Whether it be mechanical issues with their vehicles or just lack of popularity and sales, Mitsubishi Motors has fought there way through rough times and still remains afloat in this dismal car market. On a lighter note, I would venture to guess that in the past few years Mitsubishi has pumped a larger amount of money into their R&D department because the newest lineup of cars has been drawing significant attention. The Lancer, being one of the most popular model Mitsubishis, has be completely redesigned and bolsters a very new-age aggressive look. The headlights running back along the quarter panels give the car a scorning demeanor accented by somewhat over sized, yet sporty, taillights. Those who are familiar with the heritage of the Lancer know that with the redesign of the DE model (base model) comes the redesign of the rally-street king itself, the Evolution X, and what an Evo it is!
This is the tenth installment of the Lancer Evolution model, as represented by the roman numeral X, and may quite possibly be the best ever. Staying true to its rally roots, the Evo X is powered by a 2.0 lt. turbocharged engine which meets the allotted max engine displacement, 2.0 lt., found in nearly all rally racing guidelines. As in previous models, the Evo X engine is still Mitsubishis famed MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and Electronic lift Control) engine but has been re-tuned to pump out 291bhp and an impressive 300 lbs. of torque. Somthing else that is noteworthy is the stock Brembo brakes, whose red color accents any of the exterior color options very well. As all of the past Evos, the power from the engine is delivered to all four wheels using Mitsubishis SAC (Super All-wheel Control) drivertrain system. The SAC system is a true masterpiece and has been put to the test time in and time out. It is the same system used in the rally edition Evos and has held up just fine in dealing with all the jumping, power sliding, and hard breaking found in racing rally circuits.
Externally, the Evo X is very well designed which leads you to believe that's where the majority of the R&D money was invested...and you're right. The interior of the car just screams "under-developed!" It isn't that all the fixings you would expect to have in any modern car are absent but that everything just looks like it was thrown together the night before production began. Of course you have your mp3 compatibility, 6-cd changer, MFD (multi-functional display), and a glimmering array of gauges but there is no real sense of refinement. Mostly everything you can touch is made of cheap plastic and the usability you get out of the MFD is that of a an iPod that only reads in French... Now taking a step back, one must put aside all of these little things and remember that this is a rally car, isn't it?
The overall comfort of the Evo Xs ride isnt anything short of annoying however you cant expect it to be the pillow-soft-ride of a Cadillac because in the end it is just a Japanese tuner car. Along with the stiff, bouncy ride comes fantastic handling accompanied by the AWD system. Some critics speculate that the Evo IX may have actually ran the ski pad faster however the handling of the X is sufficient enough for the track. Now in reference to the track, the Evo X already has a bundle of aftermarket parts availble to help get a little more juice out of the already powerful MIVEC engine. Many after market tuning comapnies, such as GReddy and HKS to name two major ones, have researched and tested quality bolt on after market parts that will bring out the inner beast the Evo X has to offer. Not only are the supply of parts endless, the labor and parts themselves are relatively cheap. The GSR model prices out at around $34,000, which given the overall performance, seating capacity, and four doors appeals to more than just the younger crowd. Overall, the Mitsubishi Evolution X is a fantastic bang-for-your-buck, track-ready tuner with all of the endurance and durability of a rally racer infused with street car poise!
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