New STi beats Evo X around track
December 6, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Update: video added
With both the new STi and Evo X out and about in Japan, the motoring journos are going frantic trying to work out which one is faster on track.
Tsukuba race track regulars Kazuo Shimizu and Manabu Kawaguchi tested both cars continuously for CAR Top magazine and the results are in. The twisty short circuit is suited to the AWD monsters with quick acceleration and high speed cornering a prerequisite for success.
The drivers managed the following best times for the two cars.
- Subaru Impreza WRX STI : 1:05:95
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X : 1:06:46
According to the report the Evo X suffers from the engine placed slightly further forward in the engine bay than its predecessor. Meanwhile the new STi’s double wishbone rear suspension has got the thumbs up.
But here is the big news, in a sign that cars are getting too sophisticated for their own good, both new rally kings are slower than their predecessors. Track times for the previous models follow:
- EVO / STI
- 2006 1:05:07 / 1:04:72
- 2005 1:04.88 / 1:04:17
- 2003 1:05:30 / 1:04:69
- 2001 1:05:17 / 1:06:56
- 1998 1:04:69 / 1:06:73
- 1996 1:07:00 / 1:05:92
- 1994 1:06:52 / 1:06:26
- 1992 1:10:90 / 1:07:99
We also managed to source a video showing a Manual EVO X .vs. SST EVO X .vs. EVO IX .vs. 2007 STi .vs. R35 Skyline Coupe:
The results go
- Evo IX
- STi
- Evo X Manual
- Evo X SST
- Skyline
Print it: 
Finally the Impreza gets some good press
Interesting! I think perhaps the STi will make up for its dull appearance in performance? In saying that, the spy photos you guys posted recently of the car in AUS looked pretty darn good, but I cant stand a wagon.
Meh, still boring, look at the Evo, its a work of art, the STi is like a supercar killer, in the body of a family car, I suppose thats a good thing for some, I for one prefer the brutal agressiveness of the Evo X
No surprise here! it was obvious outcome considering new evo is heavier,has less power and has stupid dsg gbox instead of sti”s excellant 6 speed proper manual!! and BOXER engine gives lower centre of gravity,combined with multi link rear suspension, no contest really GO STI!!!
Both cars need a dose of excitement and the handling on the curves is awkward. tires and rims need to be bigger!
Hahahaha this is so funny, because they are both losers!
If both cars are slower than their predecessors (STI is slower by 1.23sec and Evo X is slower by 1.39sec per lap), then they might have their ass kicked on our tracks by HSVs and FPVs.
How embarrassing for them? and what a good day for us!
Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.
I think the new 300Kw+ 2008 typhoon will be eating rice burners for breakfast….. consider the old STI was 1 faster then the old typhoon around a race track and the new one is to be about 6 seconds faster….. and the new STI got slower…. what the???
Ford australia could become the King Of Turbos the way this is heading!!!! considering the Typhoon now fights pretty well againest the current STI and EVO and GTS
Oh, and since they are slower and more expensive than before, they can both forget about winning BFYB awards too.
LMAO!!!
Close times non the less – biggest separation this time around will probably be the as yet unannounced pricing….
I cant wait to see some more comparisons between these two cars. I wasnt exactly surprised however.
Peoples complaints about them being slower than the old models however.. They said that the track is very tight and twisty. In these circumstances a lighter and more flickable chassis will almost always be quicker. Where these cars will be quicker however is on real roads that incorporate bumps on the apex of off camber corners, potholes, dirt gravel or grease mid bend etc.. Its in these circumstances that the safer dynamics and the electronics will come into play and make a large difference to the driving experience..
What i found interesting is that the evo has only been quicker than sti in two different iterations according to those lap times..
Looks are subjective but i love looks of the new sti and if its quicker on track, lighter and more powerful with a 6spd manual its my pick hands down!!!
SCOTT C at last someone who agrees with me that weight,power and a proper MANUAL gbox!! as well as on road driveability and every day liveability are more important
than just looks! and track times.. NEW STI RULES as an every day supercar that can be driven quickly/comfortably in every situation thats required..
No Chris Parr, an STI is a fast-ish car, not a supercar, especially not the new one.
Want a supercar? Get a Nissan GTR and above.
I still have doubts about a RWD V8 beating a AWD T4 Momo on a windy track, though i think its an interesting concept.
In over a minute you lose a second? That is still fast and if your not on the clock i doubt you would feel the difference.
Still, I would take a Evo over the Sti.
I thought the times over the years are quite consistent considering track conditions would vary (you’ll never get the same conditions twice)
Both cars are very competitive so it comes down to the choice of hatch or sedan, I’d love to be in the position to choose.
As Chopstar87 said… “Ford Australia could become the King Of Turbos the way this is heading!!!! considering the Typhoon now fights pretty well againest the current STI and EVO and GTS”
When the Orion FPV F6 comes out it will hopefully be a real killer to the STI and EVO, but we do need to keep in mind these cars are AWD when the F6 is RWD.
OMFG Comparing a Typoon to a Evo or STi. You know of something called bends? Your heavy 2WD pieces of shyte even with 80kw more will never compare to the Evo and STi.
I wonder if the old 2006 STI times were the Spec-C STI, which is different and much more expensive than the normal STI.
I want to see them compare the two cars in the Suzuka circuit and beat the Civic Type-R Jap Spec time. That’s the best circuit in the world.
Lets see the SEDAN STi vs the Evo’s time.
Momo, don’t give people crap. The Nissan GT-R is not a supercar. Supercar’s are all considered in the same league as a Ferrari, Lamborghini… the Bugatti Veyron. Nissan doesn’t come close to any of them.
Anyway, I’d like to see them in a drag. Find out which car has more power in a straight line.
Settle down Rex, I said the “Phoon” is RWD and that means in your “bends” it wont do as well… BTW, they don’t even compare.
Azza, why don’t you go and pick up this month’s Topgear magazine?
http://www.topgear.com/content/magflash/0108/
Yes, they actually compared the Ferrari F430 Scuderia vs Nissan GT-R.
Next time mate, try to maintain your dignity with some facts before opening your mouth? Its for your own good.
Azza, why don’t you go and pick up this month’s Topgear magazine?
http://www.topgear.com/content/magflash/0108/
Yes, they actually compared the Ferrari F430 Scuderia vs Nissan GT-R.
Azza, why don’t you go and pick up this month’s Topgear magazine?
Yes, they actually compared the Ferrari F430 Scuderia vs Nissan GT-R.
Next time mate, try to maintain your dignity with some facts before opening your mouth? Its for your own good.
Could never see an American or Australian car evolve to such precision.
so who won taht comparo in the top gear magazine?
Its funny seeing people compare the RWD big cars in HSVs and FPVs to the STis and the EVOs.
First off, its not even a fair comparison. Second, the time difference and “winner” depends highly on the type of track. Simple tracks with long straights and not so much turns and windy paths, the more powerful cars will obviously win. But good thing most race tracks, worth of racing in, are not full of straight lines… so 8/10 times the EVOs and STis will WHIP the RWD monsters in the HSVs and FPVs (insert name… doesnt really matter though).
And Its interesting to see that the older models are quicker, again however, the new EVO has a new platform, the EVO IX is heavily based on past EVOs. The STi however, is a bit surprising. I would assume its the driver that is the main reason as why its “slower”. And one race 5 laps isnt good enough to judge which car is quicker..
It has to be done by the same driver over and over and record the fastest lap, and number of laps has to be significantly more than 5…
And About the GTR not being a supercar… err… the GTR has always been the supercar killer, you have to factor in that it is a quarter of the price, much more practical… yet has similar performance to that of more expensive exotics….
The new GTR is bench marked against a 911 turbo… its not Veyron… but 911 turbo is as close as you can get to realistic supercars… a Veyron or a Scuderia are engineered specifically for the race track without practical limitations… although classified as “production” cars… but who are they kidding..
and yes I’m a fan of the new STi, its just very practical… the hatch style offers more convenience than the small trunked EVO…. front end wise, EVO has advantage, but the wider fenders of the STI gives it a more aggressive stance in all other angles…
but hey, “looks” are always going to be debatable….
Amen to that Jamison
still would pick the evo over the sti in regards to looks
The Evo looks dull, the more you look at it. Personally im a fan of Hatches, and i think the Sti, in certain colours, and wheel packages, looks good. I’m not convinced about SST, DSG, SMG, etc, so i’d pick the STi all day.
Well all Im going to say is, I was a huge fan of the new EVO, then realized along with first hand experience that, these days, its not practical to have 2 cars… a big and a small or a sedan or a coupe.. or a van and sedan etc.. you get the point..
the first hand experience bit came when I needed space for some furniture I purchased which I tried to squeese into my coupe hatch back.. not good… and my mate who came with me, also purchased some furniture, but he had a 4 door hatch back… lets just say i ended up paying for delivery, which i could of used for fuel instead if I had a hatch back… and these days, with fuel prices and other road expenses… as stated above, 1 car should be the goal for everyone… and i believe that a 4WD, 5DOOR Hatch, 221kW vehicle…. is pretty darn good for $60~$65K which the STi should sell for… of course, people will say “Evos and STis are weekend warriors driven in tracks or some windy road somewhere”… again, this STi can do that… IT IS an STI after all, still ol’ scooby doo…
now you can take 4 friends and take bags/carriage with you without hassle…
I’d defnitely buy this over the R32 VW, or S3 Audi which retails for more (far more for the “sporty” model)… the Mazda CX-7 is also nice but err… yeah.. this STi is more exciting I think!. hehe…
Jamison, nice write up and spot on.
All it takes is some minor tweaks to get these cars back the former glory of >1:04 Tsukuba times and lets face it what STi or EVO on the used car market hasnt been modified
Having said that, being a ‘first of’ model im sure both Mitsubishi and Subaru have left room for improvement for follow up models of EVO and STi
i agree. the porsche turbo is still the king. and therefore nissan used that as the benchmark.
evo looks better and looks more expensive.
The Typhoon wins all the time… not even Ferraris are a match for it if you invest $10k into it
Hmm, not sure I believe it.
Tell you one thing, I’d choose the EVO over the STi, not sure I can stand the bland Mazda hatchback styling of the STi.
I also agree, you can’t compare an FPV or HSV with these, they’re not the same target market. The EVO and STi are effectively born from rallying, whereas the FPV’s/HSV’s are born from family motoring.
FordFutureDriven, invest $10k in an EVO or STi.
Hey Importjap……..you have to admit though when the Phoon comes out next year it indeed will be interesting to watch in the Performance car series ………..with reports the new Phoon around Fords test track being 6 sec faster the current Phoon Im guessing it will be in front of the current Commodore that has just won the series with the Evos and Rexs trailing . Family cars yes but great cars nether the less against the fast and nimble Evos and Rexs…My Choice is still the Rex over the lancer……..I’m quiet happy its grown up now……us oldies can now own one without looking like were driving our kids car!
My mate just bought an Evo 9 and after I should him this post he is pretty glad he didn’t wait for the Evo 10
you have no idea mate, the new evo X will piss all over the sti, the sti is ugly and no no-were near the technology that the new X has.
umm Jadon….didn’t this article says that “NEW STI beats EVO X around track” ???
Right on Toph! It would appear that Jadon is clueless. I also agree with Datcy, its still early days with these two super car slayers. All you need to do is lighten them a bit and you will faster lap times.As stated by Ivan, a Spec C type RA or any other special edition Sti( and we know that there will be manic editions in the works!!!) will mop the floor, or should I say track, with the evo. Keep on writting guys.
…MOMO, you are a complete BOGAN!!!!
How can you compare nasty FPV and HSV against giants like EVO and STi.
let me tell you, australian car manufacturers still need to eat lots of noodles before they make cars worth my money. Besides, all of that stink’n bogan’s image is repulsive… and makes me sick!
Please get yourself a gemini and make sure you put RIP Brock, install nasty Sansui speakers and have some dirty B that will stick her feet out on the windshield when you take a drive next time.
You are saying “before they make cars worth my money” It’s your personal oppinion not any facts.
Maybe you need to leave and never had posted such “nasty” crap in the first place.
for evo and sti, it is still within the driver