Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Review & Road Test

Pure weapons grade adrenalin

Model Tested:

• 2008 Mitsubishi CJ Lancer Evolution X sedan 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo five speed manual - $59,490 (RRP)

Every so often I’m lucky enough to encounter a car that manages to turn me in to a stammering, over excited mess before I’ve even had the chance of a drive. More often than not though, the results aren’t worth the hype and I’m left feeling empty and wanting, waiting for the next one to come along – not this time

Mitsubishi’s tenth generation Evo is pure weapons grade adrenalin muscularly forged over obdurate eighteen inch alloys. Inarguably the best value for money performance car on the Aussie market and having driven Subaru’s reticent WRX STi and Volkswagen’s righteous R32 Golf it’s clear that I’ve left the best ‘til last.

From the rapaciously predatory front end with ducted bonnet vents and front mount intercooler proudly hinting at the performance potential underneath, to the insatiably aggressive lines stemming from the vents of Lancer’s electrifying side profile or that corpulently upright backside with dual exhausts and diffusers underneath, every angle’s an absolute charm and only further enhances the overall experience to give the Evo a palpable performance edge, even before the ignition’s turned on.

But while looking fast at standstill is probably enough for those with a weak ticker, standing around gawking at it is a job best left to those still in school uniform or “yes dear” husbands with their wedding tackle under lock and key. For me? I’m heading for the hills, G-Tech in hand to see if the new Evo is indeed all it’s cracked up to be.

The first thing you notice when driving the Evo, aside from the roman numerals now missing from the badge, is just how placid and docile it can be when poking around town. Its purpose is certainly evident, and little prods of the throttle will make that immediately and abundantly clear, but should you need to keep it on the chain it’s very easily done.

But to not unleash the Evo would be like pulling back a slingshot and not breaking a window, it has to be done, and what better place to do it than snaking through Victoria’s magnificent high country where high hills and hairy hairpins, crisp crests and free flowing corners beckon a more liberated driving style worthy of such an exhilarating machine.

A light and ultra responsive all-new, all-aluminium 4B11 2.0 litre turbo charged MIVEC four cylinder engine with an intense 217kW @ 6,500rpm and indomitable 366Nm @ 3,500rpm pulls hard from mid tach with a feverish metallic howl which when kept north of four and a half grand is positively prodigious. There’s also a sweet, willing induction note and undeniable turbo whistle to keep your ears involved, even if the exhaust note is a might subtle.

The variable valve timing, now on the inlet and exhaust valves, can be felt again and again as you surge seamlessly through each of the direct shifting close ratio gears before reaching crescendo just south of the 7,600rpm rev limiter for that final dive back down the cogs under brakes.