Just wondering.....thanks for the input.

 

I test drove the 04 STI before I bought the RX8. Heck I even agreed to buy the car from the original owner as long as everything checked out... It ended up that the car had rusted underneath so bad that the dealer did not warranty the parts (the car had spent 9 months including winter in NY outside) and the guy didn't even bother disclaiming this to me.. Granted I live in CA so no rust is a MUST for me.

After this I decided to quote for insurance... It was about 75% more expensive than the RX8... Granted I am 38 with a perfect DMV record.

At that point it was a no brainer.. I always wanted the RX8... I wanted a Miata replacement and I wanted to stay with Mazda...

Yes the RX8 might not be quick.. but it's fast enough that when driven properly it can keep up with any "hi performance" car outthere.

Many many people are so fixated with HP... and this is just a Marketing gimmick that does nothing for the "fun factor driving enjoyment"

My 2 cents,
Carlos

 

There's nothing gimmick about the fun factor when I push on my gas pedal thank you very much.

 

Does anyone know if there are any decent aftermarket wings or spoilers for the STI? Every time I look at the STI I drool until I scan back to the huge wing; then I cringe.

I know some STI folks have swapped truck lids with WRX owners. But I read somewhere that the wing on the STI is funtional to some degree; and that removing it would affect handling. Any truth to this?

 

You could keep both lids, one with the wing and one without. The wing is only functional in that it provided stability to the vehicle for high speed manuvers. For normal daily commuting the wing is hardly necessary. When you are going to the track, switch lids.

 

The race was not unfair. The Lambo also has AWD. The driver just doesn't know how to drive. Any kind of launch and the Lambo would have won.

I get much more positive feedback in my STi than in the RX-8, if you are worried about that, especially from "car people".

Insurance depends on many factors. My STi costs about $780 a year, my RX-8 costs $740 (same coverage).

 

SO THAT MEANS INSURANCE WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THE 8 IS A FOUR DOOR SEDAN

 

How about this race...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...133899&q=FQ400

 

Well, it's a four door sedan that can get an inexperienced driver into trouble awful quick. Like I said in the previous post, insurance depends on a lot of factors, not the least of which is location. My STi is only $40 a year more expensive than my RX-8. You'd be wise to check out your rates before buying (this is always the case!).

 

Don't have time to watch the whole thing. I assume that is the top gear video where the FQ400 outperforms a lambo on a road course and then gets beat out in a "top gear" test by a minivan?

 

AWD was not the factor.....it's what the two cars are geared for. The Lambo is a high speed performer and the EVO/STI's are quick launch cars. Is the top speed of a EVO/STI even close to 150mph? I would think they are aerodynamically limited to the 140's. The Lambo can probably get into the 180's.


The Friday night WRX meets don't count

 

Just look at the launch...the STi takes full advantage of its AWD, while the Lambo just kinda rolls along. If the Lambo took advantage of its AWD like the STi did, it would launch faster than the STi. The STi is already a carlength ahead by the time the Lambo gets going.

Hey, I'm always for STis having good showings, but I know a bad launch when I see one!

 

The Evo and STI will do 160mph. That video I posted may be the repostiest repost ever but it shows how well the Evo handles compared to an exotic. When it comes to performance...whether in the turns or in the straights...the Evo/STI compete with cars up to 10 times their price.

 

I'm not debating the bad launch......you may be 100% correct about that. But even with the perfect launch the Lambo would not have wasted the STI in this race......it probably would have been just as close but in the Lambo's favor. I am just saying that the Lambo has different goals for where the power is applied. A dragster and a salt flat speeder could have the same amount of power under the hood.......but it's the gearing the determines who will win in the 1/4 mile and who will win in the 1 mile sprints.

 

I am extremely suprised by that. The EVO/STI are not aerodynamic in any way, shape or form......160 is impressive.

 

So is the RX-8 according to my insurance guy, but that isn't what determines the cost. The two big factors, again according to my insurance guy (who is also a good friend of mine), are location and availability of parts/cost of repair.

When I bought my 8 I paid less to insure it than I did my Integra. Why? Because in the town I live, Integras have a high rate of theft/repairs (due to accidents). The 8 being new didn't suffer from the same problem. However, I did pay more per month than my wife paid for her Cabrio, at the time.

 

That is not a stock Evo. Not even close.

 

The suspension is the same as any Evo but the engine is not. It's a limited edition FQ400 (only sold in the UK) which puts down about 330whp. Ike's car is close to pushing those levels already. I'm only a set of $500 aftermarket cams away from those power levels on my car. Again, the suspension and handling is the same and that's what that comparison was about.

 

It wasn't a turning contest. It was a track. The horsepower and torque helps it go faster. At the end, you see that time for the FQ-320, which has 326 bhp (more than a stock U.S. Evo VIII) is slower than the Gallardo.

I'm gunna stop there cause I know crap about Evo's and even less about the U.K. versions. I know you can do all these simple mods and make your Evo go Mach 4. You could probably spin the world backwards like in Superman I if you spun the wheels for awhile.

I just don't get why people constantly get into these ridiculous comparisons. It's a Lamborghini. It's not the same kinda car as an Evo. No one buys a Lamborghini and then thinks, crap, why didn't I buy the Evo? Yes, the Evo is awesome. Yes, it can easily be modded for more power. Yes it likely holds the cure for cancer. But, it's not a Gallardo.

 

Hey, I was one of those kids that dreamed about being rich someday and driving Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and a multitude of other cars I still can't afford. Part of that was the look, but most of it was what they could do, how fast they were, and how well they handled. Today, I own a car that can put many of those supercars those cars of my youth to shame in the performance department, it can also run with some modern supercars, and for that I'm thankful.

Would I rather have a Gallardo, hell yes. Am I pretty satisfied with my choice since I know I can't have a Gallardo, damn right I am.

 

Uhh Saturn...Superman is the only one that can spin the world backwards. Jeez bro. All the Evo can do is effect climate change and curb regional starvation. Afterall it's just a car. It's not Superman.

I dunno anybody that would take an Evo (even an FQ400) over ANY Lamborghini. I certainly wouldn't. That video was just designed to show how balanced the Evo platform can be. Throw on some inexpensive power-adders and you'll be able to hang with certain exotics on certain courses. It's not as though the Evo community (or the Porsche, Corvette and Ferrari community for that matter) weren't already aware of that. For example, the NorCal Evo community always takes in cabin video when they do track days at Thunderhill, Streets of Willow, etc. Passing a Porsche, Corvette, or an NSX is par for the course.

 

[QUOTE=sti_eric]The race was not unfair. The Lambo also has AWD. The driver just doesn't know how to drive. Any kind of launch and the Lambo would have won.



I get much more positive feedback in my STi than in the RX-8, if you are worried about that, especially from "car people".



I agreed on everything you said but this is no way true the sti or wrx is plain fugly but on another note the engine is beautiful

 

Also take in account that those supercars have a feel and quality that makes the evo feel like a 100cc shifter kart in comparison. It's not just about lap times or performance #'s. It's the overall experience. You should find a way to drive a supercar. I think you'll look at your evo differently after that.

 

And what is your evidence that there is no way this is true? Let's see, I own both and drive both, so I should know which car gets more positive feedback. What is your experience? The RX-8 might get more compliments from 10 year old girls (oooh, cute car!), but the STi gets a lot more looks, thumbs up, etc from other drivers. More people have come up to talk to me after getting out of the STi then the RX-8.

Nobody is going to mistake an Evo for a Gallardo. 100/100 people would rather have a Gallardo than an Evo. But, it is nice to know that your $30K econobox can outperform/outhandle exotic cars that cost 5+ times as much.

 

Well a $10,000 bike can do what an evo does and more, so why even waste the extra 20k if performance is your only goal?

You all are missing the big picture. There will always be something faster then you on the road. It could be a 10k bike or a turbo civic with a swap. The point is that exotics are more then performance and looks. It's a perfect combination of fit and finish using the highest quality materials. Sure the evo/sti perform but they do it in the cheapest way. I rather buy a bike for all out performance then a heavy *** awd car if all we are talking about is cheap performance.