NEW CAR PRICES AND RESEARCH

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Winging It
Writer's Notes Test Vehicle: 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MSRP (estimated): $28,987 First Impressions: Maximum performance in minimum space. Every day practical, competition capable. A racy, $30,000 image booster for the brand. Inside, the Evolution is an interesting mix of rally car and family car. Comments or suggestions about this review? Send an e-mail to: editor@autobytel.com Autobytel Inc. operates the popular automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, and Autosite.com. xxx	The press introduction for the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution took place at Firebird International R aceway. If you think that Mitsubishi was trying to send a message, you're right. As it turns out, I was able to spend some quality time in the new Lancer on the race track, congested city streets and rural roads where red rock is plentiful and drivers are few - enough to form a solid first impression of this newcomer. While it is new to the US, versions of the Lancer Evolution have been buzzing around the streets of Japan for over a decade. The Evolution's first evolution hit the streets there in 1992. To compete in FIA's Group A, Mitsubishi had to build a minimum of 2,500 streetable versions of the Lancer Evolution for pubic consumption. The main reason why the Evo created such a buzz - then and now - is because of the lineage link between the street versions and the rally cars that Mitsubishi campaigns worldwide. Six generations of Evo have evolved since, but they were home market only. Americans were forced to worship them from afar. Generation eight, however, has crossed the pond and landed stateside, testing the market here, one year after the Subaru WRX made its debut. "Hard charging through a series of S turns or slithering along a slippery road, a viscous coupling unit assures that power is delivered to the wheels with grip." Most of us haven't had the chance to sample past versions of the Evo, so when the company speaks of upgrades relative to the last generation cars, we have no reference point. Prime among the improvements are gains in structural rigidity, as Mitsubishi focused on stiffening the Lancer's unibody for this application. Freed from the task of compensating for body flex, the suspension can be about the business of optimizing handling. It works. Mitsubishi swapped lighter, aluminum forgings for the Lancer sedan's steel suspension components, and the combination of MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link set-up in back has been tuned to near track levels. The Evolution is board flat in cornering, and steering is quite direct, but it stops short of being twitchy. And speaking of stops, Brembo calipers and rotors are paired with ventilated discs front and back and a "Sports" ABS system. Sensors for steering wheel angle, wheel speed and longitudinal/lateral G force collaborate to match the needs of the specific driving conditions. Wrapped around the binders are a set of 17" x 8" Enkei aluminum, six spoke rims, shod with soft, grippy Yokohama tread. The powertrain for the Evo is an object lesson in drawing maximum power from minimum size. The DOHC four cylinder displaces just 2.0 liters, yet posts remarkable output ratings: 271 hp @ 6,500 rpm and 273 lb. ft. of torque @ 3,500 rpm. It does so by the grace of an intercooled turbocharger, aluminum heads, and a host of internal refinements aimed at decreasing weight and increasing power and durability. Mitsubishi claims a 0-60 best of 5.0 seconds flat for the Evo, with a 13.8 second quarter mile, and a top end of 155 mph. While I had no timing equipment on board more sophisticated than the seat of my pants, the numbers sound a little optimistic - but only a little. Power is immediate, with a boot-in boost that will sit you upright. The Evolution's five speed, short throw gearbox is nicely tuned to match the engine's powerband, so there's no lag in the fun from gear to gear. Synchros have been added for the US spec Evo, the better to weather the shiftmanship of ham-fisted auto journalists and other Americans. The final piece of this balanced puzzle is the drive system. All of the Evolution's power is poured through all four paws. The full-time, all wheel drive system distributes torque evenly between front and rear wheels. Hard charging through a series of S turns or slithering along a slippery road, a viscous coupling unit assures that power is delivered to the wheels with grip. Outside, Evolution departs from Lancer proper on every body panel save the front doors. Hood and front fenders are formed from aluminum for weight savings. Up front, Evo wears an in-your-face face: a set of HID headlights amidst a sea of slash-cut air intakes. In back, clear lens taillights, a block cut rear end and an optional, high flying, carbon fiber rear wing. A smaller, lower profile version is also available. However, Mitsubishi says that the big deck spoiler, along with the front air dam and undertray, contribute vital downforce to ensure stability at speed. Buyers are left to weigh the bragging rights of showing their tails to much of the automotive world against the wing's potential to act as a lightning rod for law enforcement . Inside, the Evolution is an interesting mix of rally car and family car. Up front, twin Recaro buckets provide first class seating, specifically designed for the US market. The seat backs and bottoms have been expanded to hold the expanded seat backs and bottoms of American drivers. They are comfortable for travel when you're driving easy, well bolstered to hold you in place when driving hard. And, if you go racing, the seats will accommodate a multi-point harness. You sit facing a sleek, three spoke, leather wrapped MOMO wheel, framing a red-lit instrument cluster. Given the intent of the Evolution, the lack of an oil pressure gauge or boost gauge is surprising. Pedals and shifter are positioned to enable spirited driving. Controls are otherwise admirably simple and straight forward, allowing the driver no excuse to become distracted from the duties at hand. And, though the car is obviously pointed at competitive interests, the degree to which it accommodates daily driving tasks is not to be overlooked. Rear seats will accommodate adults and the trunk is decent sized, offering 10.2 cubic feet of usable space. Fold down capability for the seats has been sacrificed for added stiffness (in the form of a v-shaped brace). The suspension is stiff and while this plays well on a race track and the billiard table roads of the southwest, it is unknown how ride quality would fare in places like my native northeast, where soon, a spring crop of potholes will emerge, big enough to swallow busses and barnyard animals. Final judgment on ride quality will therefore be reserved until we get one back east. Even if it's a rough rider, though, it's doubtful that anybody would care, given the level of the car's performance. Mitsubishi projects sales of 5,000-6,500 Evos and admits that it's an open question as to how much of a market there is for pricey, performance-laden pocket rockets, in the wake of the Subaru WSX. Meanwhile, Subaru did its part to fuel this budding rivalry by announcing (at the Detroit Auto Show) that the new WRX STi will be packing 300 hp (let the games begin!). But, the Evolution's sales numbers are secondary to the car's ability to burnish the brand image. With eye-opening performance on the street and its first SCCA win in the bag, the Lancer Evolution looks to fill the position of halo car for the company which was vacated by the Eclipse and 3000 GT. At first glance, the car certainly seems to have the chops for the job. ---------- ---------- ---Story and photos by Dan Lyons photos © Dan Lyons 2002