Well, I love the MR transmission for its rapid change ups (and downs), but if I’m perfectly honest, even in standard mode, the changes are a little too jerky for me to live with everyday. Yes, if I did live downtown, or I wanted a weekend track demon, I’d go for the automatic, but otherwise I think that I’d purchase the manual version and save a few thousand dollars.

I know that might sound a tad strange, as most track drivers would always plump for a manual over an automatic, but trust me, the MR’s transmission is so rapid in shifting, that in my mind, it’s better than the stick shift on the track. However, the manual box allows for more control of gear changes and as such, allows you to change up and down as smoothly or as wildly as you wish, making it a much friendlier road car.

Now typically I’m old school and therefore I’m usually quite happy with a five-speed stick shift. I don’t really see the point of a six/seven/eight speed gearbox, unless you’re Mario Andretti. In fact, if we keep heading the way we are, I can foresee the day when the car manufacturers present us with a ten speed, and we’ll all be driving around one-handed because we’re too busy changing gears.

However, after stating that, I did feel that the EVO GSR could have benefited from another gear, or possibly a higher ratio 5^th, because the engine revs seem to be excessively high when traveling at highway speeds. This might also help reduce the fuel economy figures, which If I’m honest, aren’t exactly wonderful.

Never mind though, because like they say, “you have to pay to play” and the fun that one gets out of an EVO outweighs the fuel costs to a certain extent.

Of course, now to the all important question...Would I purchase one, and if so, which model? The answer is yes, I would seriously consider a Mitsubishi EVO for my next purchase. In fact, I’ve already crunched a few numbers!

Which one? Well, I’d head off to the dealership thinking wisely about the lower cost of the GSR model. I’d also be contemplating the fuel savings because despite what people say, I’m not a complete and utter moron. However, the little devil who sits on my shoulder would be constantly reminding me of all the fun that I could have on the track with the MR, and then I’d get all discombobulated and confused.

Solution... Go bend the ear of the bank manager again, and then, buy a GSR for weekday driving and a MR for the weekends!