Sept 01 - Ride in a Mitsubishi EVO VIII and Impreza WRX STI

[TT]

Hello everybody, another nice ride the other day (yesterday acutally). Again it was a testdrive done by this friend for his website and I was in charge of the pictures.
The idea was to test the EVO VIII before the IX will be launched and to pin it against an Impreza WRX STI to spot the differences. So I was lucky enough to be passenger in both cars obviously, and once again, up and down some mountain passes.
No supercars, but damn fun and quick.

If you are interested in a couple of words about the two cars, here they are: first of all, you have to know the STI was privately owner by a friend of my hero ( ). It has more KM, it is used as a daily drive and as a family car (with child's seats and everything) and it does trackdays too. So, suspensions, steering and even the gearbox can be a bit tired by now.
The EVO beeing a testcar from a garage had still low mileage (and it's also the newer model of course), but abused tires LOL.
That said, from the passenger seat, the EVO feels much more present, agressive and on tip toe! It's reactions are lighting quick, the suspension firm but not too firm and the grip just unbelievable. The seats are very supportive, just perfect and the engine pulls strong. Only downsides are (and we know about it) the turbo lag and the soundtrack which is totally uninspired IMO. Under 3000 rpm you are doomed, the engine just barely crawl to that mark where finally the turbo starts to hiss and kicks you in the butt, that's a pain if you are not used to it, but once you learn to play with the gears you can easily keep it on boil.
The Impreza is, on a general way, more relaxed (not the correct term actually LOL). Suspensions seems softer, the steering less direct and reactions a bit less rapid as far as I could see. Again some massive turbo lag is there.. probably not like cars from the 80s, but really impressive after having seen what a 997 can do on the same mountain road. But the boxer's burble is a much better soundtrack IMO.
Inside both cars are dead basic, with the Subaru beeing slightly better IMO. Anyway you don't buy such car for the luxury, so it is ok.
There was some tougue style chases up and downhill and the feeling is that the EVO has got the edge when the cars are driven on the limit, but on a daily basis the Impreza could be the better choice. Still focused, but not on the edge like the EVO is.
The brakes in the evo seems to fade quite quickly, a simple mountain pass downhill made the pedal travel already longer and the pads less strong, and I won't talk about the smell of abused brakes
Last note, to cover some 120 km the EVO swallowed around 26 liters of petrol :shock:

BTW, with this test I am launching a new section of my website, for "in depth photo coverage" enjoy!

Here are some previews, you can find 40 pics by clicking them






For the ones interested, a couple of vids. The quality is as always average, and the onboard is shaky, but it's just a photocamera and I am shooting the vids just for future reference :

Cornering (from outside, same corner where we got the oeversteer picture) - http://rapidshare.de/files/4576544/e...ering.zip.html
Onboard following the Impreza, downhill - http://rapidshare.de/files/4603532/m...ariuz.zip.html

Tomorrow a new addition, Mazda RX-8

[dingo]

Excellent photos TT, and as I told you I love that colour on the Evo - and rare at the same time makes it even better!

Why didn't he get a current model STi, would have been a fairer comparison to the Evo VIII?

Thanks, and I look forward to the RX-8.

[komotar]

Awesome TT!!!

The Evo pics are even better than the 997S ones!

I'm glad you have lots of detailed shots. Did the guy made do it

It's unbelivable ow some of us have come far regarding out "car hobby".

You, dingo, me and some others.....

If somebody would told me a year ago, I would be working for a car magazine, dingo would be going to the Outback to be the official photographer of the trip, plus having photoshoots and your pics would be used for lot's more than just posting on your site.....

It sure makes you think

[stmoritzer]

oversteer pic :shock: , great !

Thanks for sharing your impressions of that ride.

Good luck for your new section "in depth photo coverage" , I'm sure it will challenge professional car-tester in the world !

[Wutputt]

I didn't expected that colour for an EVO. It looks good though, but not great. Seems like JC is testing one car after the other. Great! I hope they will keep on coming, cause the pics are great and the reports are a nice read

My favourite pic actually is the detailed pic of the rim & brake caliper.

[Mopsdrops]

Woaw, very nice pictures, and very good detailed. Glad to see you had such a nice day, with some good cars.

[raphaelws]

Evo vIII is 8) 8) 8) awesome!

[TT]

Thanks guys to take pics is cool, but to share them with other car nuts is ever better

Cyril, you are right, we are moving well lately! If you think about it, the car sighting stuff wasn't as developped as it is now. It's also because of the chepness of digital cameras of course, but we did our part to make it more and more popular. by "we", I mean all the ppl contributing in this section.
Nowaday on every forum you can find member's car sightings and magazines turn toward them too :shock:

As for the detail shots, it came natural.. when you are with the same car for 3 or 4 hours, even if you don't like such pics, you take them anyway LOL

It's just amazing and I bet more and more ppl will become more and more involved!

Dingo, it would have been a bit complicated to get two test cars the same day, actually the fact we would pin it against the impreza was decided just 2 or 3 days before the test, as a bonus.

I am kinda happy with the new part of my website, the in depth coverage is interesting and there will be more cars there soon!

[SilviaEvo]

i was hoping for the newer STi too but im not complaining! the over steer picture with the EVO is great!

[TT]

The oversteer pic was really a nice catch, and lucky since I don't shoot in rifle mode :shock:

We had to try several times, to find out where the best oversteering point was and where to place myself considering it. And it's not that easy to upset an EVO, so, respect to JC!
Yes this month was kinda busy, especially because he will be away next week, so we had to stock up some stuff
I hope winter won't stop us

[Schwalbe]

Amazing pix TT !

A good photographer, the colors, the background all is perfect to carry out excellent pictures.

[TT]

Ok, for the ones able to read french, here is the article just posted by JC
http://www.asphalte.ch/Auto/Evo8/Evo8-1.html