Mitsubishi Evo VIII

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by broady

Sorry Mark got to call you up on this.

The oft peddled urban myth of them driving themselves due to computer trickery is a load of cods I'm afraid. The Evo is probably the most fun you can have in a car on the right road. Active Yaw Control or the later SAYC makes bugger all difference to the way the car drives, merely how it reacts at the absolute limit of adhesion, something very few people will ever experience, especially on a public road. AYC is a kind of 'I'll try to save your butt at the 11th hour kind of thing' but of course it's unable to exceed the laws of physics!

A correctly setup Evo is the epitome of feedback and control on backroads and lanes and the fact that it can do all this yet able to cover motorway distance whilst seating 4 in comfort is quite staggering. Round a track (yawn!) the Evo is a reasonable car but on a dirty B road is where it thrives

If it's of any interest I feel a little qualified to answer the original poster as an MSA International Rally licence holder, having successfully competed in rallying for 10+ years in hi-spec front, rear and 4wd cars as well as teaching at rally school. in my spare time I give private track and motorsport driving tuition in many top-end sports cars (Available for hire if you wish!! )

My best

Graham

I on the other hand am a high speed wanker track day driver who does maybe a half dozen track days a year.

This quadruple apex corner/complex (the Bus Stop) at Landlow is a case in point




Breaking from 120 on the straight down into second gear then turning in for the curb under the marshals box is one of the scariest maneuvers on any track i have been on. The Armco is the only thing stopping you if you drop it.

I have done this particular corner in many cars including an Evo. The rest of Landlow is easy enough except possibly taking too big a chunk out of the chicane before turn 5.

In the Evo you just nail it every where wet or dry it didnt seem to matter. It was sooooo fast and very easy to drive. The ABS on my 265bhp MR2 is unforgiving in the bus stop corner but in the evo (and the RX8) you could rely on the DSC and ABS to gather together any late breaking.

In the wet/damp taking out the 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo is terrifying. It is white knuckles all the way. The MR2 has no DSC or traction control and as is typical of a middy engine running F1s it grips and grips right up to the point where it spits you out with no chance of catching it.

In the Evo I just nailed it all the way. Same with the X8 but its a high revving rotary engine with a very smooth power curve so it doesn't bite you in the arse out of corners so much anyway.

The X8 and the Evo are a little dull to drive fast on the track. There is no sense of achievement in a fast lap i felt as if i was just along for the ride. All you need to be is brave and have a little bit in reserve to gun it if it needs.

Switch the DSC off on the X8 and its a challenge again and the MR2 is always a challenge. My favorite is the Westfield and the the Catheram Superlite R is massively quick and rewarding if driven well but not really road cars.

Of all the cars I have driven that are reasonably priced practical rewarding and fun Id go for the S2000 Honda. If money were no object id definitely get the Porsche Cayman S which some foolish garage lent me for 24 hours. I was mighty impressed.





ATB

Mark

[broady]

Originally Posted by Mark Chase

Breaking from 120 on the straight down into second gear then turning in for the curb under the marshals box is one of the scariest maneuvers on any track i have been on.

...add trees either side of your wing mirrors, mud and blind crests and it would redefine your scared threshold !

In the Evo you just nail it every where wet or dry it didnt seem to matter.

The X8 and the Evo are a little dull to drive fast on the track. There is no sense of achievement in a fast lap i felt as if i was just along for the ride. All you need to be is brave and have a little bit in reserve to gun it if it needs.

Absolutely agree - Evo's are not rewarding on track. In fact not much is - but Evo's will wipe the floor with anything down a back lane / dirty B road. I personally get thoroughly bored on car trackdays unless I'm instructing - all that round and round and round etc... no change of scenery just a handful of bends repeated ad nauseum (hey Rallying is in my blood we'll never rate circuits !)

In the wet/damp taking out the 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo is terrifying. It is white knuckles all the way.

The 80's 911 Turbo was a terrifying car anytime - you never knew who was driving who!

Of all the cars I have driven that are reasonably priced practical rewarding and fun Id go for the S2000 Honda. If money were no object id definitely get the Porsche Cayman S which some foolish garage lent me for 24 hours.

More experience required then Mr Chase, the Honda's Ok I suppose (for the wife )but if money were no object I'd aim a bit higher than a flippin Cayman S !!!!

As you're only up the road if you fancy a sit in a 400/400 Noble just shout - I'll try and nick my mates Evo 5 with sequential shifter too just to show you the error of your ways. I think we can move that threshold of yours along a touch ...

Cheers

Graham

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by Juz

Hi All,

Anyone got or had an Evo VIII?

Juz

Originally Posted by Juz

Wow!

but the tyres would be a killer, that's another £800 - 1000 per year.

Juz

Aren't these normally driven by 20 year old chavs

Juz how many sets of tyres do you go through

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by broady

.

More experience required then Mr Chase, the Honda's Ok I suppose (for the wife )but if money were no object I'd aim a bit higher than a flippin Cayman S !!!!

As you're only up the road if you fancy a sit in a 400/400 Noble just shout - I'll try and nick my mates Evo 5 with sequential shifter too just to show you the error of your ways. I think we can move that threshold of yours along a touch ...

Cheers

Graham

No I Ignored Zonda's and Nobles even the Lotus Exeige because they are not practical road cars. I also ignored anything over 20K on the S/H market so my beloved Ferrari F1 355 is out too. mo Dave (Our mighty track day leader) had the VX220 T Vaxhaul which was epic on track but frankly killed your back on the road like the Noble would. He got the BoxterS didnt like it and now has an S2000.

I would bite your arm off to have a go in the Evo5. Name the time and place and Ill be there. The trees either side bit is fine as long as its not my car Aiming your 25K pride and joy at armco is plenty scary enough when it is


Dont get me wrong I was quicker in the Evo than any other car on the day, I just didnt feel like I had acheived as much as the quick lap I did in the Westfield same day.

ATB

Mark

[Mark Chase]

Originally Posted by Fiona

Aren't these normally driven by 20 year old chavs

Juz how many sets of tyres do you go through

They eat tyres, so two sets a year on the road. Three or four if you do track days.


ATB

Mark

[G man]

Stop all that Cock Flashing you two, Ive got a company Audi estate and I garantee you it will go faster from Weymouth to Cardiff that anything you can get, ( Not including other company cars).
It will even go faster in reverse and the tyres are free, Local ATS in cardiff keep me a set all the time.
Plus any thing you bring will have to get two tech diving kit sets in.

( toung in cheek)
Oh and the other good bit is if to crash it you get another for free ( as long as you dont die)
G.

[Dave Crampton]

Juz,

Why have to chosen a Evo? I saw a write up in Top Gear mag, and the inside of the evo looked like an 80's Nissan! If I was spending cash on a fast car, I'd want one which looked nice inside too.

They looked at the VW R32, Evo and the Scubydo. The VW had the best interior, followed by the Scuby and then the Evo. If its just a pocket rocket your after why not go for something more track day, like the Arial Atom?

Dave C

[Juz]

Originally Posted by Dave Crampton

Juz,

Why have to chosen a Evo? I saw a write up in Top Gear mag, and the inside of the evo looked like an 80's Nissan! If I was spending cash on a fast car, I'd want one which looked nice inside too.

They looked at the VW R32, Evo and the Scubydo. The VW had the best interior, followed by the Scuby and then the Evo. If its just a pocket rocket your after why not go for something more track day, like the Arial Atom?

Dave C

I want something for a couple of years that has awesome performance in terms of acceleration. My original goal was to get something that has 0-60 in the 5.0 to 5.3 range. Also the Evo I'm looking at is 3 years old, only has 12k miles and is JUST within my budget.

But I can't really afford two cars and won't be doing track days (he says now!). I calc that the Evo will cost around double my Saab 93 to run per year and can probably stretch to that. I'm still unsure whether the Evo is a car I can live with every day, hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Juz

[pieater]

Originally Posted by Juz

I want something for a couple of years that has awesome performance in terms of acceleration. My original goal was to get something that has 0-60 in the 5.0 to 5.3 range.

Buy a motorbike then. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more acceleration and well within budget.

[Darren A]

Originally Posted by pieater

Buy a motorbike then. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more acceleration and well within budget.

Hmmm, the odds on surviving a car vs car collision are so much greater than a car vs bike, that I think the extra cash is money well spent!! - It's not the speed that kills you, it's the sudden stop!