desperado-c

Hey, everybody, this is my first foray into a Mitsubishi forum since I've spent all my time absorbed with the Mazdaspeed 3 community. But the RA and Sportback have really pulled me in. Admittedly, I haven't had a chance to read through all the threads in this section, so I'm sure a lot of the info is already posted in various places. But, I was thinking it would be nice to collect this info in a specific thread devoted to making the distinctions b/t these three models clearer. I'll also comb through the other threads when I have time and repost here and add any info I've seen in other places on the net.

I'm definitely considering the Sportback (or the RA if the Sportback doesn't make it to the US) but am not very familiar with Mitsubishi's in general. I'm hoping this thread will really help me make a rational decision, since I can already feel the emotion taking over.

Edit: I'm gonna collect all the info I can and just keep adding to this post. The spec sheet below is a good place to start. I also found an R&T video of the unveiling at Detroit where an exec says the engine is the same as the Evo X except for cam profiles, single scroll turbo, and a smaller intercooler:

http:// javascript:rtstreampop_Brightcove('http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid717440069/bclid713228148/bctid1381693990')

kidneythief13

iTrader: (8)

Big difference is power & handling. GTS is something like 160 HP, RA about 235 HP, & X is 291 HP. GTS is around $19k or so, RA probably $25k, & X is $33k. X has by far the best handling & features of all of them. The RA is next in line, but has a smaller turbo. The GTS & RA both have stiffer chassis than the Evo IX... but the GTS is FWD, while the others are AWD.

kidneythief13

iTrader: (8)

GTS & RA are more of daily drivers than the X, but if you're in a predicament like me (don't have a sh*tload of money), the X will have to make a DD (MR would be better for this, IMO).

boozeup&riot

iTrader: (12)

Not to be argumentative here but I do not see how the RA would be any better of a DD than the X. Functionality wise, features/power aside they are very similar. Care to elaborate?

kidneythief13

iTrader: (8)

Well, in terms of gas mileage (which is a big factor for me) the RA will be less of a guzzler. Also w/the SST transmission will be easier to deal w/in traffic, which is why I also stated that the MR would be a good choice for a DD over the GSR. I don't know if he would be modding it, but if he were, the GSR would be the way to go & some people prefer to save the power for fun sunny days, special occasions, or track days. The RA would be more of a mule than the GSR for many people.

billylancer

i am waiting for the RA to arive in 09 to get one
for the same reason ! gaz and s**t load money missing!

mtags24

iTrader: (5)

The RA is set only for the twin cluth SST auto transmission. Hence why it would be a better Daily Driver perhaps than the GSR. I've never understood this fully though; I live in a huge city with tons of traffic and owning a standard isn't too much of a hassle.

I'm curious about the handling specifics and hardware that make the RA different from the evo X. The motor, save for maybe a tune, is identical right? What factors of the SAWC will be missing in the RA?

kidneythief13

iTrader: (8)

I believe that there is no "Super Sport" mode, like in the MR.

fkdrcrs

seriously, do some research. and saying that it would be nice to have this info in one thread is just being too lazy to search these forums on your own . its nice that your taking an interest in s but your gonna need to start a lot of reading.

desperado-c

right back at you. Seriously, read the whole post before you give me any crap about being lazy. I guess people make stupid assumptions without reading a whole post in the Mitsu community just like they do in just like they do in the Mazda community. I didn't expect it to encounter it so quickly, however.

As I stated in my post, I will comb through the other 600 or some odd posts in this section and add any interesting info I find to this thread when I get a little more time. In fact, I had already posted in the "brakes" thread some info about the disk size and swept area as compared to the GTS. That's what got me thinking it might be nice to have all the comparative info in one thread.

I have just started my research and from that research knew pretty much everything that has been posted so far, but in more detail. I'm looking for much more detail and also for people's real world experience with the equipment that will be used on the RA/Sportback. That is the point of this thread. Not, as you apparently assumed, to save me from doing any work.

Nuff said?

aestival

Heck, I wrote you off because you're driving a post-Protege 'Mazda' (otherwise known as a Ford :-) -- anyway, there's not much hard info on the 2009 Lancer Ralliart, but in a nutshell, the following are probably the best sources so far for official and semi-official details on features and packages:

http://media.mitsubishicars.com/deta...59056&mime=ASC

http://autonorth.squarespace.com/hom...o-toronto.html

fkdrcrs

sounds good to me, i hope you got all the info you wanted. as soon as new info comes out for the RA i can guarantee that it will be posted on the forums.

desperado-c

I definitely don't have anywhere near the info I need yet, but that dealer spec sheet that was posted somewhere on this forum is a good place to start. That's the type of info I'm hoping people will collect in this thread. I'm gonna edit my first post and put it all there so future interested people don't have to search everywhere for it.

As far as the Mazda/Ford thing, consider Mazda to be the smart kid in the Ford family that gets to innovate and do things the other kids don't get to. My MS3 is a great car and I have enjoyed owning it. But this RA/"bargain Evo" thing is something I want to undertake badly after spinning my wheels for the last year or so. I'm not sure it's the ultimate answer to the handling/power/weight/dollar equation, but I aim to find out.

desperado-c

Me, too. Exactly the kind of thing I want to know. Somebody said SAWC is completely out. In fact, think it's primarily yaw control. That could be huge since this car weighs 3500 lbs and yaw control could a large part of what compensates for the extra weight, allowing the Evo X to be "as fast or faster" than the much lighter Evo IX.

desperado-c

Anybody see the video from the Detroit Auto Show where Motor Trend or one of them is interviewing a Mitsu exec? I can't find it now, but from that I gather the primary differences from the Evo engine are lowered cam profiles and using a single scroll turbo instead of a dual scroll.

I'm wondering what kind of a ceiling that will put on power to be obtained from moderate mods. People are saying the turbo is smaller, too, but I haven't seen that in print yet. It's probably somewhere in that 500 post "official RA thread" that I've haven't gotten through yet.