RussianM3_dude
Legacy Member
I wasn't even sure I wanted to. I don't have the necessary zit to square inch of face ratio, I don't write in badly chewed up words (pcoi, tse, chk) nor do I own a collection of unbent trucker hats. But the Type Rs are probably the only famous line of performance cars I have never tried and probably only the second or third Japanese car I have driven in my life, so why the hell not I thought.
My overall impression was quiet good. The car is very stiff and has almost no roll in the RRRRRRRRRRR..... setting. Might be too crashy for Quebecistan roads though. The steering is accurate and medium weighted but like almost all racks today has almost no feel. The brakes are quiet powerful with good feel but perhaps lack the ultimate stopping power of my GP's six piston stoppers. The gearshift is very, very good. Get's even better when on the move. Heel and toe is easy and a pleasure. I'm actually suspecting it might have some rev matching help because it's just so damn easy. The seats look extreme but are actually less constricting than Ford Euro ST seats. Seating position is good. The weird instrument panel actually works as it almost feels like a heads up display, that's how far and high it is. The gear shift lights and gear indicator are really neat, especially for novice drivers. I left the engine for last, because this is where most of the controversy was. Yes, there is quiet a bit of lag, however the engine itself (before the turbo kicks in) is quiet responsive (which really helps with heel and toe.) It doesn't sound particularly horny and it is quiet boomy. Might get annoying on longer drives.
The real story here is the price though. In Cheeseland it starts as cheaper then a basic GTI (not even the performance version) and performance wise will almost certainly eat the upcoming GTI Clubsport alive. The other cheapest car to get 300hp is 20-25% more expensive here (the Subaru STD... Sti). So yeah, I wouldn't mind replacing my GP with either this or the Renault Megane RS Trophy.
