Tarmac racing has far different requirements in the suspension department (and other areas) than rallying. Mitsubishi probably wasn't testing evos at Laguna Seca or the Nurburgring etc.

It's like saying an F150 Raptor would make a good track car because they were ran in Baja races for development.

 

FWIW, I know a thing or two about the Evo geometry and the reason it works so well is that the front is basic but nothing weird and rear is really decent. The arms could be longer to get a bit more linearity (camber gain ramps up too fast with stock uprights and being really low) but we of course can fix that.

The real issue is weight distribution and CG. So as far as new cars go, there really isnt an AWD car that exceeds the Evo, its just the newer sports cars are lower CG and better WD. OF course they have newer electronics (for the good or bad) and better transmissions. Though Id argue we have a better range of options for LSDs.

Evos also have the community.

 

The Evo IX is still a keeper. Something about zero comfort, all business car is appealing to everyone except most ladies. It gets reactions like I'm driving a unicorn around the south

 

Cool wheels but man, they look like a nightmare to clean!

 

I think some people here might be misinterpreting my comments. I still love Evos. Hell, I basically dedicated the last 16+ years to tuning, building, and tracking them. They hold a very special place in my heart. The community has been awesome, although it is maybe 10% of what it used to be, pretty dead now. Evos had a great run for sure.

 

One of the reasons I bought the Mustang is because it's RWD, M/T, and I can turn all the nannies off. No excuses for the car to be faster than I can drive it. I do find it funny that everyone I beat at autox complains it's because my car is AWD (they obviously haven't driven it), has 500hp (it doesn't), and has a ton of fancy nannies (....ABS?). Not my fault they brought a knife to a gun fight
I'm taking the Mustang to BWRP on Feb 4, as-is, to get a baseline on it. The tires are old and worn, but I should still be able to get an idea of where the car stands against a car with ten of thousands of dollars and 7yrs into it.
Would I love to spend a few K to lighten the Evo and make it faster. Yep. Would I like to drop $16k on a sequential to be faster AND have the best driving experience in the world? Heeeell yeah. would I like to revamp the fuel system and add an FP Red with supporting mods to keep up with some of the faster cars? Yep. Do I want Dallas' front and rear uprights?
But... I'm not getting any younger.
So, if I can go faster in a car that is less work to modify and maintain, then I'm kinda cool with that.
It really makes more sense for me to sell the Evo, use the funds to pay off the Aston, and make the Mustang my track car until I can upgrade to a GT3 (Which, judging by current pricing trends, I probably won't be able to afford one next year. Thinking long term, anyway.

P.S. If I were doing RallyX, etc. I'd be in the Evo, not a Mustang - hands down.

 

This is a major thorn on my side. "Evos practically drive itself", This is why I didnt upgrade or removed flashy parts and going for a stock look as much as possible. I dont get credit for 20years of experience autocrossing. "It's the car." sheesh. No pat on the back. Meanwhile everyone else is a 'Beastmaster' having their car's under control

 

I know that feeling too. They threw me into the Supercar class because Evo. They didnt care to see that I had the least amount of HP, smallest tires, least mods, and being the cheapest car in class by at least 50k. It was just, you have and Evo so its a supercar....

On that same note, season pass tickets just went on sale for my normal race series. Somehow I scored tickets in time! Sold out in something like 10 seconds. At least I will have an entire season to race the Supra now without having to fight to get tickets to each race. That is the motivation I needed to finally get to installing the parts I have been collecting.

 

amen

 

People will make up excuses no matter what. I lost track of how many times people came over to me in the pits after a session, really curious and are like "wow, this thing is fast, you flew by me, what kinda power does it have?", to which I reply "It's running about 520whp on my track map" and then they IMMEDIATELY dismiss the car "ohhh that's why" and walk away.

Nevermind, that in that last session, I didn't even see them two corners before blasting past them. That takes more than just power. Especially if that car I blasted past is a Vette or GT500. The last event I did in the Evo on the west coast was a Mustang club day and oh boy the above scenario played out like 10x that day. If your own car also has 500hp, you cannot make that excuse. lol

 

I almost punched a tiny guy telling me 'It's just point and shoot (with your evo), man". I just cried inside.

 

I hate that too, however, compared to a comparable powered RWD car, it kind of is, that is the advantage of an AWD car. I have decades of habits from driving AWD cars that have made me almost loop the supra on the street like 10x since I bought it in November, lol.

Even with 600whp, I can go WOT in 3rd gear in a corner with very little drama in the Evo. I do the same thing in the Supra with just 320whp and I better be ready to give that thing some opposite lock asap. lol

 

That's because everybody has seen this:

 

Too funny. You guys hit all the nails on the head. "It drives itself" is the official mantra of anyone driving against an Evo haha. To the point where i, literally, want to start recording my pedal and steering wheel inputs so they can see how hard I'm working.
point and shoot =
I've offered a $100 bet at my local autox: we each drive each other's cars and see who can get closer to the owner's time. Winner takes $100. Pointing out anybody in a rear wheel drive car should have a decided advantage. Nobody will take me up on the offer.

 

Yeah but I was explaining to him how much the evo community has been trying to sort understeering and three-wheeling issues for years. "nah, point and shoot" (out of the box). I spent day$ trying to address it so those comments are annoying. My friends STI power oversteer's nicely but he gets 'great driver'. motherf