Category of blogs from DrivingEnthusiast.net covering the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, focusing on the all-new Evolution X.
Also news of other Mitsubishi performance cars.
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Be sure to see our site Evo.DrivingEnthusiast.net for complete information.
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.
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.
Edmunds.com has untaken a test of the GT-R versus several other cars, both on the Streets of Willow Springs and on back roads outside of Los Angeles. This is a very valid test, because this is exactly what driving enthusiasts do with their cars - take them to the track on some weekends, and alternately drive them hard and fast on back roads on other weekends. Cars like this would rarely get a rest... that is their fate in life.
The comparees are the 2008 Audi R8, 2008 Lotus Elise SC, 2008 Porsche 911, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR and 2008 Subaru WRX STI. Dodge and Chevrolet declined to participate so that their cars wouldn't have to go up against the GT-R. A Racelogic VBOX was used to gather the test results.
The overall test, as you might expect, was won by the 2009 Nissan GT-R ($75,925 US) with a track time of 1:25.68.
2nd place in both tests was taken by the Audi R8 ($134,545 US) with a track time of 1:26.92.
3rd place will surprise you : the 2008 Evo MR ($38,940) won third in both tests, with a track lap of 1:29.02. And note that's the MR edition, with the TC-SST transmission, Bilsteins, and Eibachs. Above the standard Brembos, Recaros, and torque-proportioning rear diff.
4th place will also surprise you: the 911 Carerra ($85,765 )with a track time of 1:29.25.
The Lotus SC was next @ 1:29.49, followed by the STI @ 1:30.05.
Don't go to a Posche Club of America event with the MR - those snobs will all hate you when you pass them in the middle of turns. Or if you do go, mark "not sure" on your application form where they ask you what you will be driving. Ye olde 911 is a car that's happy to rotate, but at the wrong place in the turn. Perhaps Porsche will put the engine in the right place someday, but then that's what the Boxster and Cayman are for. While the 2009 model year's direct injection and dual-clutch tranny will undoubtedly make up the .23 seconds difference, that fact that there isn't already an enormous gap between the 911 and the Evo is very telling.
The GT-R remains the ultimate track day vehicle, as long as you're willing to spend in the $70-80k range. And assuming you can even get one at list from the dealer - which for the first year will probably be impossible.
The STI continues to dissappoint. It badly needs an automated dual-clutch manual (which is two years off, according to Subaru) and a torque-proportioning differential (no word yet, but it's an expensive peice of work to develop).
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.
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.
Announced last year with the "entry-level" GSR, it's production for the North American market has been delayed by a long tuning process and by partner Getrag's issues with ramping up production for the new transmissions. Nonetheless, it has been in production for the Japan domestic market all along, and it's been tested extensively and reported to be absolutely phonomenal, with it's TC-SST uncannily shifting perfectly for any and all conditions - road or track.
The MR is loaded with technology, focusing on it's dual-clutch automated manual transmission and continuing to it's long list of equipment sourced from some of the most famous parts companies in the world: Getrag, BBS, Recaro, Brembo, Bilstein, and Eibach.
Rumors of the TC-SST running hot in track conditions have not been proven or disproven. I've been studying the dealer training manuals and repair manuals for the new transmisison and I've found that's equipped with an external air-to-oil cooler (the transmission has an internal pump) as well as a filter. It looks to me like an even bigger cooler could be added for track use, and that the fittings present for the existing cooler and could be reused. It'd be easy to plumb in a larger cooler, as well as a switch-operated cooling fan to force more cooling when airflow is low or when the vehicle is parked. Just as several aftermarket companies are offering an engine oil cooler for th eleft-hand driving light opening, I see a TC-SST cooler in the right-hand opening. For extreme track use, these types of coolers are the usual fare, and offer the added benefit of engine and drivetrain longevity. There is usually one added for the rear differential as well on professional race cars, and I see that this could easily be done as well, although the torque-proportioning rear diff uses two types of fluid (diff and clutch).
Keep in mind, too, that the HKS Kansai Service Evo X already features a TC-SST transmisison, with engine components making another 100 HP: (per my earlier post)http://www.drivingenthusiast.net/sec-blog/categories/evo/2008/03/30.html#a2348 - it'll be a while before these HKS tuning components reach our North American market (per our slightly different state of tune), but it will happen.
Mitsubishi Motors Prepares For June Arrival Of Lancer Evolution MR
Advanced MR Offers More Technology than Traditional Entry-Level GSR Model
CYPRESS, CA, May 21, 2008 --
On the heels of the successful introduction of the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR, Mitsubishi Motors announces the availability of the more technologically-advanced 2008 Lancer Evolution MR, the newest and most sophisticated version of the model series that began 16 years ago.
Shown coming off the production line in Japan, the Lancer Evolution MR arrives at showrooms in the U.S. in June and is available for a suggested retail price of $38,290. The MR features more user technology and a broader market appeal than the entry level GSR, including an advanced 6-speed Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission.
The Lancer Evolution MR is available with an optional technology package for $40,840 that includes a 30GB hard drive navigation system with music server, 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate Premium Sound System, pre-paid Sirius Satellite Radio capability and FAST Key entry, which allows passive vehicle unlocking and engine start/stop simply by carrying the remote control and grasping the handle.
Since its introduction earlier this year, the tenth-generation 2008 Lancer Evolution GSR has met positive reactions across the industry for maintaining a balance of core performance values and improved all-around capability and user-technology:
·"Like every previous Lancer Evolution, the Evo X redeems its various idiosyncrasies with a fantastic engine and drivetrain." -- Automobile
·"The car is impressive, not only for the gains in performance and handling, but also the subtle transformation from hardcore rally racer to high performance all-wheel-drive sports sedan." - AutoWeek
·"The Evo X drives like nothing else in the world." -- Car and Driver
·"Mitsubishi has strengthened the Evo's slick-shifting five-speed manual for the tuner crowd. Shifter is nearly perfect." -- Edmunds Inside Line
·"Whether manual tabbed or left in auto, S-Sport gear changes are brutally quick with the kind of shift violence seen only in Italian exotics." -- MotorTrend
·"Is the new EVO better than before? -- The answer is a resounding 'yes.'" -- MSN Autos
·"Bottom line: It's drive-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, four-wheel fun." -- Popular Mechanics
·"The new Lancer Evolution is no longer just for weekend boy racers; it has evolved into a complete sports sedan, one with enough of a wild side to thrill anyone." -- Road & Track
"The introduction of the 2008 Lancer Evolution MR with TC-SST gives us an opportunity to expand upon the existing Evolution customer base," said Dan Kuhnert, executive vice president of sales and marketing for MMNA. "The added capability and functionality of the new Lancer Evolution vehicles make them a more viable option for everyday driving, while maintaining the rally-inspired heritage that has made the series a global performance car icon."
Both 2008 Lancer Evolution models will be on display at the 2008 Mitsubishi Owner's Day taking place in Cypress, CA on July 19, 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.
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.
Edmunds.com has untaken a test of the GT-R versus several other cars, both on the Streets of Willow Springs and on back roads outside of Los Angeles. This is a very valid test, because this is exactly what driving enthusiasts do with their cars - take them to the track on some weekends, and alternately drive them hard and fast on back roads on other weekends. Cars like this would rarely get a rest... that is their fate in life.
