For dynamics most any lotus improves on an Evo. Evora and the new Emira actually have a lot of space. I'm afraid safety regulations and feature expectations mean relatively lightweight 4 doors with sophisticated suspensions won't happen again.

 

The thing is, it's hard to have the same feel as the Evo 9 (cant speak for the 10, I think I drove one once...) because it has the old style hydraulic steering and a really good one at that. For me its that steering feel that makes it so fun to drive. There are plenty cars faster than the Evo by now (stock and modded). Hell a Toyota Camry puts out more HP than a Evo from the factory. As others have said, you'll find a lot of faster cars, and ones that even do more with less mods but its going to be hard to duplicate that raw feeling the 9 has (that can be both a good thing and bad thing btw). The only thing close to what a 9 feels like would have to be like a Porsche GT3/Lotus or something of the like, just thinking off the top of my head.

 

Apart from the M2 Comp, I would also consider the BMW M140, the hatch back car, it's small and prices are coming down. You'd add a diff and a good tune and pipe, they've got good brakes too and come in manual

 

I basically agree with everything here however the meaning of the number horsepower has changed, today it seems no more than a corporate marketing stunt. When the evo 9 was made, the industry was more focused on creating the right balance of power, handling (basically performance) out of the box and weren't caught up in the who's got more horsepower battle. It's almost childish how they advertise cars today. The camry may show more hp on paper but I can't believe it overall outperforms the evo 9. As for the evo x that thing is a boat on wheels. Sorry x owners lol..

I'd like to add that the evo 9 specifically hit the "peak" of the evolution and I think this is the general take when it comes to evos. Mitsu has had enough time to iron out all the flaws in previous years without sacrificing performance as the x had to due to over regulation in the auto industry and dying down demand for performance sedans among consumers by the time the evo x was made thus making it a more consumer friendly a to b car. It will be hard to find a experience like the evo 9 but I agree as for a modern, raw experience, look to the gt3 or something similar. Dont even think about subaru. Not hating it's just a completely different experience and underperforms against the evo by alot.

 

We unfortunately don’t get the 1 series here in the states.

 

I cannot believe this is still an attitude. So much data and experience to prove this kind of statement wrong 10,000x over.

Small minds.

 

I am happy with my choice of a Supra so far. Its very different than the Evo but in a way that I like. Its by no means as "raw" as my Evo but it does just about everything better. Its a lot out of pocket up front but needs a lot less mods to be fast, handle good or be competitive on the track. Even though its an auto, I love it.

 

Lumpy Sticks - your "Baby Hauler" comment made me laugh. I used to tell people that my Evo was just a practical 4-door car to haul around my (then young) kids.

Although I really want to get back into a stick shift car, your comment made me realize I should definitely find a dealer that will let me test drive the Supra. It seems like that platform is improving every year, and the parts market is just now starting to come out with cool stuff.

 

Haha. I actually got my Evo to haul the kid around. Needed something with 4 doors, you know? At least that was my excuse. Tried to get one before he was born but ended up with it 2 weeks after. It was my daily for about a year, hauling the kid around everywhere.

Good luck on finding a dealer that will let you drive one. I didnt get to drive mine until the paperwork was signed and done. Still, buying the car pretty much blind, I love it. You really can't hate on the trans unless you have driven it and then don't like it. Shifts almost as fast as a DCT but will need pretty much no maintenance unlike a DCT. Then there is the way the power comes on.... its awesome. Lag is a thing of the past.

 

I don't know how you convinced your wife to let you slip away to buy an Evo with a 2 week old at home.

I also don't know how you convinced her that an Evo would be a good kid hauler.

You, sir, are doing something right.

 

Who ever said it went peaceful? Haha. I said its the evo or you. Well, still have the evo... She is long gone. I still have the kid though. The bids weren't high enough to get rid of him.

 

Goodluck! I have owned an 05' VIII, a 14' x and now an IX that is currently getting a built long block 2.0lr. I cant seem to let go of these stupid things. I love these cars.

 

Thoughts on the new Z? It isn't a 4 door, so it won't have the practicality of the Evo or some of the other stuff we've talked about here (Civic Type R, Subaru, etc.). But... 6-speed transmission, turbo engine, carbon fibre driveshaft and LSD. It seems to have a nice starting point. If I remember correctly the 350z and was never taken seriously due to cooling problems. I wonder if this was resolved with the 370z (and now the upcoming "Z")?

 

400hp 3.0 liter turbocharged stock for a price of 35k. Excellent bang for buck.

 

They say $38K for the base model. No LSD, tiny brakes and cloth seats. My bet is +$45k for the performance model plus crazy dealer markups for who knows how long.