So you can probably imagine what a riot Ralliart's Evo VII RS Sprint is to drive. Like the Evo VI RS Sprint before it, this latest model is built for those of you who think the standard Evo VII is a little bit soft and fluffy. No ABS, no Active Yaw Control, no electric windows and definitely no prisoners.

That's not to say Ralliart is selling you a 'comfort-spec' Evo VII GSR with all the toys removed. Far from it, in fact. It's simply that, apart from a super-supportive pair of Recaro seats, the RS Sprint's goodies are aimed at making it go faster and corner harder, not at making your life more cosy.

So, starting with a bum-basic Evo VII, Ralliart fits stronger ARP con-rod bolts to enable the engine to survive an increase in turbo boost pressure, from the standard car's 1.0 bar to a beefier 1.3 bar. Together with an HKS Superflow induction kit that rams more air into the 2-litre, four-cylinder engine's hungry gullet, the RS Sprint develops a ripsnorting 320bhp and 327lb ft of torque - that's up around 40bhp and 40lb ft.

That's not a huge increase over the standard Evo VII, but when combined with super-close-ratio gearing and a vertically challenged final drive, the RS Sprint's accelerative urgency borders on the hair-trigger. To give you some idea, the Sprint can chunter quite happily through urban 40mph limits in fifth gear, then accelerate with real conviction as soon as the black and white derestriction sign fills the windscreen. Consequently you seldom need to dip below fourth gear, unless you really are hell-bent on nailing your overtakes or extracting the absolute maximum out of your corner exit speeds, in which case third gear is your savagely effective weapon of choice.

One downside of the stumpy gearing and free-breathing induction kit is an almost constant high-pressure whistle which seems to emanate from the glovebox. The culprit is the HKS induction kit, which sits in the left-hand side of the engine bay and transmits every last cough and snuffle into the cockpit, turning the weekly trip to Tesco into a blast up the Col du Turini.

Perhaps the most interesting difference between the Evo VII GSR and the RS Sprint concerns the chassis, or more specifically the differentials. The standard GSR employs Torsen front diff, electronically-controlled Active Centre Differential and mechanical rear diff running Active Yaw Control, whereas the Sprint retains the ACD but does away with AYC, and instead relies on the more aggressive, sharply responsive combination of a regular differential at the front and a conventional locking plate limited slip-diff at the rear.

Whilst you could never accuse the Evo VII GSR of lazy turn-in, the Sprint is even sharper, changing direction instantaneously. Its entry to a corner is all about the front end's rabid bite, but as soon as it sinks its Yokohamas into the tarmac the balance neutralises. From this point onwards you can dial in as much or as little oversteer as you like, depending on whether you brake in a straight line then turn in hard, trail brake into the corner and let the weight transfer break the tail loose or actively provoke and unsettle the balance with a dab of left-foot braking. In this respect its repertoire is more varied and extreme than that of, say, an Impreza WRX STi, but it also means that you need to be far more confident and assertive with your inputs to stay on top of it.

It's best not to forget about the lack of ABS, either. Although the standard set-up, complete with 330mm front discs, provides you with astonishingly effective stopping power, it's easy to get carried away - and when you can work so close to the point of lock-up, any change in surface or dampness will soon give you a wake-up call.

The Sprint's steering rack is quicker than the GSR's - just 2.2 turns lock-to-lock compared with 2.9 - but it's as feelsome as ever, which helps you gauge how much grip you've got to lean on. However, once you get back on the power the helical diff grabs and snatches at the wheel as the front tyres burrow for traction. This torque- steer can be pretty violent on the exit of a bumpy second-gear corner, but as long as you keep a white-knuckle grip of the chunky black Momo wheel the Sprint stays faithfully on-line.

All in all, then, the RS Sprint is just about as full-on an experience as you can get this side of a Caterham R500. This ferocity certainly brings some compromises with it - the frantic gearing and lack of creature comforts - but if you're after the ultimate all-wheel-drive buzz and are made of stern stuff, then for ΂£25,995, there's nothing to touch the RS Sprint.