Hey guys,

I had an 08 Octane Blue GSR back in 08 and owned it for about two years before I traded it in. At the time I needed something capable of towing a race car. Anyways I'm getting promoted and I'm throwing around the idea of using my hard earned funds to get back into an EVO X. I haven't been on evom since then and I'm way out of the loops. Just wondering what to look for in an EVO X. Has anything changed since 08 as far as the cars go? The only thing I noticed was they didnt come with Recaro seats anymore which is kind of a bummer. I'm considering an MR this time around since Im old and lazy and hate stop and go traffic but want something fun to drive. Any input or advice would be cool. Not looking to have any specific questions answers, just general chit chat about the cars.

Thanks.

 

Most if not all of the quirks/issues have been revealed. (Fuel relay issue, FPR hose, etc)
Flex Fuel Tuning is new, and making its way into the market.
Gas is cheap so more WOT.

The MR is fun, but nothing beats that feeling of having absolute control over your car like a manual, just my opinion.

 

lol nothing has changed man. It's the exact same car sold in '08. There's a new touch screen center console or something.

If I were buying an evo now I'd get the MR. Love my GSR, but the SST has proven itself now. That's about the only difference, in '08 people were worried about sst reliability.

 

If I were you and was looking to get back into an evo, I'd look for a 2013 or 2014 in decent condition. You'll get the recaros, plus the newer gauge cluster without that awful red colored display. I personally think the MR would be a bit boring to drive, so maybe a GSR with a few tasteful mods like Intake/testpipe/Cat-back and a reputable tune/e-tune. Or better yet just look at some of the ones for sale over in the classifieds, seen some nice cars over there.

 

I was in the same boat as you few months ago, owned a octane blue 08 GSR SSS, sold it few yrs ago and got back in as more $$ cash came in. Did some HW and ended up w/ a 13' GSR No fancy touch screen like the 14-15. But I still got bluetooth vs having to cable into AUX port on the 08s. Few of the internal fixes have been addressed in 12+

Car scene is different as a whole. More legal meets in socal. Shop/store sponcer the parking lots vs just meeting where ever. My mountain roads are the same, just more motorcycles it seems. Only a few of my old EVO friends still have theirs, they moved on to something else. So all new faces. Parts are the same, AMS seems more expensive than in the past but also more comp w/ MAP and ETS, Another good, is More affordable tire options out there.

If I lived in a high traffic area, I'd get a MR, otherwise the GSR is perfect. And my commute is only 7 miles in city. Just sucks going to LA sometimes.

 

Love my MR, Cobb Stage 3 - no problems if you keep it within TQ reasons.
I probably will look for a newer one next yr.

 

Most of the OEM design flaws and defects have been fixed since the 2014 model year, but the car still drives like a bombshell girlfriend.

The community has also changed its attitude a lot. Many built Evo's have blown their engines and people now have realistic goals. Bolt-ons with a tune and lifestyle (exterior/audio) mods have become the mainstream. I'm actually okay with this as long as I don't see too many slammed/stanced Evo's.

Speaking of bolt-ons with a tune and having a reliable Evo, it's a really good thing as opposed to chasing big dyno numbers. Some say chasing dyno numbers is like a dick measuring competition. I say it's like sending your wife to a beauty contest against your friends' wives. It's silly. The Evo is a really fun car already with 300~350WHP. She doesn't have to win any beauty contests. If your wife is nice and fun, that's everything you need to be happy.

 

^ like what he said...

 

Luv my 07_08 mr.Evos are fun to drive.

 

Can you guys tell me which year and trim levels came with the leather Recaros as opposed to the cloth Recaros? I remember the cloth Recaros in my08 feeling kind of cheap and even falling apart after a pretty short period of time.

 

To get a GSR with leather it will also have a sunroof (no more aluminum roof) and would have to be before 14 or earlier.

 

Or you could also get the MR Recaros... those are alcantara + leather on the sides. Not sure which model years had those over the cloth ones, but I'd wager all the way up until 2012 in the non-touring edition. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

BTW, did the same thing. Got a promotion at work (large bonus, no change in responsibility) and went and put 50% down on a Final Edition. I'm extremely happy with it, and will just change the seats out when the opportunity strikes. In the mean time, the seats are NOT that bad. They hold some lateral movement and are imo, actually more comfortable than the Recaros. So they will at least hold me over until track time.

 

Changes through the years: Relay, Timing Chain, CMC, Valve Cover, Diff Pins, Exhaust, Factory Tune, 1 piece front rotors, ACD, Cloth Recaros (fixed coming apart at top), Transmission, Fuel Rail, Hood Latch, Soft Touch Door Panels... I know I'm missing some.

 

Since you are in California, you basically want a 2011-2014 Evo X with Sunroof & Leather package, so you get the leather Recaro's.

 

That's exactly what I have and I absolutely love it. Even adding the big turbo and cams it doesn't seem to be any less reliable so far. Loving it