LUCKY NUMBER EIGHT

This week, I was introduced to the Mitsubishi Evo 8. The car in the picture above is the EXACT car I took out for a test run yesterday. Yellow with the signature tail-wing, but unlike the Evo 7, comes with a distinctive carbon-fibre spoiler. 285bhp, Super Active Yaw Control (S-AYC), Active Center Differential (ACD) (with the famous 3-setting driving modes: "Tarmac", "Gravel" and of course the non-applicable "Snow"...in this country), this car may not seem much more different from the its younger brother, the Evo 7, but I tell you, you can only feel the difference once you've saddled up.

Unlike the Evo 7 I took out last week, the Evo 8 is stock. I could tell from the sound of the exhaust note and the turbine. No "pssshhh" (which I was anticipating) as this car is yet to be installed with an after-market blowoff valve.

The ride was slightly bumpier than the Evo 7. This is due to the fact that the comes stock with Bilstein shocks. Take a look at the picture above....notice the prominent Brembo calipers. Man! Sweet! Stopping this machine in warp speed is effortless! Back to the ride... a little bumpier than the Evo 7, but astonishing around the bends. Coupled with the S-AYC and ACD, this car could stretch the laws of physics...the computer would gloss over your driving and plant the car on the road in almost any driving conditions (but then again, this isn't my car and I was not going to do anything stupid to prove its claimed capabilities). The ACCELERATION was certainly what I expected. Nothing falling short of the Evo's standards. Knot to 100kph in less than 5 seconds. I always enjoy her point of climax, which is about 4000rpm! When she rips, you'll just be pinned to your seat!!

The interior looks very similar to the Evo 7, black and blue trimmings. Control placing and configuration is the same as the previous model. But the one I was in is unregistered, with plastic sheets still covering the RECARO SR4s. On the exterior, the 8 looks 'beefier' than its younger brother. The bodykit, noticeably the front grill is different, less symmetrical, if I may. A bit less "garang" than the Evo 7.

The car is equipped with a pair of HID headlamps, probably with a 5000k colour tempreture. The taillamps still bear the characteristics of the 7, but they look like they got their features from the Toyota Altezza. But all in all, this car is one heck of a ride, although I think I enjoyed the test run with the Evo 7...I still wouldn't mind getting my hands on this one though...

Still, at RM188k, this car is beyond my range. But I am going to say this again...if you're thinking about performance, "It's no go if it's not an Evo!"

Farewell Eng Lai

Wednesday, 30th April.
And then there was 5...
Today is the last day for Tai Eng Lai with us. She's been working for the firm for the last 2 years plus. Going on to greater prospects. The hustle and bustle of Hong Kong city seem to have more allure to her compared to KL.

Well, we had a nice and sumptous dinner at the Prego Restaurant, Westin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Yee Boon, Sankar, Jennifer, Lan Fang and mua. Miss Tai, of course, was the guest-of-honour. The starters were good. We had this tiny melon looking thingy with cheese, some mushroom topped with hard-boiled eggs and blue cheese and fried calamari ...plus several loafs of bread before and during that. The pasta preparations and the steaks were ok. But we had a 'fishy' (no pun intended) experience with the smoked salmon pizza. I reckon the fish wasn't "smoked"enough.

But on a parting note, I must have my two cents' worth on Eng Lai:

• This 'Ipoh-Mali' girl is from, well... Ipoh, a city known for pomelos, tau geh chicken rice and great kuey teow;

• This girl probably has the worst sense of humour among all the lawyers in the firm. On an average day, a door-knob has more humour than her;
  

• She's constantly been the butt of our jokes. Especially for Sankar, who often got on her nerves and whom she chronically shrugs off by her famous about-turn of her head followed by her a dismissive "hmmph!";
  

• Her lunch buddy was always Lan Fang. (Now, poor Lan Fang has to eat alone or worse, with me! he he);
  

• She has no clue how to take care of her car. Until recently, she always thought that the water level on the car's battery is to show the charge level. So, full means full charge and half means half charge. She also drives her Kancil around like it's a horse on steroids. Given a chance, she'd probably try to steeple-jump that thing.
  

Sorry la Eng Lai... consider this a farewell "gift" for you. See you when I see you!