"No, same as STI. Mono Flex coilovers. However, this car has more aggressive spring rate for testing. STI had 7kg front and 5kg rear. EVO has 9kg front and 7kg rear."
Double great.
Shinya, the driver of the EVO, pulls out of the driveway and guns it. Kilos climb higher than a Tony Montana stash: 60, 80, 100... multiplying it times a hangover, and we were going like, Mach 3 with the TEIN-equipped EVO sticking to every curve. To prevent any further emperor penguin re-enactments, I tried meditating and controlling my breathing. Mind over matter... or so they say. Relaxing a bit, I noticed how compliant the ride actually was. The harsh shake-the-delicate-contents-of-my-stomach jarring was actually from the thick lines of paint on the road used to keep would be drifters from attempting Initial D action. Compared to the stock EVO Xs I've driven, the TEIN Mitsu felt firm, but not bouncy like some other aftermarket suspension.
Our EVO slows and Shinya turns into a huge turnout blanketed in a thin coat of snow. We park and the STI pulls up next to us. Relieved that I didn't embarrass myself in front of our hosts, I look for a bathroom, bush or outcropping to purge myself. None. Defeated, I walk up to the rest of the group admiring the view of Mt. Fuji. A piercing pain shoots up through my gut and I feel movement in my esophagus. I gasp and try to gulp it back down. My eyes start watering from the pressure.
Luke looks over and says, "Moving, isn't it?"
"Yeah, very."
"Too bad we have to leave tomorrow. I wish we could drive back."
Drive back? Triple great.