better brakes = improved chances of avoiding accidents/hazards, better control in cornering, obviously not 150km/hr under 'normal' driving conditions
I dont know how better brakes improve handling around corners.... if your on a race track then sure yeah you can brake later, but public roads aernt race tracks. Things like traction control and stability control do, dont think the Evo has these? They are just bigger brakes with better calipers and more pistons per brake etc..... designed to provide better braking at high speeds (More pistons is a dead set giveaway of this, you need more power to get the brake pad down at higher speeds effectively). I think you would find that say at 60km/h they would add very LITTLE I think to stopping ability, pyhsics determines this, and the mere fact that ordinary brakes are designed for these applications means that they are more than addequate for these kind of things! If you had an idea of what your talking about as well, you would realise what Im saying, although I havent personally, I know people who have done up cars and were stupid enough to leave their original brakes on... at ridiculously high speeds normals brakes are shyte when it comes to slowing down a car effectively, very dangerous.... at normal speeds its negligeable, and thats why all cars dont have Brembo's on them becuase if they added ALOT to braking times at regular speeds, institutions like the NRMA would be having a fit and trying to get them standard on cars. And when you consider alot of cars still have drum brakes, let alone ventilated discs, it also may indicate that at normal speeds huge fat arse brakes aernt reallly needed dont you think
better suspension = again, corning ability, stability at higher speeds ~80kms, minimises sudden road changes, eg, hitting a pot holes at 80km can 'snap' your wheel in a particular direction, minimising body roll.etc
Its adds ALITTLE as I said, remember, public roads aernt a race track, provided you stick to the limit you dont need $10k worth of suspension to help you around corners.... and if anything, this will lead to complacency (as seen by ABS and an incidence of MORE crashes with it) and people will throw their car around beyond their limits! (And with a RELATIVE lack of modern safety features, good luck!) AND Im also unsure as to whether its all for the ride, better shocks (you can buy seperately cheap) and wheels (you can buy seperately cheap) help alot with cornering, so does an anti-roll bar (you can buy seperately cheap)..... but stronger suspension made thicker with better materials etc..... thats more to sustain off road use (at speed) or high speeds on conventional roads, both of which are not required unless your purchasing the car as an investment!
and theres probably better tyres in an evo, dunno the specs, but yeah, better tyres obviously can improve 'normal driving applications'.
So the Evo is worth $55k or abouts cos it has $800 tyres on? I think I would take a lesser car and do that myself.
And all of this... on top of the other stuff I mentioned you defintely dont need like extra welds (which I would imagine would be one of the more costly extras), stronger engine parts etc.
Ive also read that ride is VERY POOR, like borerline on unbearable because of all of the above features. So another nail in the coffen of the Evo's non-racing applications.
Opportunity cost is the issue
Yeah and then theirs that as well! Are you willing to pay that much for all these features which aernt REALLY needed. Your avg joe on say $50k a year is gonna need to save up for like 3 years for this car..... a car which unless he intends to race, is a complete waste of money. The novelty of its speed will die down..... and then you are left with a car that rides like a tank, and costs a fortune to maintain (tyres, clutches etc, all of which are known to go quickly in an evo as you would expect)
And like I alluded to, you want better handling etc... this can all be added on either after you purchase a car or taken as an option offered. Things like tyres, shocks, anti-roll bars dont add $10k to a cars price.... all the strengthening of joints does! The brakes can also be added, although I will admit Brembos are very pricey, I THINK its like $2000-$3000 all up, still beats paying an extra $10K for a lemon!
And some thoughts for the thread starter from what I read in a review just then:
"Let me stress that the Evo is not for inexperienced drivers. If you buy an Evo, be sure to invest in a performance driving program, or at least get some track or autocross experience. If the Evo gets away from you, it'll happen fast; knowing what will happen and how to regain control is critical to avoiding bent metal and broken bones. "
EDIT : And dont forget insurance costs, I couldnt even imagine how high they would be!