Vilner Joins Forces with Overdrive to Tune 400HP Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

After tuning several American and European cars, Vilner has now turned its focus on a Japanese model, the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X. For this project, the Bulgarian tuning house joined forces with a company called Overdrive, which took over the performance upgrades.

As you can see in the two videos after the jump, (the exterior photo was shot before the light modifications), Vilner replaced the standard Lancer EVO X's headlamps and tail lights with brand new LED units.

Inside, the Bulgarian studio gave the Lancer a black leather upholstery treatment with white colored accents and stitching, along with a black alcantara roof lining and carbon trim on the steering wheel and gear lever. A pair of OMP front bucket seats and the piano black decorative trim round off the interior changes.

On its part, Overdrive fitted the Japanese sports sedan with carbon elements on the outside along with 18-inch Weds Sports alloy wheels, a Greddy exhaust system, an adjustable K-sport suspension and finished up with a power kit that boosts the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine's output to 400-horses.

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Mitsubishi 403HP Lancer Evolution X FQ-400

Mitsubishi has announced the introduction of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X FQ-400 for the uk market.
The new Lancer flagship is now the fastest version with 403 horsepower and 387 lb-ft. of torque pumping out of its 2.0L MIVEC engine. Mitsubishi estimates that the FQ-400 will reach 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and have a top speed of 155 mph. All that power is put to the ground through Mitsubishi's Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) four-wheel-drive system.
The FQ-400 also features a wider track, lowered suspension and lightweight 18-inch alloy wheels.
The most powerful Evolution X will be released in the UK next month with a starting price of £49,999.

PRESS RELEASE:
FQ-400 – THE FASTEST AND MOST EXTREME LANCER EVOLUTION EVER RELEASED BY MITSUBISHI MOTORS in the UK
* List price from £49,999
* On sale – June 2009
* The most powerful, accelerative Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X to date
* Peak power of 403bhp @ 6,500rpm; peak torque of 525Nm @ 3,500rpm
* 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds (est.); top speed 155mph (electronically limited)

The tenth version of Mitsubishi's iconic Lancer Evolution models has a new performance flagship model to top its range, the FQ-400.
Extreme Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X FQ-400 is the fastest and most extreme version of Mitsubishi's motorsport derived machine. With 403bhp and 387lb.ft of torque on offer from its advanced, lightweight aluminium 2.0-litre turbocharged MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) petrol engine the FQ-400 is able to reach 62mph from standstill in an estimated 3.8 seconds before reaching an electronically limited 155mph – where permitted.
Traction and handling
Ensuring all the FQ-400's power is put to good use is Mitsubishi's sophisticated Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) four-wheel-drive system which appropriates power to the wheels that can best use it, giving the FQ-400 quite sensational cross-country performance.
The S-AWC system combines a number of electronic systems that both enhance the FQ-400's performance and safety, with Active Stability Control and Active Centre Differential, Active Yaw Control and Sport ABS giving the FQ-400 incredible cornering ability, traction and grip. Depending on the conditions the driver can select the most suitable set-up for the S-AWC system, three choices – Tarmac, Gravel and Snow – being offered via the wheel-mounted button and displayed in the central instrument binnacle.
Cornering stability
Increasing the FQ-400's cornering ability even further over its FQ relatives is a wider track and lowered suspension featuring Eibach springs and Bilstein Shock Absorbers. Lightweight 18-inch, nine spoke alloy wheels fitted with Toyo Proxes R1R tyres enhance the FQ-400's grip, giving it sharper cornering response on the road and more incisive steering. The enhanced agility and performance is backed by a revised braking system which uses aerospace grade aluminium alloys and floating sealed discs grabbed by high performance pads.
Extreme Power
To achieve the incredible 403bhp from just 2.0-litres Mitsubishi has had to significantly revise the FQ-400's advanced powerplant. Motorsport specification high-flow fuel injectors are fitted to the aluminium cylinder head and a new hybrid turbocharger is also fitted. The higher specification turbocharger features low-friction bearings, a high temperature turbine and strengthened thrust bearing to increase response and reduce turbo lag. Feeding the turbocharger cooled air, improving its performance and efficiency, is an enhanced intercooler, while the exhaust's gasses flow from the engine via a 3-inch diameter high flow stainless steel piping and catalytic convertor before exiting through a centrally positioned exhaust.
Mitsubishi has remapped the Engine Control Unit (ECU) extensively with over 500 hours of development time to allow its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine to not just produce its exceptional output but to do so with excellent driveability. The FQ-400's acceleration is sensational, it pulling hard through the gears regardless of engine revs. With peak torque of 387lb.ft on offer from just 3,500rpm, the FQ-400 is just as able to trickle through town traffic as it is taking a rally special stage.
A 'nod' to the Evo VI
The FQ-400 looks every bit the rally refugee too, giving a strong 'nod' to the styling cues of the legendary Evolution VI, and builds on the already aggressive style of its Lancer Evolution X FQ relatives.
A heavily vented bonnet helps heat escape from the FQ-400's turbocharged engine and a new lightweight composite front bumper incorporating Mitsubishi's trademark 'Jet Fighter' grille features carbon-fibre elements on its leading edges. Additional lighting and High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights mark out the FQ-400's nose, its added aggressiveness further enhanced by a 30mm drop in front ride height. Composite side skirts, a re-styled rear bumper with a carbon fibre diffuser, a rear wing incorporating a gurney strip and a roof-mounted 'Vortex Generator' all help manage airflow and cooling.
Behind the 18-inch lightweight, nine spoke alloy wheels it's possible to see the Alcon brakes on the front, while the Toyo Proxes R1R tyres underline the FQ-400's potency with their aggressive 'cut slick' tread pattern. Inside, the driver is held tightly against the FQ-400's sensational accelerative, braking and cornering forces in Recaro bucket sports seats, the range-topping Lancer Evolution X also gaining an FQ-400 liveried handbrake handle and carbon fibre gearknob.
No compromise
Despite its obvious focus the FQ-400's suspension offers compliance thanks to the Eibach Springs and Bilstein Shock Absorbers, the FQ-400's usefulness as a daily driver not compromised overly thanks to Mitsubishi's chassis tuning. The stiff bodywork not only provides an exceptionally rigid platform for the suspension to work, but excellent crash-worthiness, the Lancer Evolution X attaining a five-star score in Euro NCAP's independent crash tests. The FQ-400's S-AWC and its incorporated stability, traction and braking systems helping avoid an accident in the first place. Even so there's reassurance of seven airbags, seat belt pretensioners and ISO Fix child seating all included in its standard specification.
Fully loaded
Standard equipment for the range-topping Lancer Evolution X model is comprehensive, the FQ-400 coming with Bluetooth hands-free telephone connection, a CD-tuner with 30 Gig hard drive, DVD satellite navigation and privacy glass. Convenience features like remote central locking, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers increase the FQ-400's ease of use, the huge performance it offers not coming at the expense of usefulness. Like its Lancer Evolution X relatives it features comfortable seating for five as well as a usefully sized boot, the FQ-400 bringing all the convenience of the standard saloon car it's based upon – but with explosive performance potential.
Setting the standard
Standard it's not though, instead the FQ-400 is a standard setter, with performance that's the measure of any rival and many exotic sports and supercars costing many multiples of its £49,999 list price. Available from June 2009, the FQ-400 is covered by a three year / 36,000 mile warranty.

Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart Turbo Review Test

 Waitresses are the original balance masters. It’s staggering how well they do it. I’m sure you’ve seen them. You know, you walk into a restaurant, and there they are, stacking plates or glasses, until you think “there’s no way they could fit one more on their arm”. But they do. And not only one more, they manage several more.

Of course, there’s only so far they can go before they end up losing all of it. And we’ve all seen that too. As you go higher, the centre of gravity elevates correspondingly. Just like in a car.
As a car gets taller, there’s an increased risk of a roll-over. So please explain how the Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart can be so narrow and tall, yet still handle like it does. The answer is to hand it over to the Ralliart team, and let them have a tinker with it.

But can you change a leopard’s spots? Were they starting from a below average package to begin with? Well consider the Lancer Evolution. The base model Lancer was a bit iffy, but the Evo series has arguably reached cult status, and no wonder.

There are only a few places you can turn for that ‘bang for your buck’. Interesting, then, that a Colt been thrown into the Ralliart mix.

Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart

Introduced in 2004 the Colt has been a quiet achiever in the small car segment. Only in 2006 was a manual variant added, and it saw sales increase slightly, but rivals such as the Swift, Jazz and Mazda 2 had already garnered more of the market.

So, in late 2006, Mitsubishi saw fit to introduce the Colt Ralliart in an effort to boost sales. Using the same 1.5-litre motor but adding a small turbocharger has upped the power from 77kW to 113kW (a substantial jump of 46%), and bumped the peak torque from 141Nm to 210Nm (a similar increase of 48%).

The respectable rise does come at the cost of turbo lag. And when the revs increase, coarseness begins to rear its ugly head, especially above 4500rpm, but fuel economy is still quite good.
Adding over 40% more power and torque can have disastrous consequences if the rest of the car hasn’t been beefed up. Fortunately, suspension, brakes, tyres and wheels have all been upgraded, and the result is a makeover which, although you wouldn’t call extreme, makes the car a different animal.

The increase in thickness of the stabiliser bar at the front, for instance, is only 1mm, but it’s amazing what a millimetre can do. Bodyroll is contained, and combined with the uprated springs, a strut tower brace, better dampers and more rigid suspension components, the Colt Ralliart is suddenly sporting. This comes as a shock when you look at the car, which is easily perceived as top-heavy.

It will dart left and right at only an inkling of steering input, meaning hardly any slack around the straight ahead, much like its Evo sibling. It can be a little deceiving in feel as it tends to spring back to the straight ahead, meaning an artificial weight while cornering. Feedback is pretty good though.

It sits flat when cornering too, and the seat-of-the-pants impression is one of high lateral loading. Probably the Yokohama Advan tyres help here, but the chassis balance is extremely impressive.

Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart

Keep the stability control (ASC in Mitsu speak) on because it will lift-off oversteer quite quickly, with its short wheelbase not helping the case. It is predictable, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. On turn-in it stays neutral, and only pushes wide if you’re going in too hot. Trail braking doesn’t move the tail much though, so it’s a pretty safe car to drive quickly.
Like the Evo too, is the tyre roar on coarse surfaces, and the firm ride. It’s pretty easy to live with day to day though, as passengers won’t complain. Indeed, I transported an 80-year-old lady around the place and she didn’t mind it one bit.
The Colt’s interior is a vast improvement on the spartan Evo IX. Better quality plastics, and no faux-fibre trim leaves an impression of expense. Mitsu’s press release states that ‘the front Recaros are straight from the Evo VIII MR’. This means they’re a bit tight and squashy; those of the larger-derriere persuasion might need shoehorning in and out.
The boot could be a little bigger, and a little more attention to the comfy rear seats would be good too. Infact, given the $14K price gap between the top spec Ralliart and base ES colt, there’s little to differentiate them. The same goes for the rest of the interior.

Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart

Only one badge appears inside the Colt Ralliart, just in front of the gearshift. Either something on the steering wheel, or on the dash would be good, so that as soon as you sit down, you know what you’ve spent all that extra money on.
The fun is in the drive though, which is does well. The gearbox is a little notchy, but still snicks into the gate well, with well spaced ratios and the clutch is light and feels good. The strong engine and brakes are a nice addition but there’s one or two drawbacks. The drop of boost between each gear change is a little disappointing, and although the brake feel is good, overuse will see them cooked quickly.
So this is more of a quick-blast-around-the-city kind of car. But it is common for people to use these little beasts in motorkhanas and track work. A quick pad change, sticky tyres, and an ECU reflash will see your Colt suddenly become a stallion. But even as standard, it still returns a 6.7L/100km fuel consumption average.
What about to the everyday man. Do they look at it and see the potential? Put simply, does it have cred? Judging by the comments received during the week running around in it, yup. Statements such as “It’s so cute, but aggressive at the same time,” and “I’ll bet it’d be a bombed daily.” Yes. Definitely. Whatever the hell that meant….

Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart

It’s a fun car to blast around in, and it surprises with its agility. Handling, braking, steering and performance are all a step up from the standard Colt. But the pricetag is getting up there; $29,990 is a fair whack for what essentially is a done-up Colt. Plus with Fiesta XR4, VW Polo GTI, and Suzuki Swift Sport all undercutting it by thousands of dollars, it’s going to have its work cut out for it.
For those in doubt, the elements of this vehicle’s name fit. This is no boxy, poxy, oxymoron of a car. It’s a well sorted package that lives up to the rally heritage of the company. Yes, the Evo has a feisty little brother. It’s called the Colt Ralliart.

Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart

2008 Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart specifications

Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged
Power: 113kW
Torque: 210Nm
Top speed: N/A
Safety: ABS, Dual Front, Side and Curtain Airbags, ASC
0-100km/h: N/A
ANCAP rating: 3 Stars
Turning circle: 10.8 metres
Fuel tank: 45 litres
Fuel consumption : 6.7 litres /100km (combined)
Fuel type: 95RON Unleaded

My Two Dents on Mitsubishi's Poor Planning and Marketing

I always liked the idea of the FTO, a small, stylish coupe that could fit in below the Eclipse in Mitsubishi's lineup. For some reason, seeing this video today reminded me of the triple-diamond's good old days; you know, back when they put out cars like the twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive 3000GT VR-4 and the turbocharged GS-T and GS-X Eclipses.
They even teased fans with the turbo'd, AWD Eclipse Ralliart concept back in 2006; for some reason, nothing came of it. Who WOULDN'T buy a coupe-ified Evo?
Certainly returning cars like that would have justified bringing the Eclipse up-market (think Genesis Coupe), allowing for a small, non-turbo FWD two-door like an FTO (or Lancer Coupe) to go up against cars like the Cobalt, Focus, Civic and upcoming Veloster coupes.
And what if Mitsubishi had continued to build fast, turbocharged cars as in-house luxury/turbocharged alternatives to their front-wheel-drive lineup? The trick would have been to create a sub-brand along the line of Hyundai's Genesis line of vehicles.
The really sad part is that Hyundai is kicking ass with Genesis (which showed up out of the blue), while Mitsubishi had a brand just sitting around and collecting dust: Ralliart. Marketing the sub-brand as Racing meets Beauty, one would think it impossible to mess that up - but they did. That's what you call a shame.

2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse Ralliart

 estimated 400 hp
turbocharged 4G63 engine
a custom air intake
HKS performance parts.
all-wheel drive system
a six-speed manual transmission
Lightweight carbon fiber for roof, hood, fascias and front fenders
20-inch high-performance carbon fiber wheels with AVS Sport Yokohama tires
four-point restraints,
Recaro performance seats
racing gauges
Rockford Fosgate premium sound system.