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I got my first look at the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, and saw a huge improvement over the previous version. I couldn’t wait to see what had been done for the Lancer Evolution — or Evo as it’s called for short.
I got to find out in early January as Mitsubishi brought a group of journalists to Arizona for track testing on the road race course at Phoenix Firebird Raceway. I had driven the first generation Evo on that same course — as well as some other vehicles — so there was a true basis of comparison.
My driving partner for the event, which included on-road street and freeway driving as well as a timed handling course, was the legendary Sue Mead. Sue, who was recently inducted into the Off-Road Hall of Fame, is one of the most skilled drivers I know and one of my favorite driving partners. She took the honors for the best time on the handling course that day — in spite of the rain.
Walkaround: Mitsubishi scrapped the previous Lancer’s design for 2008, opting for the aggressive styling of the automaker’s Concept-X auto show car. This Lancer has a 1.3-inch longer wheelbase, is 2.7 inches wider, and 2.3-inches wider front and rear. It’s also slightly higher and about a half-inch shorter. It has what Mitsubishi terms a “shark-nosed” front end, wedge-like profile and crisper, more refined lines than previously, including a sloping hood with integral air scoop, functional engine heat outlets, along with boxed fenders, 18-inch wheels, and its signature rear wing.
Interior: The Evo is offered in two trim levels — the well-equipped base-level GSR, and the hot rod MR. The interior offers Recaro bucket seats that keep occupants comfortably, yet firmly, in place. Rear seats are marked improvements, and prudent interior packaging adds two inches to front seat hiproom and almost twice that in the rear.
Instrumentation includes a large, circular tachometer and speedometer flanking a digital, LCD-based information center. The most basic functions — fan, temperature, mode, radio volume and tuning, work from relatively large, rotating knobs centered on the stack. Buttons and rocker switches used to access the available NAV/information system screen have a nice feel, and moving a joystick in the lower right-hand corner highlights the desired function. Pressing it accesses that function. While some of the information is more entertaining than useful, its ease of use is better than most.
Standard Evo features include a 140-watt, six-speaker, AM/FM/CD system with MP3 capability, leather wrapped, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, A/C, one-touch power windows, power mirrors, and door locks with remote. There’s also an anti-theft system with engine immobilizer, plus fog lights, dual-stage front airbags with front occupant sensors, side curtain and driver’s knee airbags, and front seat-mounted side impact airbags.
Options include more creature comforts and technology than ever, including a 30-GB hard drive, navigation system with a 7.5-inch touch-screen with music server function, SIRIUS Satellite radio, Bluetooth cell phone interface, steering wheel audio controls, automatic climate control system, and Mitsubishi’s FAST Key entry system, not to mention an available, kick-ass, 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate audio system.
Under The Hood: The Evo is powered by a DOHC MIVEC 2.0-liter, inline 4-cylinder, that’s intercooled, turbocharged and delivers 291 horses at 6.500 rpm, with 300 pound feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
It’s mated with a standard 5-speed stick in the GSR and a 6-speed Twin-Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) on the MR, complete with magnesium shifting paddles. Both are All-Wheel Drive (AWD) with Mitsubishi’s Active Center Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC) rear differential, Active Stability Control (ASC) and ABS brakes. The engine and transmission are warranted for 10 years, or 100,000 miles.
Behind The Wheel: Acceleration on both versions of the new AWD Lancer Evo is simply stunning. It clings to the road like a cat, and its rigid platform and tuned suspension, utilizing Bilstein Shocks and Elibach springs, deliver precise handling, a supurb feel, and a surprisingly comfortable highway ride.
On the road race course — even after a drizzling rain — I was able to back it down from about 100 mph on a straightway to around 70, making a sharp left-hand 90 degree turn with little more than screaming tires. The AWD Evo MR refused to brake loose coming into in a sharp, wide-sweeping left-hand corner at 80+ mph, that was seemingly intended for a 4-wheel drift. Hitting the paddle shifters and accelerating out of it, straightened the Evo with rocket-like propulsion into the immediate right hand sweep.
The brake pedal has a nice linear feel, and thanks to four-wheel discs with two-piece rotors, stopping distances are short.
On the highway, the Evo was surprisingly quiet and comfortable, but not nearly as much as the more refined Lancer GTS, which was also available for us to test drive.
Whines: Thick windshield pillars partially block vision when taking corners, but visibility is reasonably good from the driver’s seat. The rear spoiler fills the rearview mirror and can be a distraction — until you learn to look between it and the trunk lid. I found the driver’s door armrest and padded front center console a bit too low to comfortably support my elbows, but that may have been more about how high I had the seat adjusted than anything else.
Bottom Line: The new, 2008 AWD Lancer Evo is a genuine Japanese hot rod that handles as well under extreme conditions as almost anything I’ve ever driven — and it’s fast as hell. Good looking, comfortable, and practical, it’s competitively priced against its closest competition, but the main drawback is comparable resale value against better-known Japanese rivals — but then, with a cer that’s tis much fun to drive, why would you want to sell it?
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