Yargk

I'm very interested in an MR as a track car that I can drive on the street. I love driving on racetracks like laguna seca and the like. So I start researching and see the great evo lineup that is being sold in the UK. They have a 5 speed base model evo with 260 hp and three MR models with better suspensions, a 6 speed transmission, and other goodies. The only difference in the MR models is output, 305 hp, 325 hp, and 345 hp. So over the phone I ask someone at Capitol Mitsubishi whether they will be offering higher hp MR models including the 340 hp one. The answer was a clear yes, I asked him twice. He also said that it will be released in September along with the other models. Yet the only news on this site is that all US '05 models will make 276 hp.

What should I believe?

AznFlip

iTrader: (8)

We ll be getting the 276hp MR (we always get the low one). 300+HP will be released in other countries.

Yargk

Will there be any differences between the US model and the high output foreign MR besides power? I suppose I'd be happy with the US MR as long as all I had to do is add a little power. I just want the best stock handling out of the box so I won't be tempted to add handling upgrades for at least a couple years. Upgrading is a very slippery slope.

MB_16valve

Thats a lie.

Outlaw

Well I did hear that there will be another evo 8 edition that is supposedly more powerful to be released after the MR but before the evo 9...But then again, does it really matter? Only reason why I held out for the MR is the weight reduction. Yes I wanted a aluminum roof lol... Other then that you can get aftermarket parts to easily get 350hp.


Then again, only article I have found about it was in a sports compact article and it was talking about a Evo with less hp and suspension and a automatic shift similiar to the Eclipses automatic shifter. And then it was also talking about a HKS version with about 540 hp, and 470 tq or something like that. :shrug:

evo542

with a turboback and some tuning you can easily get that, anways it costs a lot more than the regular model (because ralliart makes the parts)

Samdiver74

Well guys if you want the best possible heads up then use the info you gain from the UK as a Crystal ball, it is a matter of time before you finally do get the slightly higher HP versions, It is all based on how the Initial conception of the US MR plays out as far as sales,
I am sure there will be another survey you'll have to take part in when you purchase the US MR, like they did with the 03's
So it is up to you guys?
After all the only versions in UK now are MR's (besides 260)

Tanner_Hall

nah. i doubt we'll ever see the FQ upgrades here. ralliart has been boosting the UK evo 8 since well before the MR was released....it's not new or unique to the MR.

7raegigi

yeah, my question is, is it going to have the other goodies that EVO owners never got on theirs but was on the japan model (not sure about the euro ones)...the VCD and the super AYC, which supposedly is a great feature on the EVO 8. if you guys get a chance to check out the bestmotoring video "EVO STRIKES BACK" they pretty much covered what im talking about.

mifesto

iTrader: (58)

u know wat the FQ stands for? hehe it will not hit the US

Samdiver74

Tanner_Hall
nah. i doubt we'll ever see the FQ upgrades here. ralliart has been boosting the UK evo 8 since well before the MR was released....it's not new or unique to the MR.

I know the history of the EVO in the UK, I used to live there, There was a time, upto the EVO 6, I believe when you officially couldn't buy an EVO through a Mitsu Dealer, they wouldn't honor warranties etc. Yet the car still sold, now that Mitsu and ralliart have changed their setup a little, alot has changed.
Ralliart has been involved with the FQ setups on the EVO 7 for a while cause the customers always wanted to have more power, from the factory setup but didn't want to void any warranties, so Ralliart came out with the FQ upgrades, it is kind of the same as the BMW 3 series, if you wanted an M3 you had to buy a 3 series BMW and then depending on how far you were willing to go with the upgrades and the money you could spend, it would be converted over to a M3, not all M3's are the same. you couldn't buy it straight as an M3, the same can be said for the FQ series, you had to buy a standard EVO 8 GSR and then pay extra to get it converted over by the dealer to an FQ.
This service will be brought out in time over here. Mark my words.

Obviously Ralliart knows there is a market for the after market upgrades, they have taken a note from Subarus book, Subaru came out with STI 22B (street going rally car) it had pretty much the same setup as the rally car, hard suspension, 2 door coupe shell, Flared fenders and so on, Only available in Blue Mica and gold rims, there was only a handful made but they sold real well, they were an exclusive, I even know that Colin McCrae and Nicky Grist each had one for personal use. When they were on the Subaru WRC team, I have got a picture somewhere of Nicky Grists car, in the Subaru dealer showroom just outside Abergavenny, Wales, Limited edition number was 002 sweet ride .

Then Subaru came out with the P1 which was basically the 22B but with street friendly suspension, check them out some time on the Net they were both out around the time of the EVO 5 & 6. Mitsu came out with The TME (Tommi Makinnen Edition) 6.5 soon after that which was an exclusive limited edition.

All I am saying it is a matter of time, we won't be up to the current specs for the UK equivalent, but a couple of years down the road we will get what they have now, and they will have something bigger and better, we will always be behind

as far as specs go for the UK MR I believe and I did read somewhere that it will have the Ralliart Titanium exhaust system, which will increase horsepower and seriously reduce weight, that system is supposed to sell for around $2800
The US version will probably have the slightly smaller diameter Pipes, and the ECU will be the main governor for power output, so as most of you have already said a reflash will probably do wonders for the US MR car.
as well as changing over to lightweight, Aluminum / titanium / Carbon fiber parts

mifesto
Yes I know what FQ stands for

Just watch the evolution of the Evo keep evolving

Samdiver74

If your interested in a little bit of history check out these Websites
And before anyone says
I know but you have to look at the whole picture
You keep your friends close but your enemies even closer.
You have to see what subaru has been upto, as they are always first on the market.
the WRX was out about 2 years before any EVO was here in the US.
www.22b.com
http://www.carsource.co.uk/news-item...cle_id=3000911

The top one is about the subaru 22B (will never be available here)
and the bottom link is on the Subaru Impreza P1 (will not be available here either)

But just see the history of the STI and the performance figures, even back in 1998

AznFlip

iTrader: (8)

Well, I don't really know. All I know is that we're getting the 276hp MR.

AznFlip

iTrader: (8)

Nice Color

Samdiver74

You can get that color out of your heads, that is a UK COLOR, THAT IS NOT ELECTRIC BLUE, that was the UK's blue color and the US had BBY, and every picture I have seen of that UK color has always been different cause it is a metallic color so different light conditions change the way it looks.
THE U.S. IS NOT GETTING THAT COLOR.