Quote:
Originally Posted by SCMike
I assume most folks have not actually read the SCI article. This comparison was NOT a track test, but carried out on public highways, mostly in the SoCal high desert mountain passes. Admittedly, the test drivers were probably on the gonzo end of the spectrum, but no drivers' licenses were harmed during the testing. Sure, the Evo X has the crap interior of a cheap rental car and looks only a teenager could love, but SCI stepped back and looked at the integrated engineered design and its performance (including factors of "ride comfort, build quality, and overall refinement"). The Evo IX may have been the proverbial rapid hair-shirt, but the Evo X sounds like a very different proposition. They concluded that the Evo MR was "so vastly superior to the others when it comes to satisfying demanding driving enthusiasts like us that it might as well have been in a class of its own." On the other hand, "the BMW hits higher highs and lower lows, which allowed it to slide into second place by the skin of its teeth."
Am I going to rule out a 135i and plunk down for an Evo X? Hell no (especially since I drive nowhere near the 10/10-ths end of the envelope). But such articles do give one pause. Especially since the Germans pride themselves on their stereotypical engineering prowess - hopefully they are watching the GT-R and the Evo X with some keen interest. The Japanese are knocking on the Porsche/BMW door. They may not yet have the snob appeal, but their engineering is starting to become un-ignorable.
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thanks mike...interesting stuff...