mikeyb
09-19-2004, 07:19 PM
Euro Road Test: Subaru Impreza STi WR1 versus Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII MR FQ340
Significant Others: Special cars for other places
http://motortrend.com/s.gif
Motor Trend, October 2004
<!--begin paragraph-->Text and Photography Courtesy of CAR MAGAZINE
We hear you Yanks like your Evos and STis. But check out a limited-edition pair we get in the U.K. They may be the quickest point-to-point cars on the planet. An Enzo might be faster on paper, but in the real world, where there are corners, rain showers, and groceries to be carried, nothing else comes close.
The Impreza WR1 and Evo FQ340 are the latest, hard-core evolutions of the format. Both are products of rivalries: The FQ promotes Mitsubishi's resurgent rally team, and the WR1 was produced to celebrate Petter Solberg's 2003 WRC driver's title. The former is the work of Ralliart, based in the U.K. and home to the Mitsubishi Rally squad. The latter is the baby of Prodrive, the people responsible for the Subaru WRC squad.
<!-- 300x250 --><SCRIPT>document.write('<scr' + 'ipt src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=' + zzzzadslotzzzz + '></scr' + 'ipt>');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_Mitsubishi_Lancer_2004___Sport2 0Coupe0A;!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sec t=features;make=Mitsubishi;model=Lancer;year=2004; adkeyword1=;adkeyword2=;autosegment=Sport20Coupe0A ;site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3; ord=2732.532204912147"></SCRIPT><!-- Template Id = 1 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) --><!-- Copyright 2002 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><SCRIPT language=VBScript>dcmaxversion = 7dcminversion = 6DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion</SCRIPT>The Mitsubishi is the newer car and lays claim to having the longest nameplate badge ever conceived. This is the (deep breath) Mitsubishi Lancer, Evolution VIII, Mitsubishi Racing, F***ing Quick 340. Or FQ for short. To make the jump from standard Evo to potential Subaru-beater, the FQ must first go on a rapid weight-loss program. The FQ has been lightened, lowered, visually tweaked, and mechanically overhauled, even beyond the U.S.-spec MR Edition. To save weight and lower the center of gravity, the roof and side-impact bars are aluminum, and the wheels by Team Dynamics are revised heat-treated items that save a further seven pounds. Combined, Mitsubishi has shed 23.6 pounds from the standard Evo's curb weight.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->Each corner houses new Bilstein suspension with altered damping rates and repackaged mounting points. Developed on the Nuerburgring, the tweaks are intended to sharpen up the handling and make the Evo easier to live with on a daily basis.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->Up front, the high-strung 2.0-liter four has been given a warming over: new cam profiles, a reworked turbo, and a reprogrammed ECU. The result is 342 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque channeled through a six-speed box and Mitsubishi's trick all-wheel-drive system with Active Yaw Control and Active Center Differential.
http://motortrend.com/features/consumer/112_0410_others02_l.jpg
By comparison, the Subaru's upgrades are relatively tame, yet the results are similar. Prodrive has lowered the WR1 by one inch over the standard car on stiffened suspension, with new 18-inch wheels shod in 225/45 Pirelli P Zero rubber.
More significant are the modifications below the intercooler scoop. The distinctive flat-four has been electronically remapped, the exhaust replaced for a new free-flow item, and a sport silencer has been fitted. Other than a boosting bassy thrum emanating from the tank-barrel-size exhaust, these changes mean the WR1 produces some 316 horses and 310 pound-feet of torque--enough to cut the 0-to-60-mph time to 4.3 seconds (compared with 4.7 for an STi) and increase the top speed by 4 mph to 155.
<!-- 300x250 --><SCRIPT>document.write('<scr' + 'ipt src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=' + zzzzadslotzzzz + '></scr' + 'ipt>');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_Mitsubishi_Lancer_2004___Sport2 0Coupe0A;!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sec t=features;make=Mitsubishi;model=Lancer;year=2004; adkeyword1=;adkeyword2=;autosegment=Sport20Coupe0A ;site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3; ord=72075.816317698"></SCRIPT><!-- Template Id = 1 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) --><!-- Copyright 2002 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><SCRIPT language=VBScript>dcmaxversion = 7dcminversion = 6DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion</SCRIPT>Along with the extra power comes a trick new center diff that effectively allows the driver to bias the WR1 front or rear drive. Controlled via a switch next to the handbrake, the ratio of drive sent through each diff can be altered. The system wisely resets every time the car is started.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->On the road, the differences between the cars and their humble siblings is marked, especially so with the Evo. The powerband is now much wider, where the standard 271 horsepower tails off as the revs rise toward red, the FQ keeps charging until the limiter kicks in. The acceleration is ferocious, utterly addictive, and defined largely by turbo lag. Plant the throttle below 3000 rpm and little happens. Allow time for the turbo to spool up, however, and the FQ delivers a massive punch. More impressive than the initial surge is the realization that the acceleration isn't going to tail off until you're traveling the far side of 150 mph. Above these speeds, the FQ's apartment-block aerodynamics take effect and end play.
http://motortrend.com/features/consumer/112_0410_others03_l.jpg
The WR1 is more relaxed in its power delivery. This is partly due to the less frenetic nature of the WR1's flat-four lump, which delivers its power with more character and less lag. The turbo feels better integrated in the Impreza, making the step between on boost and off less dramatic than that experienced in the FQ. Compared with the standard STi, the WR1 is more extreme in every way. More noise from the new exhaust, harder acceleration in the midrange, and, as with the FQ, less tail off toward redline. There's also more grip from the adjustable diff, in addition to the impressive levels accredited to the standard car.
Drive the two back-to-back, and the Evo feels the more nimble and hard-core of the two. The turn in and accompanying grip is mind-bending. Enormous speed can be carried into corners, the FQ forgiving clumsy stabs of the throttle and mid-corner lifts by simply tightening its line. The AYC electronics sort it all out, leaving you feeling like a hero. Pushed to the extreme the FQ eventually will understeer, but under normal driving conditions its grip threshold is unlikely to be breac
<!-- 300x250 --><SCRIPT>document.write('<scr' + 'ipt src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=' + zzzzadslotzzzz + '></scr' + 'ipt>');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_Mitsubishi_Lancer_2004___Sport2 0Coupe0A;!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sec t=features;make=Mitsubishi;model=Lancer;year=2004; adkeyword1=;adkeyword2=;autosegment=Sport20Coupe0A ;site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3; ord=1605.396460779085"></SCRIPT><!-- Template Id = 1 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) --><!-- Copyright 2002 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><SCRIPT language=VBScript>dcmaxversion = 7dcminversion = 6DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion</SCRIPT><OBJECT id=FLASH_AD codeBase=https://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=3,0,0,0 height=0 width=0 classid=clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000 mps_xeight="250" mps_xidth="300" _mcafee_ok="1">
<EMBED src="http://m3.doubleclick.net/675026/odd_pre_300x250_30k_NL.swf?clickTag=http%3A//ad.doubleclick.net/click%253Bh%3Dv3%7C318b%7C3%7C0%7C%252a%7Ca%253B10 310756%253B0-0%253B0%253B9719817%253B4307-300%7C250%253B6551563%7C6569459%7C1%253B%253B%257E fdr%253D10451155%253B0-0%253B0%253B10265062%253B4307-300%7C250%253B6635242%7C6653138%7C1%253B%253B%257E sscs%253D%253fhttp%3A//newodyssey.honda.com" quality=autohigh swLiveConnect=TRUE WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="250" bgcolor=# TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></EMBED></OBJECT><NOEMBED>http://m3.doubleclick.net/675026/odd_pre_300x250_30k_3L.gif ("]http://m3.doubleclick.net/675026/odd_pre_300x250_30k_3L.gif[/url]</NOEMBED><NOSCRIPT>[url=")</NOSCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript src="http://ai092.insightexpress.com/adServer/adServer.aspx?bannerID=1805"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT> if ((!document.images && navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mozilla/2.') >= 0) || navigator.userAgent.indexOf("WebTV")>= 0) {document.write('');document.write('http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord='+zzzzadslotzzzz+' ("")') } </SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT> <A target=\"_blank\" HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=123456" ><adv SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=123456" border="0" height="250" width="300"></NOSCRIPT></P>The WR1's standout is its traction. Despite being 26 horsepower down on the FQ, it's actually quicker to 60 mph thanks to the additional grip supplied by the adjustable diff. Combine this with superior body control and better-judged damping, and the competition becomes extremely close.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->The Evo is the hard-core choice. The changes over the standard car make it quicker and more rewarding to drive than the less powerful Impreza. Yet, the WR1 is a more complete and desirable car. Although less communicative, it's no less rapid and is far more useable on a daily basis. The turbo is better integrated, the damping won't dislodge vertebrae, and its cabin is built to a higher standard. It also feels worth the substantial hike in price over the STi.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->For the ultimate thrill, opt for the super Evo. If you've got to live with the thing, go with the WR1 and be safe in the knowledge that, short of strapping yourself to an Acme rocket, there's no quicker way to get from A to B.
<!--end paragraph--><!--end paragraph-->
Significant Others: Special cars for other places
http://motortrend.com/s.gif
Motor Trend, October 2004
<!--begin paragraph-->Text and Photography Courtesy of CAR MAGAZINE
We hear you Yanks like your Evos and STis. But check out a limited-edition pair we get in the U.K. They may be the quickest point-to-point cars on the planet. An Enzo might be faster on paper, but in the real world, where there are corners, rain showers, and groceries to be carried, nothing else comes close.
The Impreza WR1 and Evo FQ340 are the latest, hard-core evolutions of the format. Both are products of rivalries: The FQ promotes Mitsubishi's resurgent rally team, and the WR1 was produced to celebrate Petter Solberg's 2003 WRC driver's title. The former is the work of Ralliart, based in the U.K. and home to the Mitsubishi Rally squad. The latter is the baby of Prodrive, the people responsible for the Subaru WRC squad.
<!-- 300x250 --><SCRIPT>document.write('<scr' + 'ipt src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=' + zzzzadslotzzzz + '></scr' + 'ipt>');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_Mitsubishi_Lancer_2004___Sport2 0Coupe0A;!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sec t=features;make=Mitsubishi;model=Lancer;year=2004; adkeyword1=;adkeyword2=;autosegment=Sport20Coupe0A ;site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3; ord=2732.532204912147"></SCRIPT><!-- Template Id = 1 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) --><!-- Copyright 2002 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><SCRIPT language=VBScript>dcmaxversion = 7dcminversion = 6DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion</SCRIPT>The Mitsubishi is the newer car and lays claim to having the longest nameplate badge ever conceived. This is the (deep breath) Mitsubishi Lancer, Evolution VIII, Mitsubishi Racing, F***ing Quick 340. Or FQ for short. To make the jump from standard Evo to potential Subaru-beater, the FQ must first go on a rapid weight-loss program. The FQ has been lightened, lowered, visually tweaked, and mechanically overhauled, even beyond the U.S.-spec MR Edition. To save weight and lower the center of gravity, the roof and side-impact bars are aluminum, and the wheels by Team Dynamics are revised heat-treated items that save a further seven pounds. Combined, Mitsubishi has shed 23.6 pounds from the standard Evo's curb weight.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->Each corner houses new Bilstein suspension with altered damping rates and repackaged mounting points. Developed on the Nuerburgring, the tweaks are intended to sharpen up the handling and make the Evo easier to live with on a daily basis.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->Up front, the high-strung 2.0-liter four has been given a warming over: new cam profiles, a reworked turbo, and a reprogrammed ECU. The result is 342 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque channeled through a six-speed box and Mitsubishi's trick all-wheel-drive system with Active Yaw Control and Active Center Differential.
http://motortrend.com/features/consumer/112_0410_others02_l.jpg
By comparison, the Subaru's upgrades are relatively tame, yet the results are similar. Prodrive has lowered the WR1 by one inch over the standard car on stiffened suspension, with new 18-inch wheels shod in 225/45 Pirelli P Zero rubber.
More significant are the modifications below the intercooler scoop. The distinctive flat-four has been electronically remapped, the exhaust replaced for a new free-flow item, and a sport silencer has been fitted. Other than a boosting bassy thrum emanating from the tank-barrel-size exhaust, these changes mean the WR1 produces some 316 horses and 310 pound-feet of torque--enough to cut the 0-to-60-mph time to 4.3 seconds (compared with 4.7 for an STi) and increase the top speed by 4 mph to 155.
<!-- 300x250 --><SCRIPT>document.write('<scr' + 'ipt src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=' + zzzzadslotzzzz + '></scr' + 'ipt>');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_Mitsubishi_Lancer_2004___Sport2 0Coupe0A;!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sec t=features;make=Mitsubishi;model=Lancer;year=2004; adkeyword1=;adkeyword2=;autosegment=Sport20Coupe0A ;site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3; ord=72075.816317698"></SCRIPT><!-- Template Id = 1 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) --><!-- Copyright 2002 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><SCRIPT language=VBScript>dcmaxversion = 7dcminversion = 6DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion</SCRIPT>Along with the extra power comes a trick new center diff that effectively allows the driver to bias the WR1 front or rear drive. Controlled via a switch next to the handbrake, the ratio of drive sent through each diff can be altered. The system wisely resets every time the car is started.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->On the road, the differences between the cars and their humble siblings is marked, especially so with the Evo. The powerband is now much wider, where the standard 271 horsepower tails off as the revs rise toward red, the FQ keeps charging until the limiter kicks in. The acceleration is ferocious, utterly addictive, and defined largely by turbo lag. Plant the throttle below 3000 rpm and little happens. Allow time for the turbo to spool up, however, and the FQ delivers a massive punch. More impressive than the initial surge is the realization that the acceleration isn't going to tail off until you're traveling the far side of 150 mph. Above these speeds, the FQ's apartment-block aerodynamics take effect and end play.
http://motortrend.com/features/consumer/112_0410_others03_l.jpg
The WR1 is more relaxed in its power delivery. This is partly due to the less frenetic nature of the WR1's flat-four lump, which delivers its power with more character and less lag. The turbo feels better integrated in the Impreza, making the step between on boost and off less dramatic than that experienced in the FQ. Compared with the standard STi, the WR1 is more extreme in every way. More noise from the new exhaust, harder acceleration in the midrange, and, as with the FQ, less tail off toward redline. There's also more grip from the adjustable diff, in addition to the impressive levels accredited to the standard car.
Drive the two back-to-back, and the Evo feels the more nimble and hard-core of the two. The turn in and accompanying grip is mind-bending. Enormous speed can be carried into corners, the FQ forgiving clumsy stabs of the throttle and mid-corner lifts by simply tightening its line. The AYC electronics sort it all out, leaving you feeling like a hero. Pushed to the extreme the FQ eventually will understeer, but under normal driving conditions its grip threshold is unlikely to be breac
<!-- 300x250 --><SCRIPT>document.write('<scr' + 'ipt src=""http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=' + zzzzadslotzzzz + '></scr' + 'ipt>');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_Mitsubishi_Lancer_2004___Sport2 0Coupe0A;!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sec t=features;make=Mitsubishi;model=Lancer;year=2004; adkeyword1=;adkeyword2=;autosegment=Sport20Coupe0A ;site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3; ord=1605.396460779085"></SCRIPT><!-- Template Id = 1 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) --><!-- Copyright 2002 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><SCRIPT language=VBScript>dcmaxversion = 7dcminversion = 6DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion</SCRIPT><OBJECT id=FLASH_AD codeBase=https://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=3,0,0,0 height=0 width=0 classid=clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000 mps_xeight="250" mps_xidth="300" _mcafee_ok="1">
<EMBED src="http://m3.doubleclick.net/675026/odd_pre_300x250_30k_NL.swf?clickTag=http%3A//ad.doubleclick.net/click%253Bh%3Dv3%7C318b%7C3%7C0%7C%252a%7Ca%253B10 310756%253B0-0%253B0%253B9719817%253B4307-300%7C250%253B6551563%7C6569459%7C1%253B%253B%257E fdr%253D10451155%253B0-0%253B0%253B10265062%253B4307-300%7C250%253B6635242%7C6653138%7C1%253B%253B%257E sscs%253D%253fhttp%3A//newodyssey.honda.com" quality=autohigh swLiveConnect=TRUE WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="250" bgcolor=# TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash" PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></EMBED></OBJECT><NOEMBED>http://m3.doubleclick.net/675026/odd_pre_300x250_30k_3L.gif ("]http://m3.doubleclick.net/675026/odd_pre_300x250_30k_3L.gif[/url]</NOEMBED><NOSCRIPT>[url=")</NOSCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript src="http://ai092.insightexpress.com/adServer/adServer.aspx?bannerID=1805"></SCRIPT><SCRIPT> if ((!document.images && navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mozilla/2.') >= 0) || navigator.userAgent.indexOf("WebTV")>= 0) {document.write('');document.write('http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord='+zzzzadslotzzzz+' ("")') } </SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT> <A target=\"_blank\" HREF="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=123456" ><adv SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/motortrend.primedia.com/_consumer_features_' + make + '_' + model + '_' + year + '_' + ad_keyword_1 + '_' + ad_keyword_2 + '_' + auto_segment + ';!category=;page=;subss=;subs=consumer;sect=featu res;make=' + make + ';model=' + model + ';year=' + year + ';adkeyword1=' + ad_keyword_1 + ';adkeyword2=' + ad_keyword_2 + ';autosegment=' + auto_segment + ';site=motortrend;chan=autos;kw=;sz=300x250;tile=3 ;ord=123456" border="0" height="250" width="300"></NOSCRIPT></P>The WR1's standout is its traction. Despite being 26 horsepower down on the FQ, it's actually quicker to 60 mph thanks to the additional grip supplied by the adjustable diff. Combine this with superior body control and better-judged damping, and the competition becomes extremely close.
<!--end paragraph-->
<!--begin paragraph-->The Evo is the hard-core choice. The changes over the standard car make it quicker and more rewarding to drive than the less powerful Impreza. Yet, the WR1 is a more complete and desirable car. Although less communicative, it's no less rapid and is far more useable on a daily basis. The turbo is better integrated, the damping won't dislodge vertebrae, and its cabin is built to a higher standard. It also feels worth the substantial hike in price over the STi.
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<!--begin paragraph-->For the ultimate thrill, opt for the super Evo. If you've got to live with the thing, go with the WR1 and be safe in the knowledge that, short of strapping yourself to an Acme rocket, there's no quicker way to get from A to B.
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