Author Topic: Subie STi Trumps Mitsu EVO (Read 938 times)

crowMAW · « **on:** January 06, 2003, 04:27:05 PM »

Ooooo Funked...better get out your checkbook for this one buddy!

On the same day as the much anticipated Mitsubishi EVO VIII's pre-production sales begin, Subaru counters with ~25 more hp and lb-ft torque than the EVO in today's announcement.

E46M3 owners look upon the mighty Subaru and dispair!

"Subaru of America, Inc. today introduced the long-awaited 2004MY Impreza WRX STi, an ultra high-performance all-wheel drive sedan, at the North American International Auto Show. Impreza WRX STi is powered by a turbocharged and intercooled 2.5-liter DOHC boxer engine producing 300 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 300 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. Impreza WRX STi will arrive in dealerships this summer and will earn distinction as the most powerful Subaru ever offered for sale in North America.

The 2.5-liter horizontally opposed ("boxer") four-cylinder engine is based on a specially reinforced "semi-closed deck" engine block with forged aluminum alloy pistons, forged high-carbon steel connecting rods and sodium-filled exhaust valves. This advanced powerplant incorporates Subaru AVCS (Active Valve Control System) variable valve timing technology to optimize the engine's volumetric efficiency throughout the rev band. It is the first application of this technology on a Subaru in North America. The large capacity intercooler includes a manually operated water spray feature to provide additional cooling.

In its exterior design, Impreza WRX STi leaves no doubts about its performance potential -- a look that is equally functional. The enlarged hood scoop in the aluminum hood feeds outside air to the intercooler that is significantly larger than the unit found on Impreza WRX. A completely functional dual element rear spoiler -- which appears to be borrowed directly from the Subaru World Rally Car -- helps reduce lift and improve stability at high speed. Airflow is also managed via front side spoilers on the front bumper and STi side ground effects. The front fascia features four high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps with smoke tinted lenses and distinctive STi fog light insert covers for a no-nonsense look. Large diameter Brembo(R) brakes are clearly visible between the spokes of the 17-inch lightweight aluminum-alloy BBS(R) wheels.

WRX STi is equipped with the brand's most performance-directed All-Wheel Drive system with DCCD (Driver Control Center Differential). In automatic mode, the computer varies the front/rear torque split automatically depending on driving conditions and driver input. In manual mode, the DCCD system allows the driver to vary the front-to-rear torque distribution for different driving conditions.

Using a small control wheel on the car's center console, the driver can set the system to transfer as much as 65 percent of available torque to the rear wheels to increase handling agility."

http://prn.newscom.com/cgi-bin/pub/s?f=PRN/prnpub&p1=20030106-PHM043&xtag=PRN-prnphotos-30968&redir=detail&tr=1&row=1

funkedup · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2003, 04:30:18 PM »

Ahhhhhhhhhhh toejam time to talk to my banker.

narsus · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2003, 04:34:47 PM »

booya

funkedup · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2003, 04:36:55 PM »

That announcement is hilarious if you consider that Mistubishi just had a big showy intro for the Evo. Subaru waited for Mitsubishi to commit to some specs and then they took a huge dump on them. Everybody had assumed that the US STi would be a detuned JDM STi, but now it turns out the US market will get the hottest WRX (and for that matter the hottest WRC street derivative) on the planet. Nice gamesmanship.

crowMAW · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2003, 04:37:02 PM »

LOL...I imagine that $1000 in mods on that car would make Z06 owners tremble! I just might have to get one.

funkedup · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2003, 04:42:23 PM »

Yep 2.5l motor and variable timing is going to open up a whole new level of tuning. Gonna be some 500 hp streetable STi's cruising around.

Might be a high 12's car bone stock.

swoopy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2003, 05:20:36 PM »

The evo thats going to the US is that detuned version but aftermarket kits can be bought from the dealers to give outputs upto around 320bhp to improve itself over the scooby. The US version of the evo VIII is going to have 271 bhp and 370 Nm of torque.

Jochen · « **Reply #7 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:21:57 AM »

BMW is still the way to go.

funkedup · « **Reply #8 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:30:52 AM »

BMW is for old men and status seekers. I wanna go fast and don't wish to pay for hundreds of pounds of luxury options and sound deadening material and 6 week vacations for overpaid German union autoworkers.

Dowding (Work) · « **Reply #9 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:32:32 AM »

EVO VII? That's been out for along time. The EVO VIII is on its way.

I used to be a Scooby fan, but the last design looked like a Toyota Corolla for god's sake. Like something you'd take the wife to the supermarket in. The new version looks better, but not like the old old version.

Now the EVO is a man's car. Buy it from Japan for £27,000 and you get a 300 BHP straight away I believe. Also they drive on the left over there, which is handy for us brits.

funkedup · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:37:48 AM »

I guess I'm too much of an enginerd because I don't buy cars for looks. To me, functional is beautiful.

As long as it doesn't look like a New Beetle or a scabrous scooped and spoilered Transexual Am, I'm OK with it.

Dowding (Work) · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:43:13 AM »

If you were going to give me one for free, I wouldn't say no, however.

What did they do to the Transam? I'm a big Smokey and the Bandit fan, you see.

funkedup · « **Reply #12 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:45:00 AM »

The first Trans Ams were pretty cool, they were actually race cars. But as they got popular they became just a trim package on a normal Firebird. The late 70's and early 80's T/A's were pitifully slow (by current standards) despite enormous engines, because GM had no idea how to deal with emissions laws without crippling the power of their engines.
Lately (1990 or so to present) they have great performance but still have lots of tacky plastic doodads and stuff tacked on. All those Smokey and the Bandit fans demand flaming chickens and enormous nonfunctional air intakes. The LS1 cars with the huge nostril scoops are pretty hilarious. If I didn't know better I'd think they were compensating for something.

funkedup · « **Reply #13 on:** January 07, 2003, 03:51:40 AM »

PS I think to get the whole Evo vs WRX thing here, you have to realize that on Friday, Mitsubishi of America had a huge unveiling of the US market Evo VIII, with lots of hoopla and smoke and bells and whistles and loud music, and they were pumping it up really hard. The big thing was that they had 270+ hp instead of the WRX's 227 hp. They knew the WRX STi for the US market would be good, but the rumor mill said it would be detuned to 260 hp or so, and wouldn't be a match for the Evo VIII.
Reaction of WRX fans: "WE HAVE BEEN 0\/\/N3D!"

Then Subaru ambushes them on Monday by announcing that the US version of the WRX STi will have a 2.5l motor and 300 hp, which means it will eat Evos for breakfast. 2.5l motor is a big deal, they don't even have that on the hottest JDM or Euro versions of the WRX STi.

You can go on and on about mods like Swoopy but for every guy with a 360 hp Evo there's a guy with a 400 hp WRX and vice versa. But the fact is that stock vs stock, the USDM WRX STi will clobber the USDM Evo VIII.

PPS Remember that US emissions laws are much stricter than Japan or Europe, so US versions of cars are always going to have less power. Add 25 hp on to the figures above to get something more like Euro figures. You could import a Euro or JDM car to the US, but only for track use, unless you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars getting it certified for the street.

Mr.H · « **Reply #14 on:** January 07, 2003, 04:08:42 AM »

The Mitsi Evo looks a lot nicer than the Scooby STi and most reports tend to say the Evo has better handling all round.

Id love to own either but if i had the cash spare itd be the Evo anytime... Dream on me