a good buddy of mine calls mitsubishi dealerships "the evo store" because neither of us can think of a good reason to set foot in one except to check out an evo. and now the ralliart too.

 

ha ha!

actually, if i'm not mistaken, since evos now and then were priced so high, they languished on dealer lots, waiting for serious buyers.

the ralliart may put an end to all that, though i hope it doesn't, cause it would be great for dealer negotiations!;)

I totally agree with what you said ken, this is great for those willing to buy a cheaper evo to mod it how THEY want it, or for those wanting an awesome all whell drive sedan or hatch(i wish they would make it in the sportback!) but only want to spend what you would typically spend on a top of the line sporty compact. (decked out si, gti, mazdaspeed3 etc). this could very well de throne the GTI as my next car!

 

Tyler:

for it to be that much cheaper, yeah, they'll have to trade some performance.

i know for a fact that the all wheel drive system is simplified when compared to the evo, and that while we still get snow/tarmac etc settings, it wont have all the crazy ayc stuff.

since we can't really compare it to the wrx yet, because it hasn't been driven, there are current WRX numbers and current EVO gsr numbers out there. There is an evo MR that handles even better than the gsr, but its the slowest of the two but it does have the sequential auto that the ralliart is going to get.


here are some numbers from edmunds:

Subaru WRX:

0-60 in 5.8 seconds
.81 g's on the skid pad
67.7 mph through the slalom

Mitsu Evo GsR:
0-60 in 4.9 seconds
0.99 g's on the skid pad
70.7 mph through the slalom

My bet is that the Ralliart is going to put down numbers like the wrx, maybe being slighty slower, but gripping much harder and going through the slalom a bit faster. The numbers i got for the WRX are from a comparo with the mazdaspeed 3, which did exactly what i think the mistu would do: handle and grip harder, but be a few ticks slower. one of the reasons for this was because the mazdaspeed is FWD...something the ralliart won't have as an issue. So despite the weight disadvantage, the Ralliart will be as quick or only slightly slower than the WRX.


but yes, as you can see, if they are targeting the wrx's performance, its still significantly less than what the EVO can turn out.


One thing i will say though is that even if the Ralliarts numbers are below even the WRX's, maybe price alone will be enough to sway folks: ever try building a WRX with an auto tranny? its about 28 thousand dollars. This has to do with the fact that you are required to pick an expensive option package in order to select the auto, and remember, this isn't a sequential shift/dsg type unit like in the ralliart: its a regular 4 speed slushbox.

the auto on the ralliart is already included in the price and if you go optionless(assuming that it would already have a good amount of standard equipment) i'd say the fact that you can get it cheaper than the WRX makes it a much more tempting proposition. AWD for the price of a FWD gti? very very nice!:)

 

my original plan was to get an evo 9 RS (the USDM model had the 5spd, no wing, no abs, no radio, no AC) which based at a $25.6k IIRC. literally, one could spend $1300 for an exhaust with a HFC with a tune and make 340whp on a dynojet (+10whp, -$200 if you just run a test pipe). spend $600 for a set of used MR Bilstiens (which had softer valving than the GSR/RS KYBs) and they had the same suspension as the 9 MR, which in another thread i posted Motor Trend clocked as the fastest Evo still on their test road course, to include the new X. that's literally a world class sports car for about USD $29k (after taxes, labor, parts, everything)

anywhoo, i'm saying this to say that the raliart i bet will prove the value leader. the Raliart will have AWD and a mechanical rear diff. guess what other car was equipped in the same way? the evo 9 - which, accoring to MT, is the 4th best handling car in their best handling car in america test. plus, the raliart is super stealth compared to the evo and the less obvious choice, something car people always appreciate.

 

exactly! this thing looks no different than a current GTS, the logos are tiny, and unless you get a BBS or enkei wheel package (which i'm assuming they'll offer since its the regular GTS wheels that they show on all the pics available), no one would know the difference!

and i'm pretty sure that the ralliart wont make you do without a/c and other anemities...not that you didn't mind before, as you were already willing to make the sacrifice.

dunno if it will be up there with the evo 9 as far as handling goes, but for shure it will handle as good if not better than anything in the class. (the edmunds article i got my EVO GSR numbers from, compared the new GSR, the MR with sequential shift, and the new STI. Then they mentioned how they brought an evo 9 along, and this car lapped their test track significantly faster than any of them. It had the spoiler though, so it wasn't an MR. Apparently the STI is the fastest, but not the best handler at all. That goes to the evo's still.)


I'll take mine in white, with HID's and throw some BBS on there please! ;)

 

to say the least, the prospects are exciting. i think the market will be very strong and there will be a lot of competition and there will be quality parts at a fair price within a year of its release. i'd put my money on it in vegas.

 

How could Mitsu still have nothing even mentioning this car on their site..LAME!

Tyler

 

probably because it wont come out until the end of this year, as on 09 model. they still have to introduce the 2.4 engine into the GTS as well.

its coming! we just gotta chill! i can't wait until the site has it up, and candd and edmunds have done some tests!

 

if only mitsubishi put as much effort into their other cars as they did their lancer series, maybe theyd move more cars off their lots.