GT5:P Comparo- Four by Four Foursome

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GTP_GTPrologue5
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GT5:P Track Comparo

2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
vs.
2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STi spec C Type RA
vs.
2007 Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro
vs.
2006 Alfa Romeo Brera Sky Window 3.2 JTS Q4

"Four by Four Foursome"

4x4's. The ultimate traction carving tool. The ultimate rally killers. And pretty damn good on the roads, to say the least. So we brought 2 familiar turbo sedan foes to face off against a pair of 3.2L V6 coupes. But in this case, the Mitsu and Subie had an 85% weight reduction. So let the rally begin!

Specs
Lancer Evo X- 276hp, 311lb.-ft., 1,540kg (stock weight)
Impreza WRX STi spec C- 276hp, 311lb.-ft., 1,390kg (stock weight)
TT 3.2 quattro- 256hp, 237lb.-ft., 1,410kg
Brera 3.2 JTS Q4- 246hp, 235lb.-ft., 1,750kg

The Cars
Mitusbishi Lancer Evo X- The latset incarnation of Mitsu's Subie killer. Running the 2.0L Turbo I4 means brilliant AWD blasts. Comes equipped with a 6-Speed Twin Clutch Automatic. (TC-SST) Looks agressive and clean, but this comparo is more than that.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi spec C Type RA- The last STi sedan until 2011, this is the RHD drive Japanese-spec model, and probably the best Impreza to date. Comes with the expected 2.5L Turbo F4, and hit's the curb with the lighteset weight.

Audi TT 3.2 quattro- The last year for a U.S. V6 TT, it has 246 horses and a lighter weight then the Evo. Nice self-deploying spoiler opens at 125km/h and looks nice.

Alfa Romeo Brera 3.2- A real underdog. It's a heavy car, more than a GT-R, and its crazy hatchback styling seems reminiscent of a bad Lancer Sportback. Still, a nice 4WD contender here.

Trials
London Reverse Course- London, U.K.
We took our traction defiers out to London's street course; we still had it rented form the GTP_WRS Week 101. The weather was nice and brisk. All cars ran with autos and no aids. 5 laps.

-TURBO GROUP 1
Mitusbshi Lancer Evo X- 0'58.618
Well I thought the weight would hurt this car. It didn't. Smooth, subtle, excellent. Transmission is a masterpiece. Feels much like a Nissan GT-R without the turbos, but it has the same no character robotic feel the GT-R has. It was an okay time, not bad, engine is raspy at best, and the interior is meh.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi Type RA- 0'58.237
Serious fun. This is a nice little rally scalpel take a nice London slide with some hot tea. Has so much more style than our Evo tester, shifter is nice, maybe not as fast. Interior is stripped, meaning it's a little bleh. Engine has a nice whir to it, although it's pretty muted. No wonder Mitsu isn't in the WRC.

-3.2 V6 GROUP 2
Audi TT 3.2 quattro- 1'00.184
Very good, acceptable run. Car doesn't work under heavy braking, feels RWD rather than AWD. Slid a bit, feels a little more heavier than it is. Shifter is fine, interior is fine, and engine is fine. I was looking for a little more German emotion, though.

Alfa Romeo Brera 3.2- 1'02.362
We knew the culprit before testing. Weight. And a lot of it. The weight transfer is extremely evident in this car, and body roll is excessive. It does a good act as a pinball. It had a bit of a sporty ring to it, and the engine is the most sonorous here. Interior is nice. Chope some pounds and I'll be impressed.

Daytona International Speedway- Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.A
Welcome to Daytona, famous for the Daytona 500 and the Rolex 24 hour race. We brought our cars out for a NASCAR style test. 1 up-to-speed lap, then 2 quailiers. And manuals. Les' get 'em boys!

TURBO GROUP 1
Mitusbishi Lancer Evoltion X GSR- 1'01.920 245km/h
This car felt wrong. The engine note is lost, the shifter in my hands is rubbery. The car is just balnd when you want to top out.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi spec C Type RA- 0'57.111 256km/h
Yes. This car is a lot of fun. Really pulls hard, and is fun to hold in the corners. Shifter was best, and having that higher top speed means it crushed.

3.2 V6 GROUP 2
Audi TT 3.2 quattro- 0'57.842 253km/h
Wow. I never thought this car would challenge the Impreza here. The TT was awesome though. Really fun to drive fast. Ears also love the V6 note, which means holding it to the redline is an expected shenanigan.

Alfa Romeo Brera 3.2- 0'58.731 249km/h
Who thought this car would seal last place in this run for the Mitsu? It may have been middle pack, but it had a nice run with its sweet engine and crisp shifter. Harder to hold speed in the corners (damn weight) but that V6 could pull this tank enough to barrel down the straights.

Eiger Nordwand Reverse Course- Kleine Shigg, Swiss Alps, Switzerland
This last run ws the real rally test. A drift trial, hardcore, white knuckle racing with only slides. Good times. Every car had only one run each. And I'd never drifted on this course before. We also didn't evaluate for this trial.

Subaru- 5,318
Mitusbishi- 5,113
Alfa Romeo- 4,456
Audi- 3,077

Now after out tests, we had an issue. Rank by engine groups or of whole group? We decided to just rank them all.

4th Place- Alfa Romeo Brera Sky Window 3.2 JTS Q4
This is sporty, yes, but it's just not right. It's funky looking, heavy, maybe it's just too Italian. Something here is soft, and this car didn't bring enough to take down anything.

3rd Place- Mtsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
I'm sad. This cars past echoes sport, but this car is uninspiring. It is bland, again a GT-R without turbos. It doesn't feel ready to rally, instead it thinks that its past can becovered with a scary face and a quick transmission.

2nd Place- Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro
This car should be proud of itself. More weight, less power, and it might just be able to outrun an Impreza. It is a soft rallyer, but it was still an enjoyable ride.

1st Place- Subaru Impreza WRX STi spec C Type RA
Congrats. It took down its foe and 2 more, showing superb speed andf style. The drift was fantastic, holding nice, long, smoky slides. A big thums up to the boys at Subaru.
 
What Turbo-less quick-transmission'd Mitsu were you driving?

the Evo X does indeed have a Turbo and it also has a fantastic Dual Clutch gearbox... but that transmission is unavailable on the GSR, at least here in the States it is.
 
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