STI vs EVO shoot

There’s a few different rivalries in the automotive world. One that immediately jumps to mind being Australian is Holden vs Ford but having not grown up with either car in the family it didn’t mean a whole lot to me when I was younger. When I headed into my teenage years however there was one rivalry that I was always paying attention to. It was that of the Subaru WRX STI and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Having both fielded entries into the World Rally Championship in the early 1990’s the two cars became fierce rivalries on the rally stages which then transpired into domestic markets around the world and into car culture at large.

One of the biggest rivalries in the automotive world is the STI vs EVO rivalry.

Two of the biggest names representing both brands in WRC were the flying Scotsman Colin McRae and Tommi Mäkinen from Finland. Both drivers had aggressive driving styles that would often result in either one not finishing a rally. The peak of the rivalry could arguably be defined in the 1997 season where Tommi Mäkinen won the driver’s championship by a single point over McRae. Ironically, Mäkinen would end up driving for Subaru a couple of seasons later You can watch the two drivers go head-to-head in the video below.

Although these two particular models, the 2002 Impreza WRX STI and the more modern Lancer Evolution 8 never faced each other in open battle, the two cars still in many ways are very similar. Both were all wheel drive, both powered by 2.0L 4 cylinder engines & both turbocharged, both 4 days with big rear wings but that’s where a lot of the similarities ended. The Subaru’s horizontally opposed boxer engine and the Mitsubishi’s DOHC 16-valve inline four delivered power quite differently but both offering the driver a predictable and enjoyable driving experience.

Both 2L, both turbo, both have big wings, which would you choose?

The best part about this shoot is that in no way was it planned. As the owner of the STI, I went to do the groceries and thought I would throw the camera in and venture up to the Victoria Gardens shopping centre roof. As I drove up to the rooftop I saw the EVO parked by its lonesome with the Melbourne city skyline as a backdrop. I couldn’t resist but shoot the two cars together. As I was finishing the owner Dustin came up and we had a brief chat, discovering that we both go to the same mechanic workshop, DT Panels / Nakama in Clayton. The car scene it seems is a small world in Melbourne.

Both cars are very easily recognised from the rear, mostly thanks to their rear wings.

This particular example of the Evolution is an 8MR with an Evolution 9 kit.

This particular STI came originally equipped with the lower, flatter wing but the owner opted for the high wing as seen on the newer GD chassis models from 03-07.

Both cars are spec’d with quite hard to find wheels. The Evo with the highly sort after Rays TE37’s in Bronze. The STI with Prodrive GC-010E forged wheels.

So you’ve seen both cars, now which one would you pick? Let me know in the comments below!