The low-end power issue is simply a result of what the car is, there isn't a NA 4-banger out there that has a great torquey motor.
As I said, bolt-ons won't get you 40 whp, that's a pretty big jump. I would guess at most you'd gain 20 whp with a full array of bolt-ons and a tune. 20 whp is a big jump and you'd definitely notice that.

 

oh and ive been looking in the gti foums for some time and when i saw that it makes 40hp from a chip my jaw dropped. i know its because of the turbo but it makes me jelous. for $500 40hp. thats amazing for me. but as i mentioned before i dont want to go nuts. it would be nice to have this car as a DD at 180whp. sorry if im digging to much into this and if im getting annoying. but this is the only place i can get some info and help. this place has great support and i know that there is alot of educated people here that they know what they are talkin about. and if i know that this car has potential to make ok numbers i would start modding and posting my results with before and after to help other people like me. i really apreciate all your help guys and i hope that we all see some nice results from this car.

 

i do realize that . i just hope that there is room for more after that. like some time ago i was reading about the works brainflash that its supposed to make 11whp and then they tuned it more and they said 17whp. but i saw someone post results and gained 6-8 whp. that kind of stuff is what puts me down.

 

It's easy to make power with a turboed car since you can simply up the boost. A TBE and reflash puts my car over 300 hp easily. I think to get 180whp, you'd have to look at head work (cams, port and polished head, etc).

 

I believe the lancer can be turned into quite a monster and I plan on proving that as soon as I get enough cash to finance my business so I can mod the lancer properly. I rate u shouldnt lose heart just like that. Most people say the lancer is **** to modify coz they bought the ultraheavy GTS with CVT and hardly know anything when it comes to modding. I think u should keep it a while longer under warranty. Then in a year or so start modding, coz by then I can bet u there will be lots of good parts out for the lancer/evo x which can be interchanged.

 

Agreed.
Due to the new tech on these cars, anything you do can throw up red flags.
That is why I am trading in for the R/A.
Simply that I can start on a better foundation which already gives me a head start and on top of that. Director7, who has an MR is already throwing up FMIC, ICpipes, exhaust and already has his chip going to ECUTEK. D7 is already over 300hp and I believe his target is 350hp.
I hope that the R/A can take some mods to around 265-280.
So....that being said, we play the waiting game and hopefully we get enough ballsy people to go and see what the potential of the TC-SST.

From what I understand is that the only difference between the engines of the MR and the R/A is the turbo size and a few internals.
While the R/A is using a single scroll turbo and the X is using a twin scroll.
The Caliber is using the Mitusibishi TDR04 (that right?) model to give it 285hp.

 

im also thinking of trying to convince my parents to let me get a RA its all going to depend on what it starts it and how much i can get for my GTS but most importantly the insurance cost...thats what i need..i hope the bump from the GTS isnt more than 50$ a month for me

 

250whp is nuts, have you tuned NA before? over 100whp increase is not going to happen and would not be a good daily driver. That is an all-out racing NA 2.0 liter engine. I'd say, if you bought every part available, save the turbo, then you are only going to get maybe 20whp. Don't get me wrong, that will be a WHOLE different car compared to stock, but nothing like what your saying. Even with head-work (P&P, maybe shave) and tuning your only reaching the 160whp-180whp mark....and you will have spent more than the RRM turbo kit. Be realistic.

 

The RA will be close to 30K after taxes, someone spending this kind of money on a car shouldn't worry too much about insurance...you should be worried about your parents.

 

Don't forget that to compare a car you can't simply get motor and say X hp vs X hp. I went to the track last week (first time drive) and to be honest even stock Gts with 4season tire was holding the road really really good, even compared to sportier car. And the brake where impresive.
So I don't know about the GTI, but the mazdaspeed3 didn't impressed me that much in terms of handling, so for the price (at least here in canada) I'm better boosting up my lancer for the same price and have a car you don't see every two corner you turn like mazda3 ans civic..

 

I see at least 5 lancers everyday, by contrast I've seen maybe 5 MS3s total. The MS3 will handle better stock than the lancer and it has the advantage of coming stock with a turbo system and an LSD (among other features).

 

Lancers are rare in my area. I only see 1 in a week to a month. I do see MS3 more though. And a GTI, I only seen one. I din't want to be a follower, that's why I din't buy a honda. So yeah I feel special. lol And I don't regret buying a Lancer. They all have there ups and downs. You just have to test drive them and see which one you like the most. Because who knows If you had gotten a different car and regret getting that one too. And test drive them with all your mighty! lol

 

Maybe its just me but I personally don't understand this "wanting to be different" mentality especially when it comes to buying an entry-level economy car. I'm sorry but that alone makes it pretty average. If you want to be different, buy a Lotus or swap a Corvette motor into a Honda Fit but to use that as a rational for buying a lancer just seems silly to me. Lancers are cool cars, you don't need to come up with an excuse as to why you bought one. Moreover, a lot of the cars people are trying to insult are fundamentally rarer than the lancer is.

 

True. I've been following the Lancers for quit a while. I could'nt believe Mitsu brought them here in the USA. They got popular here because of that video game Gran Turismo. Gamers wanted and Mitsu deliverd. Same goes with Subaru. Lancers was on top of my list when purchasing a car. But I had to test drive others too. It's just part of buying a new car. Hondas are good cars, popular, also affordable. But really I wouldn't feel special in them. They give me a bad taste due to past experience. lol

 

I agree I don't see a lot of ms3 on the road, but you have to agree they look almost like the 'normal' mazda3, and there is a LOT of them out there.

Why I don't want a car that look exactcly the same as billion of other one ? Maybe because I don't like them so don't want to be associated to them. So I feel a bit 'special' to be different then them. But I don't use this as a big insencive for buying, but in here the lancer offer a more for the money, and it was on of my first criteria.
But well, depends on everybody I guess