Hey folks. I've been here for a long time. Since my awesome RalliArt Lancer - I got involved in AE86/S13/Miata in different levels of turbos/SCCA/NASA stuff.

I've been with the SCCA for about 8 years as a Chief of Tech and Safety.

Currently I've been campaigning a 94 Miata but I want to move to a faster car. I want dead reliable. My current car is flogged regularly - of course with in the letter of the law... come on - it's 100 hp to the tire. lol, how much trouble can I get in to. As I love the sound it makes I'm prone to higher rpm cruising. I do understand that maintenance is king... but really, How well can an evo vii-ix hold up?

Is the 04-06 Evo still a viable platform for street/autocross/time attacke/hpde.

My concerns:
1. OEM replacement bits.
2. Obviously the aftermarket is still rich - but for how long.
3. How long can I expect a stock evo to hold up to Reliable OEM equipment at OEM HP levels. How fast does it fall off per 100 lb torque to the tire, 200lb - 300lb.



Thank you.

 

If you are looking to stay OE at OE power levels the car will be incredibly robust.
with bolt ons and a conservative tune to 350 whp level I have logged just over 30k track miles. 55K on the car total.
Other than regular track car maintenance have had no serious issues.
As things need replacing I look to the aftermarket for upgraded components when appropriate.


I know Marty Grand has been campaigning his EVO 9 in SCCA for a number of years without any serious reliability issues that I know of. He posts up here to let us know the good and bad.


I picked the EVO as an AX/ HPDE/ track day car over the C5 Z06, And E46 M3 and have never once regretted the decision.


Hope that helps a bit.

 

the evo 8/9 is a very reliable platform stock power lever or even some bolt-ons and a tune to 300 whp. i've been tracking my car for 3 seasons now going on the 4th this year. about 30 track days a year. and i also drive it to and from the track. my car makes about 310-340 depends on the tune. the transmission was rebuilt once, also replaced the clutch at the same time. replaced all 4 wheel hubs. that's about it for the major stuff other regular maintenance.

if you're coming from miata, the thing you'll notice the most is the consumable costs. you'll get 5 mpg on track. you'll go through brake pads/rotors and tires quicker because you're going faster and heavier car, and those cost more for an Evo.

 

Hey, i race with SCCA and NASA. Do you work any of the CA regions? I have an Evo 9 thats been incredibly reliable. Btw, i also have a Miata. Regarding Evos...maintain it well and it should be bulletproof.

 

IX RS you should looking for If you looking the CT9A chassis. Great reilable car.

 

As everyone else has stated, the Evo in stock to 300whp range is very reliable. Your biggest problem is going to be finding an unmolested one for a decent price. They're all holding their value very well, especially the IX. The aftermarket is going to stay rich for a long time. These cars are more popular than DSMs (Eclipse/Talon/Laser) and there is still plenty of support today for that platform which is 15-24 years old now.

 

My evo 9 is for sale

 

Hey guys,

Didn't want to make a new thread so i thought it'll be appropriate to ask my question here too.

Recently got into auto crossing and i was thinking about my platform options. I have an 8 gsr, 9 rs, and a evo 10. I brought out the 8 for my first time and had the time of my life, it literally changed my viewpoints on cars.

So now i am debating on a platform that i want to grow with. I was thinking of using my evo 9 rs, but knowing it does not have abs worries me slightly from locking in the brakes and not being able to drive it at its full potential. I do have an evo 8 and a 10, but i feel it lacks the raw-ness of the evo 9 rs. Then i also thought about trying a different platform an EF or CRX, it will be cheaper to race these platform and i have friends whom have solids honda that convinces me to give them a try.

What would you guys recommend for me as a starter?

 

If you already have an 8, 9, and 10 I don't know why you would want to start with a different platform. I personally would use the 9 RS as it's the lightest, with the best stock turbo, and the diffs. I hate ABS in auto-x but have yet to feel mine go off in my 8. You need to figure out what class you want to be in as well. If you have mods it can easily bump you into tougher classes, be it indexed or street. I would recommend staying in a stock class to learn how to read the cones, pick the best lines, learn your car's limits, and be the most competitive while learning these things.

The light Hondas really hold their own in auto-x on both slow and fast courses. They have a slight advantage in slow courses and a slight disadvantage in fast courses.

 

My experience is on road courses only, so cant help with autox. Never driven an Evo X, only sat passenger couple times. People say theyre very easy to drive, id agree. I love my 9 so id probably stay with it. If you lack experience, dont commit to a car yet. Drive all your cars, rent others, and talk with the experienced guys. Besides, you may change your mind and want to get into TT or maybe racing. If you want to try another platform, i suggest rwd. Miata is my current choice. If you want to race someday in a low hp car, sm and miata related classes arguably have the most competition.