2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Review

The Best Japanese Performance Car Period

Can you guess what question I get asked the most? Its a variation of, "Whats the best car youve ever driven?" or "Which car would you buy if money was no object?" While its fun to contemplate the thought, money is always an object if your chosen profession is automotive journalism, so its a moot point really.

Im also practical, and therefore have to factor in the need to transport my wife and three children in the same vehicle at times. Personally, I would also budget for fuel economy, as recent experiences filling up mid- and full-size SUVs, and even "minivans" (as if theyre mini anymore, have turned me off the segment. Lastly, for me to come to the table with real money a car needs to drive extremely well.

So what car fulfills all these needs? Mitsubishis Lancer Evolution. Actually, in my not so humble opinion the upgraded 2005 EVO VIII MR is the best Japanese performance car, period. Whoa, what a bold claim! Yeah, I know. I dont usually state something so black and white, but its just that good.

Is it better than a Honda S2000? Without question. An Acura NS-X? Yup. A Mazda RX-8? Destroys it. How about a Nissan 350Z? That too. A Skyline GT-R? Cant say, never driven one. Lets just say that the new EVO performs better than any Japanese vehicle currently exported to North America.

What do I mean by performs better? Im talking about all-round performance, which includes acceleration, at the limit handling, braking, etal. Really, its a question of balance, and the new EVO VIII MR is perfectly poised no matter the situation.

To state its case, Mitsubishi held a global launch in Vancouver, Canada, an odd location being that the EVO is one of the only Mitsu models not available north of the 49th parallel due to that countrys 5 mph bumper restrictions and a certain low-hanging oil cooler that sustains too much damage at that speed to qualify. Nevertheless, legions of eager American, European and a sprinkle of Asian auto journalists descended on the town to discover, or rediscover just how far Mitsubishi had developed its latest EVO.

Its a Japanese BMW M3, with easier access to the rear seats, more interior room, a larger trunk, a more compliant suspension (the M3 is punishing) and a much lower price. Whats more, the EVO is easier to drive fast than an M3, especially on rough terrain and even more when road surfaces are slippery. I bet that side by side it would be a close race through the slalom.

I like the M3 comparo as both vehicles are loosely based on FIA-sanctioned race cars. One fights it out in the top levels of sports car racing, which includes such notable events as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, while the EVO regularly runs through dirt, mud, snow and occasionally pavement in the World Rally Championship. Totally different missions for sure, but in the end two seriously competent passenger cars.

The Mitsu is more of a "race replica," however, or at least it looks more like all it needs are some sponsorship stickers and a number attached to each door in order to enter it in the Monte Carlo rally. Obviously the differences between an actual rally equipped car and the made-for-consumption version are great, benefiting the latter in most cases.

After all, would you really like to wake up the entire neighborhood every morning when starting up the car? Thats not to say the EVO VIII MRs exhaust note is mundane or anything, its actually quite intoxicating. But youll appreciate the muted note the street exhaust system adds if youve ever stood next to a rally car warming up and experienced the spine jarring chainsaw-through-metal rasp of the moderately muffled engine. Its awesome, in small doses.

Speaking of small doses, Mitsubishi will only build 6,500 EVOs for 2005 and even fewer MRs. Its a shame, as such a fine car should be appreciated by many more of the worlds 6+ billion than a mere few hundred. Every car enthusiast should have at least one chance to wind the 2.0-liter engine up past its 7,000 rpm redline to its actual cutoff at 7,500 rpm, the engine thrashing with eager enthusiasm before the surge 276 horsepower kicks in and sucks the body back into the race-inspired sport seats. The 235/45ZR-17 Yokohama Advan tires dig into the tarmac without complaint, no drama except for tiny chirps at all corners before the rapid acceleration process leaves mere mortal sport compacts far, far away in the rearview. By my calculations, stopwatch in hand, 60 mph takes just under four and a half seconds, and thats with three out of six gears left to row through.

While Ive been in faster sports cars, the most sobering thought is that the EVO MR is a practical sedan. Only a BMW M5, at close to three times the price, comes nearest to matching the real world combination of comfort for four with thrilling behind the wheel action.

Yet, accelerations not its strongest suit. Handling is. On the way to the racetrack Mitsubishi had rented out for our benefit (thank you), the event planners found some truly sensational rural backroads that truly tested the compact sedans fleet footedness. Ive never driven a car that can manage switchback corners with as much unflappable control as the MR. Porsche Turbo? Sure, amazing handling no doubt but not as toss-able at speed. Ferrari 550 Maranello? Fabulous, albeit ponderously heavy in comparison. No, the top-tier Mitsu is in a class of one when it comes to balanced cornering, improved over the base EVO by a 300 pound reduction of performance robbing weight.

How did the engineers accomplish this? The steel roof has given way to an aluminum one, plus extremely lightweight 17-inch BBS alloys complete the diet for a total curb weight of 3,085 pounds.

Theres more to its handling prowess than lightweight components, however, and it starts with a subtly revised suspension setup compared to the base EVO VIII, which includes MacPherson struts, coil springs, tube shocks and an anti-roll bar up front and a multilink setup with forged aluminum links, coil springs, tube shocks, and an anti-roll bar in the rear, also features specially calibrated Bilstein shocks to iron out the rough stuff at high velocities.

Mitsubishis race proven all-wheel drive system makes a significant difference too, especially in inclement weather conditions, enhanced by a helical limited slip front differential, now standard, and the Japanese brands innovative Active Center Differential (ACD).

Say what? You heard it right. To compensate for the inside wheels spinning slower than the outside wheels during a tight turn, the center diff disengages momentarily to allow less intrusion by the four-wheel drive system and therefore, greater traction. If you notice it happening then youre probably driving too slowly or know the car so well that such nuances become perceptible, but I couldnt tell when it engaged or disengaged. All I could tell was that it worked extremely well.

The EVO VIII MRs rack-and-pinion steering response is lightning-quick as well, due to its 2.1 turns lock to lock. Unfortunately this makes for a rather wide 38.7 foot turning radius, but high-speed stability is enhanced considerably which is an attribute thats more of what an EVO is all about. The steering is also wonderfully weighted, with direct, positive feedback at all speeds. The wheel itself is a joy to behold as well, fitting my palms and digits perfectly.

The new close ratio 6-speed shifter also fit my palm perfectly. The benefit of the added cog was made most apparent when running the base EVO around the same track. While I liked the feel of the 5-speed box a lot, the ability of the 6-speed transmission to keep the engine at optimal revs at all times made a giant difference while accelerating from all speeds.

On the closed road course I worked hard to learn the optimal race line, attempting to maximize track time by getting on and off the throttle, and on and off the brake pedal as smoothly as possible, while trying to maintain the ideal approach speed at each corner so as not to overcook the suspension and tires. Fortunately we were their, running around the track for hours, which gave me time enough to test the EVO VIII MRs parameters. To my surprise the scope of its threshold is extremely wide, allowing me to charge into a turn at a speed that would send most rivals plowing fields after leaving the track, or much worse, spinning towards the concrete barrier. Again the word balance comes to mind, with the EVO showing an uncanny ability to remain neutral under extreme pressure to squat at either end.

In technical terms the MR showed no tendency to understeer if driven in consideration of a few basic laws of inertia. I purposely drove it beyond what I felt a regular sports car could take and the EVO would just squirt out the other side of a curve like a jackrabbit bounds away from a bloodhound mid-chase.

One things for sure, that massive carbon-fiber rear wing isnt just for show and tell sessions. Its absolutely necessary to keep the tail planted at high speeds, especially during long sweeping corners. Thats where I felt a little uneasiness, which is only reasonable considering the cars weight, or lack thereof.

On tight, twisting asphalt, however, there are not many cars that can maintain the EVO VIII MRs high level of grip. How high? Name me another 4-door compact sedan that can manage 0.98 Gs on the 200 foot skidpad and at 70.8 mph through the 700 foot slalom? Exactly, you cant as there isnt one.

Lastly, the EVO is put together very well, with decent plastics quality and a fairly nice design layout. Its not going to win any awards for interior style or ergonomics, but to be fair everything that I needed was intuitively placed to be right at hand immediately when called upon - what more could I ask?