Subaru Impreza STi WR1 vs. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII MR FQ340

Text and Photography Courtesy of CAR MAGAZINE

We hear you Yanks like your Evos and STis. But check out a limited-edition pair we get in the U.K. They may be the quickest point-to-point cars on the planet. An Enzo might be faster on paper, but in the real world, where there are corners, rain showers, and groceries to be carried, nothing else comes close.

The Impreza WR1 and Evo FQ340 are the latest, hard-core evolutions of the format. Both are products of rivalries: The FQ promotes Mitsubishi's resurgent rally team, and the WR1 was produced to celebrate Petter Solberg's 2003 WRC driver's title. The former is the work of Ralliart, based in the U.K. and home to the Mitsubishi Rally squad. The latter is the baby of Prodrive, the people responsible for the Subaru WRC squad.

The Mitsubishi is the newer car and lays claim to having the longest nameplate badge ever conceived. This is the (deep breath) Mitsubishi Lancer, Evolution VIII, Mitsubishi Racing, F***ing Quick 340. Or FQ for short. To make the jump from standard Evo to potential Subaru-beater, the FQ must first go on a rapid weight-loss program. The FQ has been lightened, lowered, visually tweaked, and mechanically overhauled, even beyond the U.S.-spec MR Edition. To save weight and lower the center of gravity, the roof and side-impact bars are aluminum, and the wheels by Team Dynamics are revised heat-treated items that save a further seven pounds. Combined, Mitsubishi has shed 23.6 pounds from the standard Evo's curb weight.

Each corner houses new Bilstein suspension with altered damping rates and repackaged mounting points. Developed on the Nuerburgring, the tweaks are intended to sharpen up the handling and make the Evo easier to live with on a daily basis.

Up front, the high-strung 2.0-liter four has been given a warming over: new cam profiles, a reworked turbo, and a reprogrammed ECU. The result is 342 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque channeled through a six-speed box and Mitsubishi's trick all-wheel-drive system with Active Yaw Control and Active Center Differential.