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Archive for category Evo
2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution SE
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Evo on July 17, 2010
We haven’t heard very much from the enthusiast side of Mitsubishi over the past year, and that’s no surprise given that the company is barely hanging on during the economic downturn. Just watching the traffic on the lot of our local dealer gives us an idea of the pain they are facing. How many Evo Xs have you seen on the road? And more importantly, how many Outlanders and how many Galants? And do you expect the most creative piece of work that is coming to North America, the i-MiEV, to actually save the company? We had all better hope so, because that’s where the engineering focus and the hopes of the company are riding. On an electric micro-car, in a country where regular gas is $2.50 at the peak of the summer.
But back to the Evo. Mitsubishi now offers an SE version of the Evo, which is nothing more than jiggling around the options – all that Mitsubishi can afford. Sad.
The additional functional options that were promised in the early concept and press previews of the Evo, such as an active suspension, were lost in the downturn. The evolutionary (excuse the pun) next step for this engine, a desperately needed direct injection system, apparently has also been lost. Ditto for any kind of evolution of the SST transmission, which is brilliantly tuned but flawed in execution. A 7-speed version of it from supplier Borg-Warner sits on the shelf… and we may never see it.
Worse, the environmentalists have apparently taken over Mitsubishi back in Japan, and have gotten on the same bandwagon as the rest of the country where everything, absolutely everything, has to be a hybrid or beyond. There’s talk in the hallways already of a hybrid Evo XI. Imagine a 4200 pound Evo because of the battery pack in the trunk. OMG.
So enjoy the current Evo while you can… because unless Mitsubishi creates more appealing mainstream products to carry the brand, we won’t see the Evo evolve.
More reading on this site:
- Mitsubishi Evo blog: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/?cat=33
- Mitsubishi Evo blog RSS feed: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/?feed=rss2&cat=33
- Mitsubishi Evo section, with Evo history and imagery: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-evo/index.html - or – EvoXenthusiast: http://www.EvoXenthusiast.com/
Mitsubishi of Australia Evo Ad
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Auto Industry Advertising, Evo on January 23, 2010
What else are the Australians doing down under? Remember that the Mitsubishi Evo is enormously popular in Australia, and the Evo vs. STI battle is still going full swing.
Follow Mitsubishi of Australia on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MitsubishiMotorsAu
Here’s the latest Evo ad run by Mitsubishi of Australia:
Evo disaster from hailstorm in Austin TX
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Evo on March 26, 2009
Central Texas, including the city of Austin and the surrounding suburbs, was hit by a sudden and massive hailstorm late in the day Wednesday the 25th. Thousands of cars were damaged across this broad area, particularly in parking lots and car dealers. One such dealer is the local Mitsubishi dealer, which after the storm looked like ground zero after an airburst. A nice line of Evos and a Ralliart parked in front were all but destroyed: aluminum roofs, hoods, and front fenders were all trashed. Steel fenders and trunklids all dented. Windows were blown out. Some of the optional add-on aero trim was laying on the ground. One of our favorites, that we’d had our eye on, is pictured below.
It appeared to us that everything else in the dealer’s lot was also in bad shape: from what we could see across the lot nearly all the Eclipses had lost their big rear windows.
The Lincoln Mercury dealer next door didn’t escape either – but it does appear that they managed to get some cars under cover before the storm hit. An Audi dealer a mile away reported in the Austin paper that 150 cars parked on it’s lot were all damaged to varying degrees. The Saab dealer right next door wasn’t interviewed… but given GM’s problems and Saab’s bankruptcy this may end up as a blessing in disguise for them. A friend who works nearby had her Miata racecar peppered. On our way to dinner afterwards we say many cars damaged, and one even run off the road into a tree. A nice looking Lincoln LS had been pulled under the roof of a shopping plaza store to protect it.
The hail itself ranged in size from the size of a quarter, to the size of a baseball. This is a common occurrence in the spring in Central Texas… and there is nothing that can be done about it.
Some folks have joked that this might be a golden opportunity to get some carbon fiber body pieces, but in reality those might not be covered in the next storm and insurance rates will continue to raise if you file a claim for anything at all. It’s tough to be a car enthusiast in these circumstances.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X – factory training videos available
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Evo on August 29, 2008
Evo X enthusiasts have found copies of these videos out on YouTube. Now, Evo.DrivingEnthusiast.net offers them in their original form, unadulterated. Plus, they’re converted to .avi so that you can watch them on your PC or stream them to your HDTV.
These are *very* large in size… probably too large to stream off the server. We suggest you <right click> and download via <save target as> for later viewing.
Dont forget the 2009 Lancer Ralliart
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Evo on June 10, 2008
In our rush to talk all about the extensive new features of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, most of us have forgotten that Mitsubishi has also announced the new Lancer Ralliart. The Ralliart is a detuned Evo X, with a much simpler all-wheel drive (not from the Evo IX, as the press over-simplifies), no fender flares, smaller tires and wheels, smaller brakes, and much less HP and torque. You might compare it to the Subaru WRX in the marketplace, but it’s actually far more sophisticated than that car.
On our companion site EvoXenthusiast.com, we’ve added a series of pictures and the 1 press release that Mitsubishi has provided so far. We’ve also got a very high-res picture of the engine compartment, and it’s interesting to note the relocated airbox (much smaller) and the battery under the hood instead of the trunk (since the Ralliart doesn’t share the same floorpan as the Evo, and also so that it can be offered in hatchback form one day).
Expect a lot more detail from Mitsubishi soon, as it goes on sale in a few months.
Follow the link EvoXenthusiast.com for the full set of pictures of the Ralliart, along with extensive imagery and detailed information on all Evos right from the start. Currently, the site has 194 megs of JPGs and several hundred web pages.
Low res pictures follow:
Ralliart engine compartment
This will be a popular car with tuners, who will leverage Evo knowledge to unlock hidden horsepower.
How about the unusual new color?
Looks like an Evo inside! The Recaros are optional and the sophisticated TC -SST (minus the Super Sport mode) is the only tranny available.
Evo X: increasing boost via the wastegate
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Evo on June 7, 2008
Looking thru various sites for information on preparing an Evo X for track use (HPDE, open track events, etc), I’ve come across lots of information on the importance of straightening out the factory tune for the car. From the factory, the tune is less than optimum - more concerned with longevity, emissions, and mileage than ultimate power.
In terms of modifications, only a little can effectively be improved on this engine without re-mapping. Intake and exhaust mods are proving to be less than optimum without a proper remapping… and all the major Evo vendors have this or are working on it. Yes, even for the TC-SST equipped cars: http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/categories/evo/2008/03/30.html#a2348 which is already a cost-effective hot ticket for the track ( http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/2008/06/07.html#a2420 ). As more is learned about tuning the engine and tranny computers, the MR will be a giant killer.
One question that needs to be looked at when modifying a factory turbocharged car is the wastegate. Is it adjustable, can the diaphragm handle extra pressure? In the case of the Exo X, the answer is no straightforward. The following two images are from the Evo X shop manual – note the warning about damage. The following slides warns about adjusting the factory wastegate actuator.
Part of the answer may well be that the actuator assembly is locked to prevent over-boosting on the factory tune. But even then it’s range of adjustability is narrow.
Two answers here:
1) Replace the factory wastegate. The following is a new wastegate offered by JUN in Japan. It’s adjustable across a wider range. More details here: http://www.junauto.co.jp/products/exhaust-part/turbo-actuator/index.html?en (suggest <right click> and <open in new tab>).
2) Fool the factory wastegate into believing it hasn’t yet reached maximum. This is an old trick, one that many of us did in the old days of turbo tuning (I can report I did this to two of my factory-turbocharged Mustangs). The following valve is offered by AMSPerformance, as installed on the Evo X of gates311.com (suggest <right click> and <open in new tab>).
So while the question of the wastegate actuator is one tiny part of the entire equation, a remapping is absolutely necessary to acheive any major results. And once the engine questions are out of the way, serious suspension tuning can take place.
The gates311.com site is the only one I’m aware of that is documenting the preparation of an Evo X for track use. It’s not updated often enough for eager trackers like myself… but it is well worth following.
Britain gets a new FQ-360 Evo X
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Evo on May 22, 2008
If you don’t know what “FQ” stands for, you’ve been off the planet over the past few years. Mitsubishi of Britain has built their special line of “FQ” Evos for several years now, culminating in an “FQ-450″ model in the Evo IX. If you haven’t figured it out by now, “FQ” stands for “F***ing Quick” and the number is the horsepower.
With all-wheel drive, excellent handling, and the traction to actually put down the power in all sorts of conditions – the car is indeed “FQ” and qualifies as a true supercar. 0-60 in as little as the high 3-second range in the higher-end FQs.
Built by Mitsubishi of Britain (with partner HKS), with full warranty by Mitsubishi of Britain. Yes, a modified Evo with a factory warranty. Presumably somebody would even finance it for you!
And now, based on the Evo X, the new FQ-360:
The engine makes 354 brake HP, and 364 lb-ft of torque.The car is only available (for now) with the base 5-speed manual, although Mitsubishi of Britain is testing the TC-SST dual-clutch 6-speed automated manual. That being an all-new gearbox, more experience with it is needed before a production model can be offered, although HKS is already modyifying them in Japan (accounting for the necessary remapping of the TC-SST computer as well). So while the 5-speed is murder for any kind of highway travel, the TC-SST box would resolve that questions and provide several more benefits as well.
Drivers Republic http://www.drivers-republic.com/ has a full report on the new FQ-360, based on the Evo X, here: Drivers Republich article Suggest: <right-click and Open in New Tab>.
Garage419: Evo vs STI – Part 2
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in Evo on April 26, 2008
Garage 419 brings us Part 2 of their dyno comparison between the STI and Evo. In this episode, the STI gets modified, while the Evo remains stock.
Motor Trend compares the 135i to the Evo X MR
Posted by DrivingEnthusiast in BMW, Evo on April 13, 2008
This is a controversial comparison and choice of winner – and it again demonstrates that it all boils down to what you plan to do with the car. The 135i is a better car for the street… and the EVO MR’s lap times blow away the BMW on the racetrack. I know what I need to do… so my own choice would be for the Evo.
Continue via the link in the title of the post above.
