Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

The EVOs grip levels on the more recent incarnations (VIII, IX and X) are from another world and exceed that of some of the world’s best supercars.

But if you’re still not sold, just Google “EVO Vs Lamborghini” and click the Top Gear/YouTube link, and you will witness an astonishingly uplifting event, not unlike the Russel Crowe movie, “Gladiator”.

Mitsubishi’s Evolution VIII manages to bully a V12 Lamborghini Murcielago into a 180 degrees spin, and effectively wins the race. It’s a remarkable feat made all the more so, given Jeremy Clarkson was driving the EVO and British Touring Car driver, James Kaye was behind the wheel of the Lambo.

But for anyone lucky enough to have driven a recent iteration of Mitsubishi’s finest, it’s probably not surprising at all.

Clarkson is spot on for once. The absurd, if not comical ease, in which the EVO can neutralise a corner, and the sheer velocity the car can carry through that corner, is beyond astonishing, and will leave you thinking you’re the next Lewis Hamilton.

Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

It’s as though an Alien race with no experience whatsoever in building cars, got to work and packaged all this advanced technology into the first thing they saw on the freeway and behold, the Mitsubishi Evolution!

And Evolution is exactly right. While the EVO VIII was a sensation, it was also too hardcore for many. A brutal ride, notchy gearshifts and only five forward speeds, meant a very select and very small market.

Along came the EVO IX with various improvements including an extra cog and a thing called MIVEC (Mitsubishi variable Valve Timing), which made the car faster, smoother and an easier drive than its predecessor.

Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

And while the ride quality was still considered harsh by anyone other than a track day junkie, it was noticeably more compliant than the EVO VIII, especially over speed bumps and those wheel-warping potholes. Was it a twenty-four seven commuter? Not quite, but almost.

As good as the EVO IX was, and let me say, it was astonishing in every department bar the interior, not nearly enough enthusiasts had had the “EVO experience” so while the car had achieved sainthood status, sales were minimal.

Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

In fact, Evolution 1 through IX has chalked up only 120,000 units worldwide, not nearly enough to turn a profit but undoubtedly, one of the best marketing tools in the business.

The bottom line is, Mitsubishi need to sell more EVO’s, so they built the Evolution X in the hope of doing just that.

Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

It’s still a hardcore machine, no doubt about that. But this particular variant, the MR, which I have been driving, has one of those automated manual gearboxes, which can swap ratios quicker, than it would take your left hand to reach the shifter.

It works pretty much the same way as Volkswagen’s DSG gearbox although, Mitsubishi call it a Twin Clutch-Sport Shift Transmission (TC-SST), which was developed by German transmission and drivetrain gurus, Getrag.

It’s fast shifting but doesn’t feel quite as refined as the DSG system but then again, this is an EVO and thankfully, things are still a lot more frenetic on board this car, including the shifts.

You can still have a five-speed manual, if you’re a diehard or more importantly, if you can’t stretch the budget in these dark times, but its the TC-SST more than anything else, which makes this the first incarnation of the EVO you could live with twenty-four/seven.

Peak hour journeys in an EVO IX are what made the car unliveable for any sane enthusiast. By the time you made it to work, you may well have shifted gears over one thousand times or more, without ever making it to third gear. Fifty lashes in a Balinese prison would have been less painful.

The New Evolution MR makes all that pain go away. Just select D in “normal” mode and for all intents and purposes, you are driving an automatic EVO! Perfect for the day-to-day commute.

But get away to some quiet, twisty tarmac and you will want to push the small TC-SST lever forward and engage “Sport Mode” where you will find more of the raw “EVO” DNA.

Bury the throttle and things become decidedly more manic. Gearshifts and throttle response are way more urgent than in “Normal” mode. Keep you foot into it, and all hell breaks loose, with gear ratios held until close on 7000rpm before swapping cogs!

As you can expect with any Twin Clutch transmission these days, you also have the option of using paddle shifters, which despite working well enough, seem superfluous with “Sport” mode engaged with the tacho needle nudging the redline before shifting.

And even as you are fast tracking into a corner, the gearbox will blip, blip, down a few gears, setting you up for the prefect exit. EVO magic

And if you fancy taking your EVO X MR to one of those adrenalin charged track days, then best you hold that little lever forward for a few seconds, until you see S-Sport light up for that true “EVO” experience. Shifts are not only faster again, but gears are engaged at higher revs. It’s no fun around suburbia, but perfect for closed, one-way tarmac.

What made the EVO IX such a quick thing can be attributed in most part to its power to weight ratio, 7.1kw/kg. It had a kerb weight of just 1470kg and even less, if you opted for the performance pack, which included forged wheels by BBS, which sliced off another 1.1kg per corner.

The proverb says, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”. You can, with a 2008 Evolution MR.

Sure it’s heavier, a full 155 kilograms if you want to get down to the nitty gritty, the Twin Clutch gearbox alone, makes up thirty kilos and the rest is down to various improvements and kit, which has transformed the EVO into a daily driver.

Who’d have thought, Xenon headlamps with adaptive front lighting and self-levelling, Headlamp washers, Mitsubishi Multi Communication System with Sat Nav, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, Rockford Fosgate 650 watt sound system and Leather combination seat trim with heated front seats – in an EVO!

But while the interior is a world away from the ultra basic materials and kit in the EVO IX, it is nowhere near the level of attention in the German marques. More work to be done here.

But sitting in the driver’s seat of the Evolution MR remains the best seat in the house. The Recaro pews are slightly less bolstered than those in the EVO IX, but significantly more comfortable and easier to climb into and out of.

It’s not that Mitsubishi hasn’t been mindful of weight gain with the tenth incarnation. The new engine has been cast from aluminium not iron, which is not only 12.5kg lighter than that employed in the EVO IX, but produces more torque and more power at precisely the same revs.

If there was one thing I didn’t like when I first drove EVOs VIII and IX, it was the go kart like, quick ratio steering, which I found way too sensitive on a car which was capable of decimating any bend in any road.

I even called Mitsubishi’s press car boss in NSW and asked him, if anyone else had mentioned it. His answer was “no, never found that a problem”. He was dead right; I just needed more time behind the wheel after which, I would cherish its pinpoint accuracy. But it was also one of those things, which made the EVO a pure enthusiast’s machine and not exactly ‘punter’ friendly.

The EVO MR is a much more comfortable steer with its rack and pinion set up. Not quite as accurate but more weight and less manic – all the better for tackling suburbia or the office commute.

Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

The Brembo 2-piece front brake disc coupled with significantly larger brake rotors all round, has made a world of difference. Whereas, you had to bury your right foot deep into the firewall for a quick stop in the EVO IX, the MR requires a much lighter touch and feels far more progressive.

It just doesn’t feel as fast as the EVO IX, but that’s more about the way the power and torque are delivered, far more linear with new MR.

Its quieter too, more noise insulation this time around, unless of course you going for it in “Sport” mode, then that good old EVO metallic scream, is back where it belongs.

While it might be heavier, the grip provided by the 18-inch BBS alloys shod with 245/40 Dunlop SP Sport 600’s in concert with Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control System (S-AWC), which adds Active Stability Control, seems altogether contrary to the laws of nature and every bit as good as the EVO IX.

INFORMATION - MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION VIII

I had butterflies in my stomach and could barely sleep the night before I picked up the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8 from the Press Depot. I didn’t know what to expect, from what I heard it was an awesome drive and something to yearn for. On the other hand, the images, along with the prospect of driving a $60,000 Lancer didn’t do much for me.

After an early start and an hour and half long drive to the Press Depot, I was finally confronted with the Canary Yellow Evo 8, baring its front mount inter-cooler and aggressive front end. In the flesh, the Evo 8 is just something else; it has a deviating stance, which can only be described as menacing. It sits on light weight 17” Enkei alloy wheels that are engulfed by 320mm Brembo brakes up front and 300mm Brembo brakes at the rear.

After a quick check-over the car it was time to hop in. When you plant your backside into the Recaro’s, they hug you tightly and ensure you don’t move an inch. The Momo steering wheel is of perfect size and has a very pragmatic design. After turning the key and starting the engine, you are met with 3 driving modes. Tarmac, Gravel and Snow. After digging your left foot into the heavy, dry-plate hydraulically controlled clutch you put your hand onto the gear stick and move it into first. It’s only then that you realise how short, sharp and precise the 5-speed gearbox is, it simply leaves you speechless.

An embarrassing moment with the European positioned windscreen wiper stalk is soon overcome with a stab of the accelerator. And what a hearty and mind-blowing stab it is! As the boost continually winds from ~3000RPM right through to ~7800RPM you are left with a grin from ear to ear. The car has very relaxed and stable highway dynamics, the 5^th gear revs at around 2800RPM at 100km/h. It would be far more beneficial to have a 6^th gear to reduce fuel consumption even further.

The motor is a slouch under 3000RPM; you are simply driving a slightly worked 2.0L engine off-boost. It caught me out on a few occasions, and you get a reality check, making you are aware that it won’t zip you out of a potential hazard unless there are plenty of revs and boost. The Evo 9 is powered by the Mitsubishi 4G63 2.0L MIVEC, turbo-charged L4 engine. It produces 195kW @ 6500RPM and 355Nm @ 3500RPM, although it doesn’t sound like much, the Evo simply doesn’t need any more power, coupled with AWD, 195kW is just right for the Evo, any more and things would start to become un-manageable and slightly less predictable.

When you hit the bends, all the negatives quickly vanish into thin air. The setting for our drive was a tranquil and bushy area near Steiglitz, in Victoria. The Evo 8 continually manages to defy the laws of Physics. You can throw the Evo into a bend at an insane speed and the car simply sticks and shows absolutely no hint of letting go. It’s even hard to get the tyres to squeal. It simply provides an insane amount of grip.

SAYC (Super Active Yaw Control) is a computerized system that varies the ACD (Active Centre Differential) and provides dynamic amounts of power to each wheel. A natural instinct is to correct oversteer in any car. With the Evo, the computer takes care of it, you can feel the back end stepping out but, the Evo corrects it for you and thanks you for your meagre attempt to throw it out of control. Switch the ACD to the ‘Gravel’ setting and be prepared to be amazed. Drop the back end out on a dirt road and add power, with ease, the SAYC manages to help you out significantly, it’s simply astonishing.

There is also a small switch in front of the handbrake that activates a 3 nozzle water spray for the intercooler. It sprays a fine mist of air into the intercooler piping and cools the air prior to being put through the intake process. We couldn’t really feel any major performance difference between the nozzle spray being activated and disabled.

Mitsubishi claims a sub 6-second 0-100km/h time. So, it was only logical to test this theory out. With the clutch pedal in and 1^st gear selected, there is a rev-limiter at 5000RPM. After loading it up to 5000RPM, you can hear the engine bouncing off the rev limiter, that’s when you know it’s time to bring the clutch to friction and then side-step it. From there on it feels like there are 3 oversized Sumo wrestlers pushing your chest back into the seat and holding you there with full force, all the way up to ~7800RPM. After a quick stab of the clutch and a short throw of the gear stick into second gear it starts again until you reach 100km/h, in well under 6 seconds, in fact, closer to 5 seconds than 6. I can assure you that the smile didn’t come off my face for the rest of the afternoon.

Braking in the Evo is an easy task. The brakes at the front end are 4-pot 320mm Brembo’s and the rear end is equipped with 2-pot 300mm Brembo’s. They are absolute monsters and showed no fade through our vigorous testing. They pull the Evo up in astonishingly short distances and go hand-in-hand with the cars performance figures. I wear a size-13 and found there was limited room in the foot well for easy heel-toeing, which became somewhat irritating after a while.

Fuel consumption in the Evo is reasonable. We travelled around 1300km and used around 135L of PULP (Premium Unleaded Petrol), which was an average of around 10.38L/100KM. Around 500 of those 1300KM were highway driving, the rest on the other hand was rather heavy handed driving. So, the overall fuel consumption was reasonable for a car of its size. 

The Evo 8 has fantastic ‘street-cred’. The Evo is a rare car and people are surprised when they see it on the road. On numerous occasions I noticed people almost trip over whilst turning their heads and gawking at the Canary Yellow machine. Traffic light Grand Prix are sorted out with minimal hassle and leave most gob smacked at how quickly the Evo moves to the speed limit. And before you ask, yes, there were numerous Sti drivers that had a good gander also!

Another downturn to the Evo is the common rev-retainment issue. After accelerating up to around 4000RPM and de-clutching the car takes around 1-2 seconds to drop the revs back to a reasonable level, making the engine rev loudly for a short while and making the driver look like an amateur. After a bit of an investigation, I found out that it’s a common problem between Evo 8 owners and hasn’t yet been resolved.

A lightweight aluminium bonnet contains a haze emitting outlet at the top. The boot lid comes with a lightweight carbon fibre spoiler that is in the worst possible position. It directly blocks the view of trailing traffic in the rear vision mirror and makes it look like other drivers are flashing their lights at you at night time, due to the height of the spoiler. The engine bay is also quite cramped and provides limited room for DIY work.