For one week Car Showroom lived the dream and were left gob-smacked by our latest encounter with what is unquestionably a supercar.
It’s a technological tour-de-force which proves beyond a shadow of doubt that Mitsubishi’s engineering competence can be benchmarked with the world’s best.
At the heart of the latest EVO is an all-new cast-aluminium 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that develops more power (now 217kW at 6500 rpm) and torque (366Nm at 3500 rpm) but is smaller, lighter and stronger than the previous powerplant.
This is the first engine change since the Lancer EVO first appeared some 16 years ago.
Also new is Mitsubishi’s first twin-clutch sports transmission, an automated manual delivering unbelievably fast gear changes that ensure the drivertrain is operating a peak efficiency. It has three modes – normal, sport and S-sport – the latter recommended only for competition use. A conventional five-speed manual transmission is still available.
The all-wheel-drive system incorporating an active centre differential has also been improved and comes with three traction modes – tarmac, gravel and snow.
There’s Brembo 18-inch and 17-inch brakes , BBS alloy wheels and Eibach dampers to complete an all-round high performance technology story.
Inside are firm Recaro sports seats, a sports steering wheel with paddle shifters for the gear change and a premium Rockford Fosgate sound system with satellite navigation.
It all adds-up to a racer for the road that is both captivating and a little frustrating. For example in the daily commute in traffic-snarled Melbourne, the harshness of take-offs in first gear with the twin-clutch gearbox could become tiresome if it was an everyday event.
But that is offset by performance, acceleration and handling which for us is probably the best we have experienced (in mass-produced cars).
The Lancer EVO is more than the leader of the lancer family, it is the halo car for the Mitsubishi brand.
