"ARE you sure this is the new Evo?"

This was the question posed by a friend when we arrived at the teh-tarik spot in the spanking red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

Eventually, that question was repeated by other people we met, all of them thinking that the car is a modded Lancer.

Built side by side with the garden variety Lancer, both cars look eerily the same. Of course Lancer owners will be proud as their car looks like the mighty Evo, but Evo owners might think differently.

Only with a close inspection, one will definitely see that the Evo is world's apart from the Lancer.

The 4B11 engine gets turbocharged (twin scroll unit), and our test unit is equipped with the 6-speed TC-SST Twin Clutch Sport Shift Transmission) gearbox, or Mitsubishi's version of Volkswagen's DSG gearbox.

All four wheels are controlled by a bunch of acronyms, like the Active Centre Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC), Active Stability Control (ASC) and Sports ABS with EBD. Actually, all these are clumped under one saucy sounding acronym, the S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control).

The tyres are 245/40 R18, wrapped tightly around a set of 18-inch BBS forged aluminium alloy wheels. Together with the tyres, each tyre-wheel combo should not weigh more than 9kg. What you get is a lower unsprung weight, hence a more effective suspension.

Speaking of suspension, dampers are from Bilstein while coil-overs are Eibach. Binding the rotors are Brembo callipers, four pistons for the front and two for the rear.

Dashboard looks the same as the normal Lancer, which means it's barren and plasticky (Lancer's biggest flaw actually). Luckily your money gets you a pair of super grippy Recaro bucket seats.

The gear knob is leather wrapped, and the TC-SST lever is proudly displayed there. A button marked AFS is located just below the gear lever but it has nothing to do with the transmission - AFS is Adaptive Front-Lighting System which powers up an extra light when you turn into a corner.

Audio buffs will be happy with the Rockford Fosgate 8-channel system. With a sub-woofer in the boot, you can now listen to Metallica's new album with deep rumbling bass like how it should be.

With aluminium goal-post wing at the rear (big enough to hide a truck), side vents, gaping grille and wide wheel arches, you expect this car to be a monster on the road, and in many ways, it is, except when you are on the highway.

Gear change is super smooth and it glides over highway ramps and expansion joints like a typical Japanese sedan. The G-force is there, but only in the initial first few gears. The exhaust note is rumpy, but muted so that you and your passengers can enjoy the drive. Heck, Mitsubishi even installed a cruise control function, a rain sensor and a tilt and slide sunroof! Has the Evo gone soft?

Not really because the moment we took it off the highway and into the short twisty bit of the route, the Evo lashed out its true monster character. Turning in was so sharp, that the tyres left a deep mark on the tarmac.

Having all four wheels did help in giving that sharp edge, but adding the S-AWC has turned it into a perfect corner carving machine. Of course if the boost kicks in at the apex, the car is more prone to understeer but if power is supplied smoothly, you can actually feel that the rear wheels were trying to stay inline.

Frequently, we felt the Evo wanted to go sideways, but that oversteer intention was kept at bay, thanks to the multi-electronics driving aids.

Torque split between front and rear ends were controlled effectively by the ACD, which has three modes to choose from (tarmac, gravel and snow). The rear wheels too have AYC to control the torque between them individually.

The brakes are good, and with the Sports ABS and ASC, you are allowed to brake hard and late - we mean really, really late. These two systems basically control the amount of brake force needed so that you get optimum grip to accelerate faster out of the corners.

Unlike the previous Evo, the mechanicals worked silently to give you an illusion that the car was tame. But with more than 290hp and 366Nm between those four small tyre patches, you needed all the help you can get to sling it around a 90-degree bend at triple digit speeds.

The only thing that scared us was actually its huge appetite for fuel. Even driving at 90km/h on the highway in sixth gear, the car was gulping a litre of petrol for every 6.5 kilometre.

In short, the new Evolution has evolved into a more mature ride. This is a car you can actually drive everyday and the only thing that will limit your journey is the number of petrol stations available along the route.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.0-litre 16-valve turbocharged DOHC MIVEC ECI-Multi (4B11)
Max power: 292hp @ 6,500rpm
Max torque: 366Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed TC-SST, full-time 4WD
Safety features: 7 airbags, RISE, S-AWC, Sports ABS
Price: RM324,941.60 OTR with insurance

Write comment

Name: Email:  do not notifynotify Website: Title: UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge     Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."