Before I get to the meat of this, let me say that I love manual cars. I currently own a Legacy Turbo and have driven all kinds of cars, from old Nissan's to modern Lotus boxes. I love 'em!

Now, as someone looking at buying the 2010 Evo I had a few chances to drive the GSR and once, on my near perfect winding roads in upstate NY...and just a few days ago I drove a lightly tuned MR on those same roads. Here's what I learned.

The MR tranny is simply amazing. I truly think that most GSR owners have not driven it on a real road with any enthusiasm. How could they unless they know someone with one? And these cars are pretty rare.
The MR is such a radically effective way for the driving enthusiast to have fun that it's only a matter of time before transmissions of this type are found in many sports cars. I've driven the Audi and Porsche...not even close. Even the GT-R falls short of this execution. You've all read about it. The car's on board computer makes shifts bases on over a dozen factors in the car's up to the second geometry. Sounds impressive. And for the extra cash a MR costs it's easy to cry foul and go for the traditional 5 speed. But traditionalists are living in a bubble.

The fact...and it is very much a fact..is that few drivers can outperform what the SST does. It's that good. And yet it still demands skill as your senses and reflexes extend further into the chassis dynamics like never before. Finally...you are left to pilot a fast car with almost no distraction. It's almost like a part of you IS shifting and doing it perfectly, while leaving the major parts of the brain to the exciting business of perfect steering. On a real road, with twists and turns, two good drivers would have fun in the MR and GSR, but I think the MR is MORE fun and will always be quicker. It'll take a very professional driver to extract that perfection from a GSR.

Traditionalists will moan that the 5 speed is all about building skills, but I actually think 99% of drivers with such a car hit a wall. Since they're not pro's they haven't the chance to push the vehicle dynamics further and so they sit in a well populated zone of "better than average" driving ability. But they don't get much beyond that.

An MR changes all of that. It allows you to expand on your abilities to the point that when you DO drive a 5 or 6 speed, your inherent understanding of chassis dynamics have been permanently improved. It's a remarkable experience.

And yet...with all of that said I may STILL opt for the 5 speed! I'm 46...and old man for this type of car....but I still like my women with real breasts and my Cheerios plain. I just want to point out that the transmission in the MR is ALL ABOUT ultimate driving enthusiasts. Perhaps more so than the 5 speed. It elevates the Evo to a whole new level, just like the S-AWD and AYC do. It makes the car into an "Ultimate Driving Machine" in a way even a M3 can't compete with. And yes, I've enjoyed a new M3. As soon as the M3 gets a tranny this good and AWD I may consider one.

Obviously if you want gobs of power, go with the 5 speed. But a lightly tuned MR was very fast and I'd toast a lot of faster cars on a twisty road with no problem. Evo's may be course...but they also have real finesse on such roads. Adding power may make it into a rocket, but the finesse is really what the Evo is all about. The MR takes that to a logical conclusion. It does not reduce driver involvement. It enhances it hugely.

Cheers,


Rob

 

thanks for sharing. You have a lots of good point in there.

 

So it does all these things for you and doesn't reduce your involvement?

I'd like to test out an MR to compare my own personal opinion.

 

I have a GSR and I really really want an MR instead but my wife would kill me if I traded. I want the paddle shifters so damn bad.

 

Anyone bored with their MR, I'll do a straight trade

 

I have a tuned MR 300 whp/wtq and yes its a blast. I personally hate the paddle shifters, they make me feel unconnected to the car, but i love the S-ST tranny I like to shift with the stick in manual mode. banging threw the gears with the gas pegged is awesome. If you plan on going over 350 whp then go for the GSR. If not you cant beat it, plus the interior is nice step up from the dumpy GSR seats.

 

I personally love the paddle shifters. I've tried the slap stick a few times, but it isn't for me. With the paddles I can keep my hands on the steering wheel where they need to be ALL TIMES. I never have to remove my hands at all, that helps considerably. I'd also like to point out I'm a 1 hand driver. But in the Evo X MR I feel much more comfortable with both hands on the wheel. It's kind of weird to say that.

When I had an evo VIII (and had no plans on getting a X), I scolded all the Ralliart drivers for praising the SST. I felt they were retarded for even considering an "automatic" transmission. I had all my reasons in the world why I would never buy a car with that transmission. Looking back I was very foolish. I argued to no END that they'd have to take the clutch out of my COLD DEAD HANDS before I'd move to the "automatic" transmission.

Well, then I wanted to get a X. Originally I was going to get a GSR. I was 100% set on it.

I went and test drove a few and had my cash to get one. Then the guy asked me if I wanted to test drive an MR. Meh, I guess. How often do you get that chance right? Wow. I was blown away on what that "automatic" transmission could do. I was blown away how much better I felt in the car when driving spirited. And of course eventually, I learned the transmission wasn't an "automatic" at all. It really is another device on the car that enhances my driving ability.

Looking back, I laugh at how foolish and ignorant I was when debating with the Ralliart drivers. I owe all of them an apology big time.

Anyways, if you haven't driven the MR, do yourself a favor and stop arguing against it. You just sound completely foolish at times.

 

I think a lot of people forget that the TC in TC-SST stands for Twin Clutch. The MR is not your normal "automatic" car.

 

Is there no one working on making the TC-SST stronger?

 

When you drive one, you understand.

 

SSP Performance has made upgraded clutch packs (up to 450whp) and two oil coolers. There are a few other companies making oil coolers.

 

i learned to drive a manual car at the age of 10
i'm a whole lot older then that now

i've always drivin manual cars.

I now own an evo X MR, i love it, i love the transmission, I would buy it over again !

 

+1 Been a manual Guy all my life, I'm 42 now and LOVE not having to shift the car. I know from real world experience when you take a car to a certain power level you just can't compete with an automatic. I came from an 800+hp cobra and went from a 6 speed to an automatic and never looked back. Best mod I ever did! Once the SST can handle the same power as a built 5 speed you'll see the quickest and fastest MR's emerge from the pack!

 

To me the MR is the only model worth consideration. The fact that the GSR is a 5 manual is just pathetic. I hear all the time from friends who have a X GSR that the five speed makes for some loud freeway driving, even with the stock exhaust.

Too bad the MR list for 39K (MR)/ 41K (MR Touring Package). To me the SST can't make up for the extra heft, so is not worth the 41K when previous EVO models not only offered better performance (subjective), but at a cheap price, and with a better warranty, though my car will likely be another EVO. Nothing else drives like an EVO, except a GT-R.

 

I sold my 2008 R32 and purchased a 08 GSR, main reason was the DSG gearbox in the R. Not here to argue if the DSG is better than the SST but i think we can agree for the most part there about the same. Some like the Auto's (and yes the DSG and SST are both automatics) some like Manuals. But under no circumstances is a DSG, SST or any other auto more involving than a manual, this is just silly..