The S2, 17 years ahead of its time?!
Just been reading the Autocar review of the Mitsy Evo X FQ300 and have to say that I felt a severe sense of deja vu...
Firstly there are the figures:-
1590kg, 58/42 weight distribution
290bhp / 300ftlbs
0-60 5.7s
0-100 14.3s
Ring any bells?
Then the car has Macpherson strut front suspension and multi-link rears... no suprise that the ride is criticised... still not with me? (one for the avant boys to gloat over).
OK then, Mitsy have altered the tune of the engine so that now it's torquier in the mid range and fells a little flat up top, it's lost some mentalness but gained driveability... nearly there?
My immediate reaction from the road test is that it's taken Mistubishi 10 goes but they've finally turned their harcore rally beast into what Audi designed and built 17 years ago... the S2. Perhaps a remap is required to match the figures but honestly I can't tell the difference between the figures on paper and reading the review most of the pros and cons are about the same as any review you care to read on the S2, all bar the steering and perhaps overall chassis balance but there's no intrusive electronics in the S2, if you enter a corner 20mph too fast sideways then it's up to you and mr TORSEN to sort it out, not more computing power than a Saturn V rocket.
Sure, the yaw control and stability control make it much better to drive but a 58% front weight distribution is the same as the much criticised S2 and yet the Evo X is praised. Why? Because Audi didn't setup the suspension and Rallyart did. OK, the engine in the S2 is heavier and sits further forward but the weight distribution and overally mass is the same so it just goes to show that we're not all wasting our time plaing with the S2.
I'm forever joking with people that criticise the car based on magazine articles of old that I've spent 4 years understanding the car and removing the Audiness from it and the results are a car that's pretty entertaining in many way, not least its devastating cross country performance on all but the tightest of B roads.
So there we have it, my argument as to why the S2 is 17 years ahead of its time because Mitsubishi have nearly perfected the S2 with 10 goes at trying!
Firstly there are the figures:-
1590kg, 58/42 weight distribution
290bhp / 300ftlbs
0-60 5.7s
0-100 14.3s
Ring any bells?
Then the car has Macpherson strut front suspension and multi-link rears... no suprise that the ride is criticised... still not with me? (one for the avant boys to gloat over).
OK then, Mitsy have altered the tune of the engine so that now it's torquier in the mid range and fells a little flat up top, it's lost some mentalness but gained driveability... nearly there?
My immediate reaction from the road test is that it's taken Mistubishi 10 goes but they've finally turned their harcore rally beast into what Audi designed and built 17 years ago... the S2. Perhaps a remap is required to match the figures but honestly I can't tell the difference between the figures on paper and reading the review most of the pros and cons are about the same as any review you care to read on the S2, all bar the steering and perhaps overall chassis balance but there's no intrusive electronics in the S2, if you enter a corner 20mph too fast sideways then it's up to you and mr TORSEN to sort it out, not more computing power than a Saturn V rocket.
Sure, the yaw control and stability control make it much better to drive but a 58% front weight distribution is the same as the much criticised S2 and yet the Evo X is praised. Why? Because Audi didn't setup the suspension and Rallyart did. OK, the engine in the S2 is heavier and sits further forward but the weight distribution and overally mass is the same so it just goes to show that we're not all wasting our time plaing with the S2.
I'm forever joking with people that criticise the car based on magazine articles of old that I've spent 4 years understanding the car and removing the Audiness from it and the results are a car that's pretty entertaining in many way, not least its devastating cross country performance on all but the tightest of B roads.
So there we have it, my argument as to why the S2 is 17 years ahead of its time because Mitsubishi have nearly perfected the S2 with 10 goes at trying!
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