keep them and gain new ones, you must meet those expectations. I don't criticize the looks of the vehicle because they're faster than my car, I do so because they're ugly (the Sti much less so than the Evo). It's pure sillyness to say I'm jealous of a car I could've purchased had I really wanted it, in fact it smacks of SRT-4 fanboism. I like the idea behind the cars, but would never buy one. I've got no problems with people who like the cars. Perhaps if they sell enough of them, a model will come out that I'd be willing to buy, though I prefer rwd.

 

While on the subject of the FQ series (FQ260, FQ320, FQ400) Evos available in the UK, Buschur Racing is now selling a BR330 and BR350 Evo VIII and Evo IX at Medinah Mitsubishi in Atlanta...

http://www.buschurracing.com/br-evo.htm

I'm hoping other Mistu dealerships will catch on and allow reputable local tuners...like Vishnu, WORKS, etc...to prep their factory Evos for those looking for more HP/TQ and a warranty to go along with it. I know if they sold the BR330 or BR350 out here in NorCal I would have been all over that like white on rice.

 

What line of work are you in Therm?

 

Navy.

 

You ahve clients in the Navy? In the Navy!

 

Warranteed and CARB cert?

 

Absolutely. The big no-no is tampering with the factory catalytic converter. In fact David Buschur wants to do a BR400 but doing it with the factory cat is a major challenge.

 

oki may i ask how an S2000 has anything to do with a F1 car?

I can understand the STi/EVo because they are civilised and street legal rally cars which very closesly resemble their rally counterparts in looks as well as performance.....

but i dont see how an S2000 relates to an F1 car... yes the VTEC came from F1 technology but so did paddle shifter and DSC, TC, aerodynamics etc.. that means all cars are related to Formula one somehow or another?? cmon..


THERM8:

although i dont want to get on your your case Therm8 but youre really not thinking broad enough...why is it so hard for you to understand what the EVO and STi s stand for? they are as previously stated the closest you can get to the real deal rally car and drive it on the street legally.. their theme is RALLY.

these cars were not designed for looks, they were desinged to replicate the WRC street-legally..

they were not designed toimpress your clients on the styling cues and interior design, they are clearly made for functionality and performance...

there are certain people in this world who love rally cars and rally as a motorsport but cant afford the 300K+ price tag to own a WRC ... so for these fans Subaru and Mitsu created the street versions.. and especially mitsu has brought out numerous models and packages to appeal to the different level of "hardcoreness" of fans out there.

on the other hand an RX-8 has nothing to do with a MAZDA3 ( its not close to the 8, wheres the rotary the key ingredient to the RX series)

wtf is that all about?? from civics to mazda 3.. wow.. how much more can we degrade our cars...

 

define class.

 

I used to use the same argument when I was on the other side of the fence, and I can tell you that this is a BS position to take. Why did I use it? Primarily becuase it is hard to attack, but I never really believed what I was saying.

Clients don't care what you drive, they care about what your selling. In a very unique situation it might make a tiny difference, but if your car is making the difference your not very good at what you do. If people ask about the car, or you sence them being uncomfortable about it, you just simply talk about it, and if your good at selling yourself they'll leave the conversation loving and respecting your car.

Furthermore, the RX-8 isn't really impressing anyone, its a freaking MAZDA. If your worried about clients judging you based on what you drive, you need to get yourself a Lexus/BMW/Mercedes.

I'm an attorney, and I have never lost a client due to my STI. Its a great conversation starter, and once people get to know why you bought the car, they understand the looks. Bottom line, suits, ties, breif cases, and cars don't make business people, business people make business people. Image is a very very very LAME excuse!

 

Next time, go to court in jogging pants and see how well your "image" is perceived by everyone. That is, if you *actually* believe that suits, ties, and brief cases don't make business people. You and I both know that's a load of BS.

People that say "image" means nothing either don't have a job or lifestyle where it's important (ie. bum, McDonalds worker, etc.), or just like to argue for the sake of arguing.

 

I'm going to President's club this year at my company. That means 150% of budget and a nice little bonus on top of everything else. So I guess if I didn't have the Evo all this time I would probably be like what...200% or maybe 300% of budget? And no I'm not selling magazine subscriptions or phone books. I'm selling office equipment ranging in price from $3k to $50k...most of it on 5 year leases.

 

Sweat pants to court = Using '73 AMC gremlin to take clients out to lunch.
Nice Khakis to court = Using 2005 Evo to take clients out to lunch.
$1600 suit to court = Using CLS55 AMG to take clients out to lunch.

 

What's wrong with Gremlins?

 

if you are sitting in two hours of traffic each day...

 

What isn't?

I have first hand experience with a '73. They are beautiful cars if you like ugly. This one smoked like crazy and blew fireballs into the back seat through the non-existant floorpans from a non-existant exhaust. Built like a tank, though. I wish I could say how I found out, but there is a cop that might get upset and hunt me down to pay for his cruiser. I may already have said to much.

 

You're one of them.