That’s the tenth iteration of the Mitsubishi Evo you’re looking at there - and I’m going to be one of the first people in the North-East of England to test it. I’m, as you can understand, extremely excited. What’s all the fuss about? Well this is a car that’s actually faster than a lot of Lamborghinis and Ferarris, especially when it comes to making the thing turn. It is super trick and super quick.
A Quick History LessonMitsubishi Motors is the sixth largest Japanese car manufacturer, with a long history dating back to 1917. The motor sport section of the brand debuted back in 1962, with a Mitsubishi 500 Super DeLuxe. It won various accolades and moved into WRC (World Rally Championship).
During the 1980’s Mitsubishi launched the Lancer EX2000 Turbo, which it scored extremely well with. The company went on to have a very successful partnership with Tommi Makinen, resulting in four years of consecutive firsts (1996-1999) in WRC. Thus, the legend of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was born. It is a car with a true racing heritage and pedigree.
Why The Car Is PopularSome time ago, Mitsubishi homologated (registered for production for racing) the Evo. What this meant was that apart from the bodywork, the engine had to meet a certain spec. Thus, the 2.0 litre was the maximum size allowed but to gain greater power, a huge turbocharger was fitted. This was matched with a clever four-wheel drive system to glue the car to the road and ensure maximum grip. As mentioned in the last paragraph, the car stems from rallying. This road car, much like the Subaru Impreza WRX, isn’t too different from what you’d find tearing around Finland.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XThe car is primarily known for speed - primarily in the delivery of huge amounts of acceleration. People who buy the cars are enthusiasts at best and nutters at worst. The new version is no exception. It is very evidently much more aggressive (just look at those intakes, the rear end downforce-creating spoiler and diffuser, plus the huge wheels).
The bodywork and paint are both nicely put together, and the overall image is of a purposeful and squat car ready to storm off. Interior wise, unfortunately there are still hard (cheap looking) plastics - something I’ve seen on both American and Asian cars but something that I’m also still not fond of. Then again, it is still by far and away the classiest interior that an Evo has had yet.
The equipment includes Xenon headlights, your Recaro (sports) seats, Bluetooth and MP3 stereo. Unfortunately, it costs more for the sat nav and the hard drive to store your CD’s on. Inside is comfortable and space is good, though the bulkhead and the battery inside for weight distribution take the boot up somewhat.
PerformanceThe Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is a car to be driven. Whether you get the FQ300, 330 or 360, you’ll be amazed at the dizzying performance. Even with the ‘basic’ FQ300, you’ll still see it burning up the road, moving from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. More than frantic I’m sure you’ll agree.
This is a car with more acronyms than you can possibly guess at. The six speed auto gearbox will help to propel you along, whilst the Super-All-Wheel-Control should mean that you never have too much of a worry. Frankly, if you have managed to break grip in this car you’ve probably done something incredibly stupid. The technology means that this is a car that really is made to be driven and driven hard at that.
What Doesn’t It Do Well?Apart from the interior as mentioned, the real problem with the Mitsubishi is that it remains very much the same. It is an incredible performance saloon that will be quicker than (in any guise) almost any car on the road today. It doesn’t matter which car pulls up at the lights with you - you’ll be able to storm away faster. You’ll also be crying about the fact that you’ll get about 18mpg. If that isn’t what you’re looking for then I guess you should really look elsewhere. Beyond that, there’s not much too much to fault it really.ConclusionTo put it bluntly, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is a car with a purpose. That purpose is to provide an entertaining and engaging drive capable of extremely high-speed acceleration. You’ll be able to take it on track days and not have to worry about being shown up - even average drivers will perform rather spectacularly. On the other hand, if you baulked at the price, don’t even consider getting one. The service charges and fuel economy will make you cry. For the rest of you though who like your cars - this is one to really go for with all the passion it will provide.
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A Quick History LessonMitsubishi Motors is the sixth largest Japanese car manufacturer, with a long history dating back to 1917. The motor sport section of the brand debuted back in 1962, with a Mitsubishi 500 Super DeLuxe. It won various accolades and moved into WRC (World Rally Championship).
During the 1980’s Mitsubishi launched the Lancer EX2000 Turbo, which it scored extremely well with. The company went on to have a very successful partnership with Tommi Makinen, resulting in four years of consecutive firsts (1996-1999) in WRC. Thus, the legend of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was born. It is a car with a true racing heritage and pedigree.
Why The Car Is PopularSome time ago, Mitsubishi homologated (registered for production for racing) the Evo. What this meant was that apart from the bodywork, the engine had to meet a certain spec. Thus, the 2.0 litre was the maximum size allowed but to gain greater power, a huge turbocharger was fitted. This was matched with a clever four-wheel drive system to glue the car to the road and ensure maximum grip. As mentioned in the last paragraph, the car stems from rallying. This road car, much like the Subaru Impreza WRX, isn’t too different from what you’d find tearing around Finland.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XThe car is primarily known for speed - primarily in the delivery of huge amounts of acceleration. People who buy the cars are enthusiasts at best and nutters at worst. The new version is no exception. It is very evidently much more aggressive (just look at those intakes, the rear end downforce-creating spoiler and diffuser, plus the huge wheels).
The bodywork and paint are both nicely put together, and the overall image is of a purposeful and squat car ready to storm off. Interior wise, unfortunately there are still hard (cheap looking) plastics - something I’ve seen on both American and Asian cars but something that I’m also still not fond of. Then again, it is still by far and away the classiest interior that an Evo has had yet.
The equipment includes Xenon headlights, your Recaro (sports) seats, Bluetooth and MP3 stereo. Unfortunately, it costs more for the sat nav and the hard drive to store your CD’s on. Inside is comfortable and space is good, though the bulkhead and the battery inside for weight distribution take the boot up somewhat.
PerformanceThe Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is a car to be driven. Whether you get the FQ300, 330 or 360, you’ll be amazed at the dizzying performance. Even with the ‘basic’ FQ300, you’ll still see it burning up the road, moving from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. More than frantic I’m sure you’ll agree.
This is a car with more acronyms than you can possibly guess at. The six speed auto gearbox will help to propel you along, whilst the Super-All-Wheel-Control should mean that you never have too much of a worry. Frankly, if you have managed to break grip in this car you’ve probably done something incredibly stupid. The technology means that this is a car that really is made to be driven and driven hard at that.
What Doesn’t It Do Well?Apart from the interior as mentioned, the real problem with the Mitsubishi is that it remains very much the same. It is an incredible performance saloon that will be quicker than (in any guise) almost any car on the road today. It doesn’t matter which car pulls up at the lights with you - you’ll be able to storm away faster. You’ll also be crying about the fact that you’ll get about 18mpg. If that isn’t what you’re looking for then I guess you should really look elsewhere. Beyond that, there’s not much too much to fault it really.ConclusionTo put it bluntly, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is a car with a purpose. That purpose is to provide an entertaining and engaging drive capable of extremely high-speed acceleration. You’ll be able to take it on track days and not have to worry about being shown up - even average drivers will perform rather spectacularly. On the other hand, if you baulked at the price, don’t even consider getting one. The service charges and fuel economy will make you cry. For the rest of you though who like your cars - this is one to really go for with all the passion it will provide.
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