Here's the first repost of the 'car vs car'comparions threads from my350z. I've copied across only the 'information'.
Acceleration comparisions:
- Test #1: 20 - 130kph, both cars in 1st gear:
First time we run I probably got on power a fraction eerier and pulled out about 1/2 a car-length. Stayed like that 'till the top of the 1st gear, then when I shifted to 2nd I got a little bit of whee-spin, but did not loose much ground at all ... maybe the EVO made up a foot or two on me. The things stayed even 1/2 way through the 2nd, and after that it felt like the EVO made up a little bit of ground ... maybe on the 2nd-to-3rd gear-change ... Maybe another couple feet. In 3rd gear things stayed very even and I finished a little bit ahead ... maybe 1/4car-length at most.
When we run again, the EVO8 got a little bit of a jump on me, but no more than 1/4 car-length. Again things stayed like that thought the 1stgear, but this time it left like I made up some ground in 2nd and 3rd gear and when we finished up at around 130kph, we were literally side-by-side.
- Test #2: 40 - 150kph, both cars in 1st gear:
We tried running a couple runs at higher speeds where the EVO8 was undoubtedly at full-boost. We run a this increment a couple of times, and each time we stayed practically side-by-side well into the 3rd gear (~130kph). There was a slight back and forth between the two cars, but we're talking about 1 or 2 feet either way. Though, each time it felt like the Zed was a fraction quicker in the 130 - 150kph increment and it looked like the Zed made up about a meter or so here. Sometimes I was a fraction behind, and pulling on the EVO, and sometimes we were side-by-side with me pulling away slightly. At ~150kph we'd end up either side-by-side, or with me 1/2 a car-length ahead.
- Test #3: 0 - 100kph, both cars aggressively launched in 1st gear:
This time we tried a couple standing starts. I launched each time from about 2,500 - 3000rpm and none of the launches were bad, but neither were also superb. I had a bit too much wheel-spin each time. The EVO was launched from around 4000rpm with a the clutch slipped. That saw it shoot away off the line each time. By the time my wheels would stop spinning (1/2 way through the 1st), the EVO would be between 1/2 and 1.5 car-lengths ahead of me depending on how well either one of us launched. Though, even with the best of launches from me, I can't see myself shadowing the EVO's launch ... and it could still do better with a full-blown clutch-drop from the red-line. Even as the EVO was being launched today, I was happy to stay 1/2 a car-length of it. Once my rear-tyres gripped, things stayed pretty much even and the EVO would finish-up 1 - 2 car-lengths ahead of me when we shut down at the top of 2nd gear (ie. 100kph). We did this 3 times and each time the EVO finished up comfortably ahead (ie. 1 - 2 car-lengths). I could speculate that it'd stay with it like that to 130kph, and then maybe make up 1/2 a car-length by 150kph ... but that would be only speculations.
So in summary, the EVO is a very nice car and will do very well on the track with its combination of brakes, grip, power and power-down. In the straight-line I was expecting it to be quicker than my Zed, and it was pretty much line ball with the my Zed. If anything:
- Zed is quicker bellow 30kph.
- Between 30 and 140kph there's nothing between then.
- Over 140kph the Zed might have been ever so slightly quicker ...but we only went to ~150kph so who knows what would happen after that.
ps. My car has the Hi-tech exhaust and K&N filter. Also, there was only the driver in each car.
EVO8 Impresions:
I had a good look at the car, and it does look pretty good in the flesh. It looks well integrated, and does not really make you think that you're looking at a Lancer (even a souped up one) ... has more of a feeling of M3 compared to BMW318. The calipers on the front brakes make the Zed's Brembos look tiny. They are like 2x the size. Though, the disks look about the same size at the front, and smaller at the rear.
I was not only taken for a good spin, but also drove it myself. From inside the front seats are great (IMHO better than Zeds even though they are not leather). The steering wheel feels good, ell weighted, and direct. Dash board area looks pretty good, but the rest of the car feels more like a 'souped up' sedan ... though, nicely souped up one at that. The gearbox feels good, by normal standards but the Zeds feels shorter and more direct. The EVO8 ones feels a bit rubbery compared to the Zed, but certainly not bad at all. The clutch feerls lighter than in the Zed.
Now driving it is a different ball-game to the Zed. It seems to have absolutelly infinite power-down grip ... it just does not feel like you could loose traction just by the use of power. It woud be awesome out of tight corners on the track. Also it has very good turn-in, and does not feel likea 4WD at all in this respect ... nowhere close to the feeling of FWD either (ie. WRX). So much better feel thana WRX/STi, and **** good by any standards. Feels like a very nice RWD until you get on power mid-corner and notice that the front is helping you get out of corner and thatno tireis remotely close to loosing traction. I did not drive it that hard myself... maybe 6 - 7/10th, but the car felt very well balanced under brakes, in-to corners, as well as out of them. Out of corners absolutelly awesome. I did notice the throttle not being a direct/sensitive as the Zeds as it needed a much bigger blip of the throttle to rev-match on down-shifts.
Also at low revs it did not feel as powerfull as my Zed, but mid-range felt great. Also at about 4000rpm you can feel the full boost come on and there it feels quicker than my Zed. Then it pulls strong all the way to it's 7600rpm redline ... but the biggest power surge is at 4000rpm.
When I was taken for a spin, it was a lot harder than I dared to push it myself. The car brakes very well, is very stable into corners under brakes. It can also carry decent amount of mid-corner speed. Hard to draw a direct comparision with the Zed, as I was in a passanger seat, but it does feel vey quick and very good.
