Mitsubishi ‘Evo’: The legend comes to Canada

Mitsubishi ‘Evo’: The legend comes to Canada

Wheels

2008 Mitsubishi Evolution GSR
By: Jim Robinson

MALIBU, Ca.: Adding the word ‘Evo’ to Mitsubishi results in more than just a very potent car. It’s an image.

It began in 1981 with the World Rally Championship rules. In order to race the car, it had to be based on a ‘production’ version. And that resulted in the no-holds-barred rally Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Evo for short) that has since become the stuff of urban legends fanned by its ubiquitous use in just about every road rage video game on the planet.

Never available in North American due to a myriad of safety and emission laws, it is even more of a forbidden fruit on our side of the world; that is until now.

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is actually the tenth generation in the series and it arrives at a very good time for Mitsubishi Canada.

Just barely over five years in existence in this country, sales last year were up 53 per cent over 2006. Even more to the glee of Mitsu officials is that they can’t import enough of some models to meet demand. That’s a long way away from just four years ago when they couldn’t even give them away.

On showroom floors beside the hot-selling Eclipse sportscar and Outlander CUV, the Lancer will be available in a pantheon of trim levels and prices from the base DE through the ES, Special edition and GTS with a GT and Ralliart in the pipeline. At the top of the ladder is the Evo GSR and the MR.

Now arriving in very limited numbers (600 this year) is the GSR at $41,498. The MR priced at $47,498 will follow the GSR in the late spring. The MR with the Premium Package (nav system, full leather, sunroom and 450-watt, 10-speaker Rockford-Fosgate sound system) adds $4,000 to the sticker on the MR.

The GSR, tested here, is equipped with a new five-speed manual transmission. The Lancer Evolution MR gets a new six-speed Twin-Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST), an automated manual transmission with magnesium steering wheel shifter paddles and console shifter.

The MR is also equipped exclusively with Bilstein shock absorbers and Eibach springs, two-piece brake rotors, BBS forged-alloy wheels, HID headlamps and Bluetooth wireless capability.

The engine of the Lancer Evo is also new. At just 2.0-litres it pumps out 291 hp and 300 lb/ft of torque. Fuel consumption is 12.9L/100 km city and 9.0L/100 km highway.

Comparisons to the Subaru WRX STI are inevitable. To get similar power (305 hp) and torque, (290 lb/ft) the Subaru’s turbocharged engine is a full half-litre bigger at 2.5-litres.

The basic difference between the GSR and MR is the transmission and the wheels and there is reason for this.

After doing extensive surveys and focus groups, Mitsubishi discovered there were two distinct target groups both of whom want the Evo for the urban cool image it portrays. GSR intenders, however, want the Evo for what it can do and not weighed down by frills. For them, frills like concert sound and leather trim are not wanted. This explains the five-speed manual (all the better for auto cross racing my dear) and simple plastic trimmed interior.

Mitsubishi does not encourage street racing, but they know some buyers will use them in controlled conditions.

The Evo has what Mitsubishi calls its Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) dynamic handling system. S-AWC controls torque at each wheel by regulating a network of dynamic handling technologies, including: Active Center Differential (ACD) four-wheel drive, Active Yaw Control (AYC) rear differential, Active Stability Control (ASC), and Sport ABS brakes.

Integration of ASC is new for all markets. A helical gear type limited-slip front differential is used.

It is all controlled by a rocker switch on the left spoke of the steering wheel and can be set with the differentials tuned to various road surfaces and conditions. The choices offered are tarmac (asphalt), snow and gravel.

Unlike the box-stock Lancer, the Evo comes with its own suspension system that includes inverted struts in front and a rear multi-link configuration. Forged aluminum components reduce unsprung weight. The 18 x 8.5-inch wheels (Enkei cast-alloy on GSR and BBS forged-alloy on MR) carry 245/40R18 Yokohama ADVAN asymmetrical performance tires.

The basic chassis was already stiffer than the last Lancer but it is further reinforced for the 2008 Evo. To lessen weight, the rear bumper beams are aluminum. The battery and windshield washer fluid tank have been relocated to the trunk area for better weight distribution.

Like the Subaru STI, the 2008 Evo is very docile unless prodded. It can be driven around town with none of the skittishness of earlier highly-strung models that did not benefit from today’s advances in ride, handling and engine mapping.

You know you are not in a standard Lancer the minute you settle into the Recaro seats with integrated new side airbags. The Evo comes standard with climate control, cruise and a 140-watt stereo system.

As it sits, standard safety features include an advanced dual front air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) with occupant sensors; standard front seat-mounted side-impact air bags and side curtain air bags, plus a driver's knee air bag.

The first four gears are close ratio and the fifth is more of a highway gear. Nonetheless, at highway speeds (65 mph in California) the GSR was pulling about 3,200 rpm in fifth. Along with time-worn California road surface and the engine noise, I found myself wishing for a sixth gear to bring the revs and noise down.

This will not matter to the bulk of buyers who will revel in the GSR’s rapid acceleration and turning ability. In short, this is a city car not a long-distance runner.

The Recaros are especially supportive and (in my case) quite form-fitting which turned out to a good thing during track testing at Willow Springs Raceway in California.

Given normal road-going GSRs, not specially prepared race versions, we not only drove to the track, but on it with the same cars.

I asked one of the instructors to take me around at the kind of speeds he could attain as opposed to my normal plodding.

What a ride!

The EVO GSR bolted ahead on full throttle with zero sense of turbo lag. Hammering on the brakes hauled us down in feet not yards. The Yokohamas gripped like they were glued aided in a very large part by the S-AWC set on ‘tarmac’.

The best part had to be the engine. Once I got used to the bite of the clutch coming in during the last 10 per cent of pedal travel, the flexibility of the torque curve was very broad and something unheard of in a turbo only 10 years ago.

And the Evo comes with this forbidden fruit cachet mentioned above which is bound to pull even more customers into Mitsubishi showrooms.

It appeals to a growing group of buyers who want a Japanese car but not from one of the traditional brands available in Canada. In short they want to stand out.

Two years ago, two per cent of Canadians buyers considered a Mitsubishi, but that doubled to four per cent past year.

With 1.6 million vehicles sold annually in Canada, and nearly half of those being compact and mid-size sedans, the 2008 Evo is arriving at a very opportune time indeed.

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION GSR 2008 AWD AT A GLANCE

• BODY STYLE: Performance sedan.
• DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, all-wheel-drive.
• ENGINE: 2.0-litre DOHC turbo-charged four-cylinder inline (291 hp, 300 lb/ft).
• FUEL ECONOMY (est.) 12.9L/100 km city, 9.0L/100 km highway.
• PRICE: $41,498.
• WEB: mitsubishi.ca

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