Hi id just like to start by saying im new to the evo. i recently finished building a 527rwhp 350z and was considering picking up a evo to build for road racing purposes while still being able to serve as a street car.

with that being said i just had a few questions.


1. EVO IX or EVO VIII
Is it really worth it to get an EVO IX over an EVO VIII. the price gap is fairly substantial between the 9 and 8. the big thing for me is the interior of the 8 just really kills it. i dont like the blue part. the 9's seats are alot nicer. which is why i prefer a 9 to 8. also does the mivec make that much of a difference considering i will be building the car anyway?

2. MR vs Standard
Im also not sure on what trim to pick up. from some quick reading i hear that the 6spds are not as stout as the 5spd when upping the power. also are there any handling characteristics that i should be concerned about between the MR and the standard.


thanks for the responses.

 

My 2 cents would be to get an 03-05 Evo VIII, here's why:

If you look around you can probably find an Evo with SSL (Sun, Sound, Leather) or someone who swapped the SSL leather recaro's into a non SSL car. Blue seat issue solved.

The 6 speed tranny has been known to be a little "weaker" than the five speed however since you plan on building your car anyhow you will probably end up with an upgraded tranny anyhow.

MIVEC is an awesome system on a mildly modded street car however, and this is just my opinion, the non MIVEC motor is a better platform to make an all out race car from.

Get a non-MR model, everyone seems to think that MR's are gold and charge accordingly. The money you save will be well spent on aftermarket parts that more than make up the difference.

Also the MR suspension is nice on a stock car, once you start modding and lowering (or preparing for racing as you said) then you will probably want to swap to coil overs anyhow.

Basically the cost difference doesn't make the MR worth it, in my opinion. You can pick up a pretty nice 03 for around 15K to 18K and throw the extra money into some really nice parts.

Again this is all just my opinion, let the flaming begin!

Josh

 

The post above just about sums it up. I think you love what ever one you get.

 

if you want a good road race car, you wouldn't want the SSL.

the sunroof adds a decent amount of extra weight, and most of that weight is focused at the top of the car. raising the center of gravity a good bit.

in addition to that, some tracks (and hillclimbs) won't let you run with the sun roof in (and i believe some events don't allow cars with sun roofs at all). it is a potential safety risk during a roll over event.

 

I'm an Evo newb aswell, but from what I've researched, the VIII's are more mod friendly than IX.

 

If your going to build a road race car I would go with a VIII RS. It is lighter than the MR, SSL and GSR evo's. It doesn't come the the Sunroof which is like an extra 50-100 lbs and doesn't come with a wing, or automatic windows and etc. VIII's are also more mod friendly and my personal preference is an VIII. My 2 cents. G/L man!

 

If your building the car will you really keep all the seats in the car in the first place? If not then dont worry about the blue and go buy two IX recaros for sale from the for sale section and ditch the back seat.

There is so much controversy over the 5spd vs. 6spd. IMO its personal preference. I have 415-420 whp and my 6spd handles it just fine and I know other people who have the 6spd will tell you the same thing.

The handling is different from the other models and the MR, but as mentioned before if you plan to upgrade it then dont worry about it because you will most likely go with the coilovers.

My opinion on which one to get would rely souly on the fact of what you are able to afford. If I could get into a IX with lower miles without breaking the bank vs. a higher milage VIII then I would do it. From there I would look into how much power you are looking to put down and go from there.

Some people can live without power windows others cant so they go RS,same thing goes for the wing. Alot of it is going to be personal preference.

My reason, the lower the miles the more likely (With proper research on the particular car) that it wouldnt be as badly beaten up and the higher mileage evos tend to have not had their maitenance done on them which will cost you a pretty penny regardless if you plan to build it.



Thats the first time I have ever heard that an VIII is more mod friendly than a IX. From everything that I have read, spoken to people about, and more importantly experienced the IX is more mod friendly for the shear fact of having the MIVEC.

 

You got it reversed. The IX is putting down significantly more power with less mods than the VIII mostly because of MIVEC, BETTER CAMS and There ability to run a bit more boost. Also their turbo is slightly better.

 

I had my choice between an VIII and IX a few months ago. I went with the 8 simply because I like the front end better. I loved the IX seats though so I just installed IX front seats on Saturday, just need the rears. Well worth the $1050 I paid.

 

Evo 8

I just bought mine a month ago and love it. The evo 8 is more of the raw evo. Great for modding and drag racing. The evo 9 is more refined and comes with more bells and whistles

 

how is it more raw? they both feel the same and have very minor differences. now if youre talking about an rs compared to other evo's then i do agree

 

The IX will respond way better to most bolt on mods 20-30whp better but once you go big Turbo the playing field is level and both cars make the same power. Mivec has actually been proven to become a hindrance when making huge 700+whp. But then your in an all out drag car.

Id say if your road racing find an RS

Stock frame turbo IX FTW

Upgrading to a bigger Turbo get an VIII

 

Get an 8 for an all out built race car.
Get a 9 if you plan on doing only light mods

 

read def1, that's what I mean

 

Really....(srcatching head)? Same car man. If anything the IX is more raw...