Two for the Road: RX-8, Evo are in Stock – But Not for Long

Of the 11 road rockets in our “Best Driver’s Car” story, just five cost less than six figures, and two of those wear price tags over $90,000. In other words, they’re expensive. The only quasi-affordable examples are the BMW 1M Coupe and Ford Mustang Boss 302 — both around $50,000 — and the $70,000-ish Porsche Cayman R. The majority fall between the $100,000 Chevy Z06 Centennial and the $377,000 Lexus LFA, meaning it takes a Paris Hilton-esque disposable income to afford one.

But worry not, my wealth-challenged car enthusiast. There are singular driving machines out there that don’t require a home equity line of credit to roll off the showroom floor. I recently drove two, both of which participated a few years ago in our pre-BDC Best Handling Car tests. I’m talking about the Mazda RX-8 R3 and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR, two curve-dicing rides that cost an arm or a leg, but not both. This pair of Japanese imports shares much in common, most notably a short life expectancy: The RX-8 is DOA after 2011, and the Evo, which skipped 2009 after debuting for 2008, might be around for another year or two. Or not.

Spending a week each in the $33,000 R3 and $38,000 MR reminded me that, despite their relatively modest price tags, they possess stellar six-figure-worthy chassis that pay dividends with every turn of a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Perusing the spec charts, it appears both came from the same performance shop: Each utilizes race-proven Bilstein dampers, forged BBS alloy wheels, and Recaro seats.

Between the two, the Mazda is the more refined, displaying smoother moves via more deft steering, a suppler suspension, a unique 9000-rpm rotary engine, and a slick six-speed manual. Composure is its strong suit. It never surprises with oversteer, frustrates with understeer, or disappoints with a lack of grip or feel. It gets the little details right: The drilled aluminum pedals, for instance, are perfectly positioned for heel-and-toe maneuvers when applying any level of brake force. Uncanny. In fact, the RX-8 R3 is no less communicative than the Cayman R in this issue.

If the RX-8 R3 had a rambunctious buddy, it would be the Evo MR. As talented as the R3, the MR is rawer, louder, and more playful. More rewarding? Nah. More fun? Yep. With an Active Yaw Control system creating controlled oversteer, a DCT shifting in mere milliseconds, and Brembo brakes erasing momentum like a Top Fuel parachute, the Evo gets impatient when not darting from turn to turn, attacking apexes. It is tidy in length, a bit porky in weight, and muscular in turbocharged power — a wound-up compact that seems as if it’s running on Red Bull. Pop the can, shotgun, and hold on.

Obviously, both have their faults. The Evo is rough, raucous, and a little cheap inside. The RX-8 has about as much low-end torque as a roller skate. And each offers compromised cargo capacity and guzzles gas at bank-breaking levels. So think of it this way: When you can’t fit much junk in the trunk and the gas bill makes you cry, just realize you now know what it’s like to drive an exotic.

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