To the OP... after really thinking about it... I would get the GSR... there's a lot more stuff in the MR to fail and would be very costly to fix if it happens out of warranty... but maybe i'm wrong...

what sort of mileage are you MR guys getting on the highway?

 

you live in LA I visit family out there a lot, the clutch on the GSR would go dead after about 3 times in Rush Hour lol (maybe IDK but it's really hard on the clutch since it's a crap load of stop and go) So I would go MR since your not looking to go CRAZY on modding

 

I would go MR. For those who say it's not a sports car if it has an "auto" then I guess the GTR, (most) Lambo's and Ferrari's all suck. It's just a different experience than driving a true manual. If you enjoy the feeling of being connected to the car then I would say buy a GSR. But if you just enjoy driving and will occasionally track it then go for an MR. The transmission in the MR is excellent. Mad dad, who is an old muscle car guy was really impressed as soon as he got into the car and i floored it. He said that he never would have thought the transmission would be as good as it is. I have beat the crap out of my MR on country roads and have never had any problems. As for a daily driver the leather seats and the softer suspension are great; plus the bbs wheels look so much better.

 

I'll throw in my 2 cents (even though I've not driven the MR with the SST). There is something gratifying about driving a manual shift car. Yes it can be an annoyance during heavy stop-and-go traffic but to me it is a small price to pay for the "connectedness" that one feels when driving a stick shift - especially on a car like the Evo. My X GSR shifts beautifully and does not yet exhibit any of the clunking, grinding and pronounced notchiness that was evident on my VIII. I'm surprised at how civilized the transmission is on the X. It's a joy to drive. And a clutch, if taken care of, can last a very long time. I had a custom tune on my VIII and drove it in a spirited way quite often. When I traded it in at 70,000 miles last year it still had the stock clutch and felt just as strong as when I bought it. That comes with not abusing it. You can drive hard and still get a lot of longevity out of the clutch and transmission. You just have to do it correctly. Ultimately, though, it's a question of what you prefer. Drive both if you can and then go with your instincts.

 

I'm 34 yrs. old right now. Started driving when I was 16, and exclusively drove and owned stick-shift/manual cars. Only bought my first automatic transmission car when I got married 6 years ago... now we have 3 cars, and all automatics =\ Although one of our rides is a BMW Z4-si with paddle shifters and is a blast to drive, I terribly miss the last manual car (Civic Si Ep3) I owned. There really is no substitute to the "one-ness" and feel of control on a stick shift car. If you are buying a special car like the Evo, and you love manually shifting through the gears plus controlling the clutch with your left foot, then the GSR is for you.

The MR is not really an automatic as most of us already know, mechanically.. it is similar to a manual transmission... only difference is a computer controls the clutch and not the driver. Therefore has the same feeling as an automatic. So to me, it takes away that "one-ness" that makes it so rewarding to drive a car like the Evo.

 

I am starting to think many really don't know how to use a clutch properly to add to this lol.

 

U call picking dual clutch (SST) Vs manual hard. Wait until you start picking the colour. Phantom Black, wicket white, rally red( looks really nice too), and anyone see an octane Blue MR. ur going to have an headache.

 

Yeah, that blue and red in person are just awesome looking cars!

 

Which ever one you do choose...give it about a month and you'll wish that you had got the other.

 

hey bro... I sent you a pm, but was just asking what sort of mileage your MR gets on the highway at 60-65 mph?

 

I went from a VIII (manual) to X MR, and don't regret it one bit.

The MR has none of the convenience of the 5 speed? Don't know what you mean... surely it is more convenient!

 

I will add to Ksattic's statement a few things... number 1, the " problems " you are speaking of are the notchiness, we aren't talking about failing transmissions and this isn't a problem that has been limited to the X's either... many people have talked about their VIII's and IX's having some issues with the shifting..

Secondly, it's a bit early to really say which tranny is better... it really comes down to what each person's preference is. In a straight line the GSR has been faster.. however in a video I watched with the new STI, GSR and MR, the MR was the fastest on the track where it really counts. Going fast in a straight line is cool, but these cars are rally bred cars and when it comes to that the MR appears to be more impressive.

 

lmao at the guy who keeps talking down about the RX8 because of the 1/4 mile times ... we're talking about sports cars not drag cars ... that RX8 has near perfect 50-50 weight balance stock, low center of gravity, DSC traction control, and it weighs 2900ish lbs stock. Many many reviews have stated how well it handles itself on a road course.

Stop living your life one 1/4 mile at a time (or as some people do ... stop light to stop light). lmao

As for the TC-SST not being right for a real sports car ... blah blah blah ... if that thing could handle the same kind of power as a standard transmission I'd jump on that in a heart beat.
"Real drivers want to feel one with the car" etc etc ... look many REAL race car drivers drive cars with transmissions like this. Anyway, this TC-SST vs MT has been beat to death in other threads.

Since you say you don't commute all that much ... I think you definitely made the right choice.
As for the 320whp ... you could do something like the ZChip (I don't like them) ...
or you could go something more traditional like intake, TBE (so you can really hear you car!), and intercooler pipes ...

then drive on down to one of the many great tuners we are blessed with in SoCal and get that baby tuned ... from all the evidence so far you should be looking at around 350whp!!!

GNR is totally correct in saying that the color choice is the real difficult one lol ... I walked in planning on WW ... walked out with PB (its a pain to keep clean but I love it!)

 

You can address me directly if you have something to say... however I hardly live my life " a quarter mile at a time " Vin... so please go watch another movie. I just said that the X MR wasn't as fast in a straight line as a GSR, but that on the track it did very well. I didn't see a bunch of articles really praising the RX-8 for this.. although I haven't looked so maybe there are a lot as you say.. but it doesn't appear that it was breaking to many records. What I basically am saying is that for the class that it was in, it was underpowered and the resale value flat out sucks... that tells me that people weren't particularly thrilled with the car.

 

Its funny how you brought the color up. I walked into the dealer saying i want the white one. He told me they dont make white ones anymore. WTF?! IS he full of it? or are White Evo's not being made anymore? I went to Huntington beach and the sales dude told me that he heard this news from the owner who happens to own 4 other lots in socal. Im thinking this is crap? right?