DR Motorsport

Was speaking to a contact at the Colt Car Company in Cirencester today (Mitsubishi head quarters).

And he told me the EVO 320 was tuned to 340bhp and had suspension mods done (wouldn't say what). They had prior warning that Top Gear were planning a head to head against a "New Impreza" obviously a WR1, and were determined to win it.

The fact that it was so much quicker than the previously tested FQ300, almost gave the game away. A standard 320 would have been less than 1 second quicker he said.

He was also surprised how badly the WR1 had performed.

So there you have it, everyone can calm down now.

I personally would like to see some genuine back to back tests. With the WR1's DCCD set properly and not to understeer all over the place.


David

easyrider

Well well................If this is true,surely theres legal implications to this?

Scratch

iTrader: (1)

Indeed there are always things going on that are not apparent to the casual observer. I did wonder how the EVO was so much faster.

Although I do find it hard to beleive that Topgear wouldn't have known about the DCCD nor attempted to set it to the best position ? One assume this Stig person is a professional driver ?

Were Subaru/Prodrive not on hand during the testing to assist with car setup ? You'd have thought they'd have made the effort for such a public showing of their new top of the range wallet emptying product ? Especially tested back to back against the biggest perceived rival ?

Brand suicide on a very public stage if that was the best it (WR1) could do . . . . or stupidity if they didn't provide any back up . . . .

But it was a more than a bit naughty to tweak the EVO like that

supersarbs

This would not suprise me - TG, IMO is more entertainment rather than factual...

dpb

Is the ayc on all the time ??? if it was switched off as was dccd left in NORMAL position surley this is leaves them level again ....then if the hp were different as welll..............

Kane

This is indeed entertainment...:-) now i have heard everything..LOL i bet this thread gets to 8 pages at least...:-) I bet 12 on the prvious one and just lost...Only just mind...LOL

Such excitement from chinese whispers..lol its great.

Chins

Most press EVO's have been tweaked - the old HKS on EVO VI's proved that.

Guess they are running scared

Stu-exScoobOwner

What a load of absolute sh*te.

Sour grapes more like.

achad

Thats not good! To put it in friendly bbs language.
But I'd still like to know what setting the DCCD was on and why it preformed so badly. Does the conspiracy run deeper? lol, joke. I hope :/
I too would like to see a fair comparison on ROADS. If not really to see how the WR1 gets on against an Evo but too see how it can perform in the hands of some one who knows what there doing. Calling Solberg, again....

Madjay2

lmfao@this thread

jjones

sour grapes anyone?

DR Motorsport

Tweaking cars for the press/media is not a new trick. It happens all the time.

First example that I can think of was the E-type Jaguar hitting 150 mph. There was never another one that managed that.

Top Gear magazine managed to get a standard Impreza Turbo a few years back to do 0-60 in 5 secs dead. Tell me that was standard.

So it works for you and against you.

For me I really don't care what wins. I've owned Subaru's and Mitsubishi's, and both have good and bad points.
I'll probably go for a Spec C or a Type 25 next time I change.
That way there's no doubt as to what makes the best.
Until Mitsubishi bring out something better that is, and that will be next year, but since it's to be a WRC based car, they would be better waiting and getting the real one working right first.


David

deano

Oh ****... A conspiracy theory

supersarbs

Kane,

No not really, I do not own an Evo or Wr1, so make no difference to me. Anyway I daresay both cars would annilalate my PPP classic.

On a quick blast through the history of top gear, white vans have beaten Lotus Esprits on a 1/4 mile and Mercedes SLK beaten by an Off road Range Rover.

End of the day if the evo is quicker fair enough but I'd need more reliable evidence than good old JC the circus master and his gimp the stig!!!

Cheers


Pete

106rallye

I'm sure this is not the first time a car company has played with their test cars. Ever since the e-type jag made 150 mph there have been rumours! Just do a search on a certain Blackpool based car company about the amount of rumours surrounding their press cars!

sti-04!!

ITS ALL BOLLOCKS

Davie R i believe the EVO was played with

Rumour has it, it was running NOS (100bhp of it) as well to beat the WR1

WR1 owners you can sleep sound now, its all ok

Check out the MLR for proof honestly

achad

If true then they had better 'tweak' the 340 if TG decide to cover that or its not going to seem to be as good value in comparison. A vicious circle would have been created me thinks

deano

Yes, the evo tyres were deflated by 20psi but it still pi$$ed on that excuse for a sports car

deano

3.46 seconds

dpb

time ta get the beers in .. cheers

currymonster

Can calm down? The WR1 was still poor and only just better than an STI PPP, I dont really see the cause for cracking out the bubbly!

cal

StickyMicky

PMSL @ this thread

i went to work tonite and started getting greif off the lads because the evi beat the scoob

i mean FFS i dont own one of them slow newshape uk cars, anyway they thought it would be really funny to rip into me and apperntly tommi makinen himself, is mounting my mother

LMFAO

half the time i was a bit confused so i told them to **** off lol

Kane

I believe that the Evo engine was steam cleaned by Norris Designs, Valleted by RC developments waxed by a lad called PANIZZI, and was driven to the start line by a bloke called GALLI

But i dont see any reason to worry about the MR being modded...I'd worry about the scooby Exhaust - as it sounded like it didnt have equal length headers on??Thats 25 Lbs/ft torque and 25hp to add on yet????

rizzy

hi,i am geting a wr1,but i aint got a clue wat u mean when u say..............as it sounded like it didnt have equal length headers on??Thats 25 Lbs/ft torque and 25hp to add on yet????could you plz explain,

Kane

Call power station they will advise on it. Basically it adds torque and hp at the expense of the burble...powerstation will tell you the figures...

allywrx

Basically the sections of exhaust coming from the cylinder heads (as it is a flat four and the heads are facing away from one another they do not share a common exhaust manifold) are of a certain length and give the Scooby turbo its destinctive throbbing engine noise. Fitting an uprated exhaust header section (that you can buy as a one piece item for about £600-£800) gives the car more power and torque but causes it to lose its destinctive throbbing sound from the exhaust.

Sideways

Ask my brother about them on his RB5, it now sounds like a motorbike.


I no longer own a Scooby either but what really pisses me off is the amount of influence Topgear has on people. People that have no knowledge of cars take it as gospel. Thats the WR1's image knackered as far as the non-understanding public go. Shame cause I think its a stunner

Jas

nellie

no way was the evo tweaked!!!!,why should they??,the MR320 puts out close to 340hp anyway,and the suspension is uprated Bilstein,which comes as standard,blimey!!!how many more times !! the MR is the latest evoloution of the 8...therefore the changes to the car the MR320 is a replacement to the FQ300,which most FQ300s are 320hp so the more hp on the MR makes sense,why didnt they test the MR340 which is over 350hp then the difference would have been even more......

_Tim_

Erm, it's an Impreza. It's image is already knackered, with or without ginger wheels.

SomeDude

<whisper>
Rumour has it the WR1 had a dodgy MAF.
</whisper>