the 0-60 number is just one measure though. but that really doesn't translate into a 6-speed being worse on the track.

All you really lose at the track is shift time, which doesn't take too much time to begin with.

 

Agreed. 0-60 time is not a huge factor if 30-120 is the useful speed range on a particular track. Where the shift points are for the gears used on your track is EVERYTHING. Remember, 6th gear for a lot of auto manufacturers is simply a way around the gas guzzler tax.

 

That's not fair at all. You need to remember that at the time the RS was introduced it offered a significant performance advantage to the regular Evo 8 GSR. The RS had a front LSD, more rear roll stiffness, and weighed about 80-90 lbs less than a similarly-equipped GSR.

Taken together, this represented a HUGE difference on the track. The difference is just as stark as that between an E46 M3 CSL vs. a regular M3 or a 996 GT3 RS vs. a regular GT3. Those of you who don't believe that 80-90 lbs makes a noticable difference on the track need to get out and get some tracktime under your belts. I don't see how anyone can say that front LSD, increased rear roll stiffness, and lighter weight are "insignificant' changes!

Now, you guys are sitting here comparing the $27K RS to the $35K MR and saying the performance difference isn't impressive. But this comparison isn't fair at all. The MR got all the good stuff from the RS (the lightweight roof and front LSD) plus lighter wheels, much more sophisticated suspension, a six-peed gearbox with ACD, and improved turbo bits. Of course the RS doesn't seem as impressive in this light.

Emre

 

This is exactly right. The stock ABS system on the Evo 8 is FAR too aggressive for serious track work. You put decent pads on the car and the ABS is chattering constantly...it makes modulating the brakes very difficult and threshold braking nearly impossible. Plus, as you've noted, the rear gets very loose under braking and then your brakes are useless.

Further, the Evo's ABS is almost completely unusable on really slippery stuff. It's a major disadvantage in our Canadian winter climate. Considering that the RS was geared towards the amateur rally enthusiast (where deformable surfaces are the norm) the lack of ABS would be most welcome.

If I were building a pure track-car or SCCA Pro-Rally car, the RS would definitely be where I would start.

Emre

 

not really, maybe on the 05. but on the 04 the difference is alot bigger. i have an 04 and was big difference when test drove both cars gsr and rs back to back. plus all the mags. put the 04 rs at 4.6/4.7 0-60 and the gsr 5.0 0-60. and the qtr. is 13.2/3 vs 13.4/5. that is on the 04 model. but now with addition of the acd then it weighs more. my curb weight is 3,100. some odd pounds.. and that is not 18 lbs. lighter than u say here.

Plus i love the fact that i drive a shark with out the fin.. so the unsuspecting victims dont see it coming

 

the fastest time represented by any one or two magazines isn't really conclusive by any means. Hell, the fastest 0-60 for the stock evo gsr by Motor Trend was 4.6 also.

what are you basing your curb weight estimate on? im just basing what i was oringally saying on the weights that road race got on an actual scale. assuming everything they're saying is true, there really isn't much to dispute

 

Clue?sion,


I must disagree with your stament:


It's been proven that the five spped tranny is fasrter the the 6 speed. Much to do with the downshifting. If you buy an MR for the Track it does not make sense.

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All that I have to say is that the fact of the true is that the MR so far has the faster record of lap time at Willows Springs, part because of the suspension but I think that 50% also because the awsome 6 speed matched to the new ECU mapping and re-worked turbo.

Anyway, who says that the 6 speed is slower at the track? Most of the people keep thinking about the 6 speed being a very short gear ratio tranny, that is not the case, the MR with the will do 110mph plus in forth gear so in stock mode it will cross the 1/4 mile line in 4th gear as the counterparner EVO VIII GSR . If you look at the official EVO catalog from Mitsubishi you will see that there is not much difference of speed from the 5 speed tranny to the 6 speed tranny , in other words the first 4 or 5 gears are very close.

More Over, there is not a single MR 1/4 mile slip that I have ever found so how can you guess the efficiency of the 5 speed over the 6 speed on the track.

Unless you are doing 135mph plus on the 1/4 mile you will not have to do the extra shift for sixth gear otherwise the shifting gears should be very similar from the 5speed to the 6 speed EVO's