Incredibly agile and nimble, the EVO can be driven with a point-and-squirt technique. Grip is impressive, however our tester suffered from some less than up-to-snuff rubber. As you can imagine, these test cars get the snot beaten out of them. Our car came equipped with a fresh set of Toyo Proxes 4. Although probably good for daily commutes and water evacuation, they suffered a fate worse than death on the track.
Mitsubishi's Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) with active yaw control, a front helical limited-slip differential and other forms of electronic wizardry did everything in their power to give the car as much traction as possible. The Toyos could barely handle it, but it all amounted to tonnes of fun; their lower level of hold allowed the car to be navigated slideways with little effort. The standard Yokohama ADVAN A13s are much better-suited for this type of performance driving but in my experience, are still very happy letting the EVO stray away from the ideal racing line.
The STI is a whole other beast. Mechanical and physical grip are nearly impossible to break unless you drive like a raging bull on roids. Bertrand tried as hard as he could but never was opposite lock required.
The entire AWD setup on the STI screams traction: front helical-type limited-slip differential, rear Torsen limited-slip differential and cam-type mechanical limited-slip center differential. All of this working in conjunction with the SI-DRIVE (Subaru Intelligent Drive) engine management system and the multi-mode Driver Controlled Centre Differential (DCCD). That heavy-duty enough for you? Factor in very competent Dunlop SP Sport 600 and you have yourself a car that will not let go.
Steering does not have as much bite as on the EVO, but its 2.8 turns lock-to-lock still provide good feel and movement.
In both cases, brakes were strong. The STI, even if having seen much less abuse, did not promote as much confidence in its braking resilience after a few laps as did the EVO. Pedal feedback was better than the EVO's overly firm pedal, so overall they average out.
As far as engines are concerned, I preferred the Mitsubishi's punchier 2.0T. It felt as though it was always on and very ready to deliver sonic acceleration. The Subie's 2.5T delivers its guts in a more linear fashion with a fabulous soundtrack but with a tad dose of jerkiness. Certainly and again, the STI's more civil demeanour might keep you out of jail. At least a little while longer.
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| Incredibly agile and nimble, the EVO can be driven with a point-and-squirt technique. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
Mitsubishi's Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) with active yaw control, a front helical limited-slip differential and other forms of electronic wizardry did everything in their power to give the car as much traction as possible. The Toyos could barely handle it, but it all amounted to tonnes of fun; their lower level of hold allowed the car to be navigated slideways with little effort. The standard Yokohama ADVAN A13s are much better-suited for this type of performance driving but in my experience, are still very happy letting the EVO stray away from the ideal racing line.
The STI is a whole other beast. Mechanical and physical grip are nearly impossible to break unless you drive like a raging bull on roids. Bertrand tried as hard as he could but never was opposite lock required.
The entire AWD setup on the STI screams traction: front helical-type limited-slip differential, rear Torsen limited-slip differential and cam-type mechanical limited-slip center differential. All of this working in conjunction with the SI-DRIVE (Subaru Intelligent Drive) engine management system and the multi-mode Driver Controlled Centre Differential (DCCD). That heavy-duty enough for you? Factor in very competent Dunlop SP Sport 600 and you have yourself a car that will not let go.
Steering does not have as much bite as on the EVO, but its 2.8 turns lock-to-lock still provide good feel and movement.
In both cases, brakes were strong. The STI, even if having seen much less abuse, did not promote as much confidence in its braking resilience after a few laps as did the EVO. Pedal feedback was better than the EVO's overly firm pedal, so overall they average out.
As far as engines are concerned, I preferred the Mitsubishi's punchier 2.0T. It felt as though it was always on and very ready to deliver sonic acceleration. The Subie's 2.5T delivers its guts in a more linear fashion with a fabulous soundtrack but with a tad dose of jerkiness. Certainly and again, the STI's more civil demeanour might keep you out of jail. At least a little while longer.
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| As far as engines are concerned, I preferred the Mitsubishi's punchier 2.0T. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |