RX-Hachi

I’ve always secretly liked the Lancer Evo. But as I’m no spring chicken, felt it too juvenile a car for me. However, the new EVO IX has renewed my interest and I went to the local dealer to see if they had any. No luck, they hadn’t arrived yet, just ‘05 EVO VIIIs on the lot.

When it was first introduced a few years back, the best I could manage was a short test drive around the block (as they didn’t even want to give test drives back then). This time, they were all too eager, as they’re trying to clear out the ‘05s. “So what the hell, lets see what the car can really do”, I thought.

As soon as we leave the lot a souped up Camaro pulls up and starts to rev its engine. Great, all this did was reenforce the idea that the car is too juvenile for me. (And no, I didn’t race him.) But aside from the rude start to the test drive, as expected the car is a BLAST to drive. I really liked the way the car handled. It took corners really flat, with less body roll than the 8. It had a raw go kart like feel, while the 8 handles as well but does it in a much more refined way. But boy the car sure felt like it could turn on a dime and surprisingly the ride felt quite comfortable on rough surfaces. Must be the rally bread suspension. And of course the car really moves, especially when the turbo kicks in. It was too damn easy to reach speeds of close to 100 mph and I was constantly paranoid of cops. Amazingly, the sales guy encouraged me to push the car hard.

However, the speed and handling is where the compliments end. Actually, I was a little disappointed with the acceleration. It felt no faster than my old FD RX-7 and not as fast as the E46 M3 which I have test driven extensively. And while certainly faster than the 8, not really to the extent that I thought it might be. (For those that don’t know, the car mags drop the EVO at a very high revs to get the sub 5 sec 0-60 times. Same with the 8.) Also, the engine/exhaust sound wasn’t anything to shout home about either.

The looks are of course a subjective thing. You either like it, or learn to live with it for the performance of the car. For me, the car is a little fugly, but appeals to me much more than the STi. Much has been said about the cheap interior. And aside from the Recaro seats, the interior is damn cheap. Like the fugly looks, the cheap interior is part of the price one pays for the performance.

Unlike when I test drove the Lotus Elise, my EVO VIII test drive lacked the post drive nirvana feeling. Instead, it simply reinforced my original feelings for the car; that despite its obvious performance bang for the buck, its negatives outweigh the car’s virtue for my needs and likes. And the drive home also reaffirmed that the RX-8 is still the perfect car for me.

moRotorMotor

Pretty nice review! You can't really expect any better interior with the STi or Evo 8 considering the price you are paying. You just resparked my interest for this beast. How come they don't sell the Evo in Canada?

Ike

The STI interior is actually pretty nice IMO. The Evo isn't sold in Canada because of safety regulations.

280RX-8

See, now that's similar to what I tell people when they ask me about the Z/ RX-8 comparison. That was a good, honest review, with no bashing, bad-mouthing, just honest opinions, which was knd of refreshing. Another thing about those mag time, I think they spool up the turbo before they launch as well. That, and a lot of magazines subtract the first 2 or 3 tenths of a second it takes for the car to get rolling from a dead stop(motor falls on it's face, wheelspin,etc.).

Ike

They don't subract anything in mag times but some mags do correct for elevation. Like any car you need to get the revs up to get a proper launch with the Evo, even a little more than most cars (save for the RX-8) since it's awd and you can be more aggressive without having to worry about wheelspin.

crossbow

If you get a chance, give the Evo IX a whirl. Though on paper the number of improvements seem relatively minor...the performance difference on the strip is considerable vs the previous 8 gen. BMI just did a comparison (in pouring rain) between the 8 MR and 9 MR, and the 9 almost bested the 8 by 0.5 seconds in the 1/4. I believe it ran a 13.2 if I'm not mistaken.

Its volume 24 if you want to download the torrent.
http://www.bestmotoringvideo.com/package/img/vol24.jpg

moRotorMotor

Damn, all this talk is making me want the Evo even more. You'd think they would be able to make it stronger so it can be sold in more countries. How hard would it be to bring one over from the states?

Ike

Well, the JDM Evos have some different features than the USDM Evos, ayc being a big one. There also seems to be a lot of variance in the Evo 8s and I wouldn't be shocked if there was a ringer 9 supplied by Mitsubishi to Best Motoring. Just a guess but I think you'll see maybe a couple tenths difference between a '05 Evo XIII and an '06 IX. Besides that, the Evo 8 is still the one to get if you want to make big power and not wait for the aftermarket to develop. In fact the Evo 8 and older may always be the one to have if you want to make big power with mods.

RX-Hachi

The EVO IX is what really got me thinking about the EVO again in the first place. That's car I wanted to see and drive. I'm sure the dealer will give me a call as soon as they come in.

Ironically, another sales person on the lot mentioned how she loves the RX-8 and wants to buy one. In fact, she kidded that I should trade in my 8, so she could buy my car.

moRotorMotor

OMG I just messed up my pants! EVO is coming to Canada! I hope this info is legit.

Moostafa29

Where can I find the torrent??

280RX-8

Some of them do, seriously. They call it roll-out time/distance. I think that's why some mags list 0-60 and 0-60 "street start."

Ike

Street start is 5-60...

Steiner

In terms of acceleration, off the showroom floor it's faster than an FD by a notch, but the 3.2L inline 6 in the M3 puts down a naturally aspirated 333hp and 262tq, so that power is on tap all the time. Unless you've spooled the turbo, that little 2.0L in the Evo isn't gonna do much at the wrong RPM. I'm sure you already know this, but if properly driven an Evo will trade blows with an E46 M3 in the 1/4 mile. They both do low 13's on average with a 0-60mph of around 4.5 or 4.6 seconds. The Evo will outhandle the E46 M3 though. My personal opinion (having been in a few of them) is that the older E36 M3's are stonger more tossable and better composed canyon cars than their E46 M3 succesor. But to get back on the subject, the exhaust note on the Evo is somewhat uninspiring. I agree. So is the boost taper at 5,200 RPM's. I hated it. So recently I replaced my exhaust with a very conservative cat-back piece with jet black coating from a popular JDM company called RS*R. It's very quiet until you go WOT, at which point is growls like all hell. I also had the car flashed and dyno tuned. The boost taper is gone and, along with some changes to the peak psi and timing, I've picked up close to 30whp on an uber safe AFR of around 10.8/1. Those numbers are also on a prematurely failing OEM catalytic converter, so figure an extra 15-20whp could be extracted with a simple 3" downpipe and high-flow cat. My point is that the best, easiest, funnest thing about the Evo is to improve the very thing you found least desirable (beside the interior :p)...the power. The fact that you like how it handled but want to make it faster would make you the perfect Evo owner.

BTW...Buschur racing did a bunch of dyno pulls to compare the Evo VIII to the Evo IX. Horsepower and peak torque was nearly identical at all RPM's, although reports from Japan seem to indicate that the Evo IX in USDM trim is even more detuned than the Evo VIII, perhaps as a result of smog regulations or 100k mile warranty reasons. Whatever the potential of the Evo IX, it will be a little while before the aftermarket catches up. In addition to some material changes to the turbo, Mistubishi also added their version of variable valve timing (MIVEC).

280RX-8

5-60? Ok. Looking back at the article, it just said from a roll(no mph). But I swear, some mags do what I said. I ve seen some mags list Evos at 4.9, and some at like 5.4, and still others at 5.6. They were all MT, 2004's, so draw your own conclusions as to the disparities(drivers, conditions, etc.).

Ike

I think you're confused, I've seen a WRX do 5.4 and 5.6 in mags but never an Evo. It's almost always in the mid 4s 0-60 with maybe some tests only managing very low 5s. And no, no mags do what you said, they don't just chop some time off for various reasons. It would make testing them kind of pointless if you're not going to use the actual test data, don't you think?

RX-Hachi

I agree with what you're saying, especially the e36 M3's handling vs the e46 M3. I used to own an e36 M3. But it's not the car's speed that's holding me back from getting the EVO, I was very satisfied with its speed. I was only slightly disappointed, because I expected a sub 5 sec 0-60 car to "feel" as fast or faster than the e46 M3 and/or Elise. But the sensation of speed wasn't quite as I had hoped. I certainly know what the car is capable of on paper. But anyone can make a car fast, handling is more of an art form, and that's what I liked best about the EVO.

The EVO IX (stock) is suppose to be an even better performer than the VIII. I also like the way it looks a little better and the interior is upgraded slightly as well. If I were to get the EVO, I'd want a IX. I don't care for the direction Mitsubishi seems to be heading with X.

However, the one thing that always stops me from seriously considering the EVO is the car's image. It screams BOY RACER. I'm just too old for that kind of car, although the "kid" in me still likes it.

Ike

I'm guessing you didn't launch the car properly, or launch it at all for that matter. As for the image of the car, I agree. However I think that type of thinking is soon to be a thing of the past as the younger generations age. I can't tell you how many middle aged men I see driving cars like Evos, STIs/WRXs, TCs, etc. At first it was odd, but now I almost expect it.

crossbow

Ike,

I believe the new MR gets the ayc (in the states).

However I did just talk to some evo guys and they pointed out the JDM evo's get the new turbo's....while the US gets the same ones. The turbo's the big difference in the BMI review . I want magnesium compressor wheels....

Ike

There are also twin scroll turbos on some JDM models and not on the USDM. I hope you're right about the MR but I've heard it's still not getting it.

280RX-8

Not if they are biased towards or against a particular vehicle or automaker. Why would auto companies put out fictitious horsepower ratings, whether they be higher or lower, if a few dyno pulls could bring the truth?

And the turbo sedans aren't kid cars, I don't think. I see very few kids with 'em here. I was considering a WRX instead of an 8 to replace my Z. I've never driven one, though. I really love my turbo. I'm gonna miss the torque. Maybe Mazda will fix the 8 up w/a turbo sometime soon.

Ike

That's a question for Mazda, not me.

AbusiveWombat

Did you think that the a stock EVO was faster than an FD or e46? Stock for stock the EVO isn't really any faster than a stock FD and the e46 is certainly faster in stock form. The EVO only becomes a beast once you start to modify it.

AbusiveWombat

Sounds like you come from a RWD background. One thing you need to remember about the EVO's sub-5 second 0-60 is that a good portion of that time is due to the traction advantage of AWD. Same thing goes with the 1/4 mile. The EVO may run a 13.5 but interms of rolling acceleration, it's no better than a 350z which turns a 13.9.

salituro64

IMO I tend to disagree. A boy racer car is geared to certain demographics. I don't know anyone around 40 who is looking into an STI or EVO (I'm sure there are some). It's like a riced up Honda Civic. Not many 40 year olds doing that either.