Evilution VIII

Umm... wouldnt the horizontally opposed engine layout of the subaru provide a lower center of gravity than the upright inline engine of the evolution?... this setup is also what provides the better weight bias for the subaru as where the evolution has a tick over 60% of its weight on its front axle.

Mitchubishievo

iTrader: (310)

MaxR, you hit the point right on; the symetrical layout on the subaru is definately one of the attributes as to why it should do well. If anyone has seen the Evo vs. STi Best Motoring vid, they compare how the cars can take a certian corner and the Subaru does better on certain corners for exit speed and lateral G's, but the evo has a better entry speed and a much tighter line.

Of course, like everyone here, I'm all for the evo, but if the subie had a little moreintensive suspension development and it better tires (they're pretty good, but they obviously need work), I think it would understeer less than it does. I'm not tryign to say the Subaru is a superior car, which it isn't, but it has so much potential with the way it was layed out. But the engine, now thats a different story...no hope for it at all...good luck holding 350WHP on the stock turbo ...

osunick

iTrader: (8)

Let's not forget that the longitudinal layout has less inherent friction and consequently greater whp relative to crank hp. But I digress; almost everything on paper says the STi should be better, but of course the devil is in the details. It's not the DCCD or the engine layout, Evo is just a better developed car. It's sometimes too easy to point at a specific feature and say "this is why the Evo is better!"

The reality is that the Evo engineers had a lot more freedom with the Lancer platform than the Subaru engineers had with their Impreza. Granted, the Impreza is a better start, but the STi shares the chassis and all body panels except the hood, whereas the Evo shares nothing except the front door skins and trunklid. Chalk it up to more experience in rallying, more years with the Lancer Evolution, more freedom to turn a pedestrian econocar platform into a race car for the street. For example, one thing Subaru can never match is the Evo's superior suspension layout. While the 05 has more forged suspension components in the rear it is still essentially identical to the standard impreza suspension. Conversely the Evo's suspension is a radical upgrade of the Lancer suspension, and has a multilink rear suspension to boot. On a road course, this greater camber and toe control makes a big difference, in addition to the higher level of development of the chassis in general.

Lord Infamous

descent read

housedj

iTrader: (2)

not a bad article except basically all they're saying is that the STI makes a better drift car...

evo_08

iTrader: (1)

i wonder how good the subarus drivetrain will hold an a 500+ whp application?

nasti

Why would you want to build a 500 whp EVO or STi? It is a complete waste of money... Especially people who do it for 1/4 mile racing, that's like buying a cobra and spending $15,000 on suspension to compete in autocross or rally.

SterlingEvo

iTrader: (5)

I don't agree... Look at all the great, high-powered track evos out there: Vishnu, Sparco, RRE/Buschur, Puma, etc... Those cars also happen to rock in the 1/4... the thing about adding a lot of power to the Evo is you have the ***** AND the control.

nasti

yea those cars are great but there are people with street legal daily driver Cobras that swap on track tires and run the same times as those tuner EVOs for 1/10th the mod cost.

All I'm saying is buying an EVO or STi for the sole purpose to make it a 1/4 mile car is about the dumbest thing you could ever do. Again, it is equivalent to buying an '03/'04 cobra for the sole purpose to make it an autocross/rally car.

evo_08

iTrader: (1)

what thats got to do with the price of potatoes in bosnia?

feldguy

iTrader: (4)

Right, and in a straight line they fly. In a corner,.they still feel like a 1979 Capril.

Wanna know why?

IT IS! Same basic chassis design. Now, the NEW Mustangs and cobras are something to think about, but from what I read, no IRS for them due to complaints from the current cobra owners. All aftermarket parts in an damn near indestructable block with a stock supercharger....the rear end and clutch is the weak link. But its a muscle car, the Evo is a scalpel.

osunick

iTrader: (8)

The new cobra will have an IRS. The current Mustang (D2C platform) is a solid rear as you stated.

BlueBlurSTi

the old gt had problems with the rear axle why not fix that? dose anyone know if the 05 will b ounce?

osunick

iTrader: (8)

By all accounts, the 05 mustang live axle is a completely modern implementation. Many magazines have stated that they are amazed at how well it handles and feels like a modern suspension in every way. There are certain surfaces where you can tell that it's a live axle but as far as I've heard it isn't nearly as big an issue as some feared. As a point of comparison, a recent C&D shootout between the GTO and Mustang GT had the GT winning, particularly in handling even though the GTO has a fully independent suspension. It wouldn't have been a contest if the comparo was with the old Fox-4 platform Mustang. The new cobra which should be out in a year or so should be a serious sports car all around, in the league of an M3 or Corvette rather than the Camaros that it's historically competed with.