Hailz!

I have lurked over this site for a few months. I am debating which car to wait for. My 2 choices are in the post title. What are you guys thoughts?

I don't think the cars will be that far apart on final prices when they get here.


I started out craving the RX-8, but I am now leaning to the EVO.

The all-wheel drive, twin turbo just seems more exciting to me. Both have 4 doors and room for a HUGE SPOILER!

 

Two totally different cars.

Next, if you're going to choose that type of a car, go with the WRX STi, it's a helluva lot better than the Evo VII.

To compare the RX-8 and the Evo are to compare apples and oranges. The Evo is a rally car, all wheel drive which means superior traction and even faster off the line times. However, let's start with the basics. It's freakin ugly. Next, it's turbocharged, something that has brought many headaches in the past to many cars (like the RX-7).

The Evo is going to be a great drag racing car, or a great rally car, but not a good all around car, as would be in the class of the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, C class Benz, and the RX-8. AWD has its advantages but removes a lot of the 'fun' that can be had with cars, and in my case that would be doing donuts, drifting, powerslides, reverse and forward 180s or even if you can get enough road.. 360s...

AWD tires wear faster as well. If you look at BMW, they actually made their AWD vehicles have a RWD bias. So the front wheels turn at something like 30%, while the rear wheels do 70% of the work. That still leaves room for awesome handling, and a good fun factor. If you look at cars like Audi, with their Quattro system (a 50/50 FWD/RWD split), every car review will say they are great cars, but as Top Gear racing magazine puts it "Just doesn't have it in the corners" (as referring to Audi's LATEST SPORTY offering, the RS4).

Go to BMW's site and read about AWD and RWD, and the advantages of both. Personally I think if you are looking at the cars to beat people off the line or to get to high speeds quickly, then yea, the RX-8 isn't the car for you. And judging from what you've posted, you seem to want to rice your car and go fast, rather than take some skill in learning driving techniques you can only master in a RWD vehicle.

 

Almost forgot.. the Evo VII only has a single turbo, not a twin turbo.

 

Another GREAT point for the RX-8:

The Evo VII Interior:


The RX-8 Interior:

 

Here's the link to the BMW explanation of RWD:

BMW RWD Explanation

 

It's be really interesting if people could post links to resources on driving technique... I'm sure we could all benefit.

 

Well, I can try and teach you what I know, if you were at all interested in something.

Let me know, maybe I can help.

 

Nothing specific... it just seemed like it could be worth a discussion... especially if anyone has some good resources, never stop learning!

 

I thought Alienate was talking about EVO VIII??(from his title)

Sorry don't know ANYthing about the Evos... Because like Hercules said, it's an ALL performance car, Ugly int. & UGly ext. in my OPIN.

 

The Lancer EVO VII will probably beat the pants off the RX-8 in regular driving and the track.

But I would never buy it.

The reason? As a complete car it is not well balanced. It really is just a souped up econo car, and I don't find driving one very inviting, day after day. You sit in for hours and hours and KNOW that you traded a lot for just more performance, while getting little else. There is no refinement of design or luxury features. If you just stare at the road and nothing else, you'll be happy, but for someone like me who wants a well balanced machine for everyday, with a good dose of sportyness, an EVO VII will not do.

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I'm begining to appreciate luxury, comfort, and practicality just as much as performance and image.

 

The Evo VII is the latest offering from Mitsu to the states. There's no Evo VIII.. yet

Besides, for the same price you can get a Subaru STi that is just as fast, yet has a nicer interior and handles better at the corners. This is according to Top Gear (BBC's Racing Mag), and I trust their tester Tiff Needle because he drives like me.. insane

 

"Two totally different cars.

Next, if you're going to choose that type of a car, go with the WRX STi, it's a helluva lot better than the Evo VII.

To compare the RX-8 and the Evo are to compare apples and oranges...."

He's not comparing 2 cars. He's debating which car to choose from, there's a difference.

He could have said the RX8 and a Minivan. In a preformance comparison, it's obvious. But if he needed to purchase a vehical, deciding whether to buy a RX8 or a minivan is very valid. It all depends on your needs.

 

Can anyone write back as to the specs of the Evo VII that's coming to the states. I heard that because of emmissions laws it would not have as much power as in Asia.

And also if anyone knows how much psi the car produces?

 

Hailz!

I AM talking about the Evo VIII.... It will be the FIRST EVO offered in the states. The VII was never offered here. I read that the VIII will be twin-turbo.. but I won't belabor the point.

Your insights have been great food for thought... all of you. I think it will boil down to which car gets here first... and/or which car comes out better in the test drive. I will be putting a complete front and rear air-dam sytem on the EVO...so it's looks will be better than the stock VII


Maybe this link will work..I like that look.

http://web1.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/...g/wrc2_2hr.jpg

Thoughts?

PS... I wouldn't be caught DEAD in any Subaru... Here in Reno, all the WORST drivers are driving them. :p

 

Oh yes I forgot, the EVO VII (7)will be named the EVO VIII (8) here for reasons that make no sense to me. Apparently Mitsu maketing thinks that Americans like higher numbers--probably to offset the lower HP of the US model. It will just be a slightly modified EVO VII (7) for US spec safety requirements, and 91 octane gas.

Of course the Europeans get the EVO VII FQ300, FQ standing for F**King Quick, and the 300 for the 300+ HP/Torque, in addtion to the standard EVO VII which is already there.

 

From what I've seen around the net (and in Autoweek) the Evo VIII will have somewhere between 250 -275 hp. My guess is around 260 or so, as to be able to compete with the STI (rumored to have 260 in US trim) in the numbers. Performance between the RX and Evo should be about the same, the EVO will have more torque and traction but the RX8 Should have a ~400lb weight advantage though (2800lb vs 3200+).

I'm also in the same positon as you are Alienate, I'm not sure which to buy when they hit the market (or get a used S2000) either. It's going to come down to driving dynamics. The EVO VIII (from what I've read) is a bit of a blunt instrument: You point it at the Corner, push the gas, and hang on. If the RX8 is anything like the Miata, it's going to be a bit more of a finesse car.

My advice? Drive em, see which you like and buy that one. From a numbers perspective they're about equal. (Although comfort, utlity, dynamics, and all the other stuff that can't be qualified doesn't match up.) Oh, and drive an STI also, it's supposed to have a trick front diff.

-E2

PS: The Evo will be a single turbo. Trying to plumb a twin turbo inline 4 under the hood of a lancer would be a nightmare, if not impossible.

 

The last time, it's the Evo VII (SEVEN!).

When it comes to the states, it may be called the VIII, but the car itself is the production model of the VII. Read it at Edmunds if you like:

http://www.edmunds.com/future/2003/m...n/preview.html

 

The difference is huge.. it's why I'd always buy a BMW over an Audi, just because Audi insists they put AWD in their cars.

I like to have FUN. I don't race, don't intend to, and don't care to. Powersliding the car, doing donuts, reverse and forward 180s and possibly 360s (though I've come short every time thus far)... are near impossible in an AWD car because it RETAINS grip on the front wheels, whereas a RWD car only puts true traction on the rear wheels. Only braking occurs on all four wheels, but if you can keep yer foot off the pedal, you'll be fine on that.

It comes down to this.. do you want to race.. or do you want to have fun? Besides RWD cars do take a greater amount of skill to master because of the innate way they drive, whereas AWD cars retain grip and understeer for you automatically.... and that just takes my fun away.

 

http://www.autoweek.com/search/searc...22345&record=1

(You may need to register (it's free) to see the article)

Basically, significant sheetmetal differences and a differently tuned vehicle make it a 8, not a 7.

As for the second post, I agree with you wholeheartedly about RWD vs AWD issue. There's no question that AWD may be more practical and in some cases faster, but so what? Is getting there 3/10ths of a second faster going to matter is the drive itself is dull? There's some old chinese proverb about the journey being the destination that would be appropriate here. If I could remember it that is.

RWD: It's the way God and Colin Chapman intended it.

-E2

 

Yeah, we're getting the EVO VIII, and it's NOT twin-turbo, and it will have some cosmetic changes over the VII.

I just saw the VII in person at a rally a couple weeks ago, and I fell in love with it. Most beautiful car I've seen in a while. And no, it's not an economy car, just juiced up, it's its own car.

But I would still take the WRX-STi before it

As for AWD not being fun...trust me, it is. Sure, it's way different than RWD, but it's actually MORE fun, because you can be even crazier (on dirt and tarmac), and still be able to get out of it.

 

If anyone wants to see pics of the EVO VIII go to clubsi.com, then go to the off topic section. After you've sifted through the various **** topics (!) search for EVO VIII, there was a thread there with REAL pics taken from a dealer only show.