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Sanctifier Zorce Moderator
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 1794 Location: Good question!
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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:40 am Post subject: Evolution X MR Road Test - AutoSpeed |
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Unfortunately, it's not always "Brilliant as usual" in EvoLand!
Julian Edgar - AutoSpeed wrote: |
The road is sinuous – and tight.
Bound on one side by a cliff and the other side by a guard rail, this stretch of bitumen is now largely disused. If you look right, the replacement freeway looms large - but there’s no time to look anywhere but the road. Your ears are filled with the howling of the engine, an aural accompaniment to the thrust of the active four wheel drive system hurling you forward.
The steering – the best aspect of the car, almost beyond reproach – is intuitive and tactile, and the twin clutch trans, configured now in Super Sport mode, is using every trick in its extensive repertoire. There’s automatic throttle blipping on down-changes and a map that keeps the engine at stratospheric revs all the time – but never lets the needle actually touch the rev cut. No one could drive a manual transmission like this and no traditional auto would be so precise and definite.
You turn-in and nail it, feeling the car yawing just fractionally as the torque split changes both longitudinally and laterally across the back wheels. Then the tyres grip and you’re simply flung out of the bend. But at the next corner you enter just a bit hard and things start getting ragged. In far faster time than it takes to say it, there’s a smidgin of understeer and then some throttle-lift oversteer – but almost before you can register the behaviours, the stability control has settled the car and it’s time to again simply push your foot right down and let the next corner telescope towards you.
Very few cars - and none we’ve driven in this price range – are as fast in these conditions, the Mitsubishi Evolution simply monstering this difficult road.
Same car, different place.
It’s a typical suburban main road, the two lanes heading each way separated by only an indented median strip through which you’re turning across the lines of oncoming cars. The radio is playing, the traffic is dense – but thankfully approaching in short, separated groups – and all you feel like doing is getting home to get out of work clothes and relax.
A gap appears and you judge its length. But hey, there’s no problem – after all, this is a turbo intercooled DOHC MIVEC Evo with Twin Clutch Sports Shift transmission system said to be the envy of the world. You mash your foot to the floor and the car starts forward.
But then there’s a slight hesitation as the trans – lacking a torque converter to give you that initial jump – lets the engine revs rise before fully engaging the clutch. Your nose is now on the wrong side of the road and the traffic’s bearing down on you. Further time passes – it feels like an eternity but it’s perhaps a quarter of a second – and then the revs rise and the electronics suddenly makes the decision: it’s time to go.
But the large turbo, working with only a 2 litre engine, has still to spin up, develop boost – and then the engine has to propel forwards a car weighing over 1.6 tonnes. This time, the process takes as long as it does to read the sentence: eyes widening, the side glass filled with headlights and windscreens, you suddenly and involuntarily gasp out loud: “Christ come on!”
Then boost finally arrives and you scurry out from under the very noses of the oncoming cars, swearing to never, ever try that trick again.
It's something an automatic V6 Commodore would have done with contemptuous ease.
As an all-round road car, the Lancer Evolution (usually called the Evo X) is severely flawed. It can do some things brilliantly, but at other aspects it is terrible.
The steering is perhaps the best steering of any car I have ever driven. It has a ratio to die for: direct but never nervous; weight that is always perfect; and feel that lets you sense road and grip nuances while (almost) never tramlining. The Brembo brakes – apparently on the Mitsubishi press car fitted with non-standard pads – squeal and squeak in urban conditions, but when required to haul off speed, do so with nonchalant ease, accompanied by a pedal pressure and travel that never varies. After driving hard down a steep and winding country road, I pulled into a drive-through and opened the window to make my order - only by the smell could I then tell how much work those mighty brakes had been doing.
At half throttle in urban conditions, the driveline works beautifully. The engines revs rise and snap-snap-snap, the gearbox changes upwards. It’s not the slurring change of an epicylic auto; instead it’s like the quickest manual gearbox change you ever felt. Impressive? You betcha. But it is only in those conditions that the Normal setting on the trans control is really good. At slow speeds - say in just-moving traffic – there’s a perceptible jerk every time you get on and off the throttle. In heavy traffic, a conventional auto trans just kills the new tech trans.
And when you put your foot down, there can be that agonising delay. The pause varies in length but in one situation I could actually count aloud ‘one, two, three’ before there was decent acceleration – despite the accelerator pedal being floored. That was a rolling start after I’d slowed behind a truck turning off a country road.
Left in Normal mode, the Evo is almost undriveable in a sporty manner – the combination of trans lag and turbo lag mean you’ll miss every apex by many, many metres. In terms of response, a well-mapped standard auto – especially one in a current Honda – would walk all over the Evo.
But of course you don’t need to leave the trans in Normal. Instead there’s Sport mode, available a pusbutton press away. But I didn’t think much of Sport mode either. Revs are kept higher and the trans changes with greater shift-shock – but the engine can still easily fall off boost from corner to corner.
And that brings us to the engine. For a new engine with a technological list of features as long as your arm, the engine drives poorly. Useable boost really only occurs from about 2800 rpm and peak torque is at a high 3500 rpm; to put this another way, you need to be above 3000 rpm to have throttle response that isn’t well below average. With a redline of 7000 rpm, the performance rev range isn’t bad – but by the same token, neither is it anything special. Simply, the turbo feels far too big for the engine.
The part-throttle mapping of the boost control is also poor. An example? At around 2500 rpm and say one-third throttle, the driver will find themselves having to lift off as boost arrives – a characteristic that makes keeping station in urban traffic difficult. It’s a trait now banished in most turbo cars.
Without a torque converter to cover the hole in throttle response generated by the over-large turbo, and with the non-linear ‘swelling’ boost curve, response and driveability below 3000 rpm are poor.
And that brings us back to Super Sport mode. To engage this mode, the car must be stopped and the button pressed for four seconds. (This is not a mode than can be easily selected when you see some corners coming up.) In this mode the trans keeps revs high – really, really high! Like, the revs might drop below 5000 rpm occasionally, but not by much! Drive in this mode and the transmission changes at the redline, the six ratios keeping the engine and turbo constantly on the boil. So yes, that’s when you (finally!) get really quick and strong throttle response, and can start using that wonderful steering and those awesome brakes.
So it’s either Super Sports mode - or have a car that in anything but very conservative driving, is doughy and unresponsive. And really, who can drive around in Super Sports mode, the engine screaming its head off the whole time?
The Lancer Evo simply can’t do the things a well-rounded, high performance sporting road car should be able to. We timed it to 100 km/h – left in Standard mode and just nailed off the line – and it took an amazingly slow (well, slow for a car of this apparent calibre) 6.5 seconds. (Sure, use the [not disclosed but apparently present] launch mode and no doubt you’d be much faster. But just nailed off a set of traffic lights, the time is in the mid sixes....)
But then, with 217kW and 1625kg, perhaps that acceleration is not all that surprising - do the kW/kg calculation and the Evo is simply nothing special in terms of its power/weight ratio.
Fuel consumption suggests a car with a poor aerodynamic drag coefficient, high mass and hard working engine with an overly large turbo. The absolute best you’ll see on a country cruise is 10 litres/100km, and it’s easy to be around 14-15 litres in city conditions. Start driving it even moderately hard and that becomes 18-19 litres/100km. As someone who samples the car on a regular basis said to us: “Three hundred kays and then you’re filling it up again with ninety-eight...”
Other bad points? The lack of a fold-down rear seat, a pitifully small boot – literally tighter than many small hatchbacks – and no spare wheel at all (that’s right – none, just a puncture repair kit) make touring in the Evo pretty well an impossibility.
The Recaro seats – magnificent for comfort and support – are placed low and have no height adjustment. Small people simply won’t feel happy with their limited vision. The colour LCD unit protrudes from the dash and looks all the world like an aftermarket unit that has been shoe-horned into place.
And apart from the seats, gear lever and the LCD torque split gauge (the latter able to be brought up on the instrument display), nothing in the cabin looks befitting a car of this AUD$71,690 expense.
On the other hand, the ride is much better than you might expect. There’s plenty of impact harshness from the Dunlop 245/40 tyres but the actual spring and damper rates are quite benign, and the suspension travel is excellent.
It’s easy to be enormously impressed by the Evo. Set in Super Sports mode and caned around a tight road – or track – and all you can do is say in admiration... wow!
And make no mistake, it’s an exclamation that’s utterly deserved.
But as a sporting car to drive in normal road conditions, it’s a poor machine. At minimum the turbo should be smaller and the trans needs refinement. But even then, you’d still be carting around a helluva lot of kilograms – so perhaps it needs the bigger 2.4 litre engine as well.
With this car, Mitsubishi has lost its way. And that’s from someone who says the Lancer Evo VII is his number one pick for a sporting road sedan... |
Link--> Evolution X MR Road Test - AutoSpeed.
AutoSpeed's $0.02¢
Sanctifier wrote: | It looks like my suspicions about the Evo X's extra weight seem to be justified.
Sad to see the iconic Evolution brand watered down to such a mundane level... | My $0.02¢ _________________ Walk softly... and carry a BIG stick! |
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Sanctifier Zorce Moderator
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 1794 Location: Good question!
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Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Unfortunately for all its fans, the iconic "Evolution" is going from tragic...to pathetic.
The mighty 4WD "Evo" derived from a simple FWD Jap "econo-box," has evolved from a multiple WRC winner...into a very good competition car in most divisions of motor sport...rallying / racing / autocross / drag racing...you name it.
Sadly their recent financial troubles, mean that the bean-counters now call the shots at Mitsubishi. WRC ingenuity and innovation has been diluted into the "GT Touring experience" for the "well-heeled" wannabe/neverbe racer...and now morphed into "Green engineering" for the "environmentally conscious."
This might sell more cars...for now...but there is a price. Trading on "the old glory days" to boost the financial bottom line has taken the "competition scalpel" that fans loved...and has left in its place a "chubby, executive cruiser" with no direct lineage to the "real McCoy."
Yup, tuner shops will continue to gut, re-engineer and massage the Evo X and its successors into something resembling REAL Evo performance...but the build-costs keep getting bigger and bigger to overcome the ever increasing weight penalty that the newer "Evos(?)" have to overcome.
When a sports saloon "evolves" from a sleek 2,600 lb. pocket rocket into a 4,000 lb. lard bucket, draped with a ton of electronic gizmos just to help it to get around corners in order to try to be competitive...then something is very wrong with Mitsubishi's focus IMHO.
Sanctifier wrote: | The day of the "EVOLUTION" has passed. Long live the “Evo GT Cruiser”...God help us! |
When (If?) Mitsubishi ever returns to true international competition, it may well be with a car that's half the size of the current "tourist bus" and with a new model name to attract the attention of future fans. After bastardizing the “Evo” name so much they may have no other choice.
Here’s hoping for better days…and a better driver's car.
My $0.02¢ _________________ Walk softly... and carry a BIG stick!
Last edited by Sanctifier on Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Red Dawg Zorce Director at large
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 412 Location: Tazmania
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Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 10:42 am Post subject: |
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OOOH
My eyes
Too much reading
Too much reading _________________ Livng life one day at a time
Doggy Style |
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Sanctifier Zorce Moderator
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 1794 Location: Good question!
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Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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^ ^ ^ It's a Road Test, dawg...And Road Tests do have a lot of words in them.
Oye, poor dawg. Just go back and look at the pic in the header...That should help.
Okay now having actually read it...do you agree or not? _________________ Walk softly... and carry a BIG stick! |
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Red Dawg Zorce Director at large
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 412 Location: Tazmania
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Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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I'll let you know when my head stops hurting. _________________ Livng life one day at a time
Doggy Style |
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Sanctifier Zorce Moderator
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 1794 Location: Good question!
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Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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^ ^ ^ _________________ Walk softly... and carry a BIG stick! |
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Sanctifier Zorce Moderator
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 1794 Location: Good question!
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 4:35 am Post subject: |
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Okay, dawg. No more words...Only video...No more headache!
Just goes to show what I was saying about "Mr. Chubby" (Evo X) since its introduction... Sanctifier wrote: | Unfortunately for all its fans, the iconic "Evolution" is going from tragic...to pathetic.
When a sports saloon "evolves" from a sleek 2,600 lb. pocket rocket into a 4,000 lb. lard bucket, draped with a ton of electronic gizmos just to help it to get around corners in order to try to be competitive...then something is very wrong with Mitsubishi's focus IMHO.
The day of the "EVOLUTION" has passed. Long live the “Evo GT Cruiser”...God help us! |
It seems that I was right all along...It's just too damn fat
My $0.02¢ _________________ Walk softly... and carry a BIG stick!
Last edited by Sanctifier on Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Sanctifier Zorce Moderator
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 1794 Location: Good question!
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Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 10:45 am Post subject: |
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Frank Sinatra.. My Way wrote: | And now.. the end is near... and so I face the final curtain... | Looks like I was too accurate for my own good. Gayu Eusegi, head of global product development for Mitsubishi has officially said that Mr. Chubby, the Evo X will be the last Evolution produced.
Sanctifier wrote: | Unfortunately for all its fans, the iconic "Evolution" is going from tragic...to pathetic.
...Trading on "the old glory days" to boost the financial bottom line has taken the "competition scalpel" that fans loved...and has left in its place a "chubby, executive cruiser" with no direct lineage to the "real McCoy."
When a sports saloon "evolves" from a sleek 2,600 lb. pocket rocket into a 4,000 lb. lard bucket, draped with a ton of electronic gizmos just to help it to get around corners in order to try to be competitive...then something is very wrong with Mitsubishi's focus IMHO... | The day of the "EVOLUTION" has passed. And now “Mr. Chubby” bites the dust too...
Here's another $0.02¢... Sanctifier wrote: | ...When (If?) Mitsubishi ever returns to true international competition, it may well be with a car that's half the size of the current "tourist bus" and with a new model name to attract the attention of future fans. After bastardizing the “Evo” name so much they may have no other choice. Here’s hoping for better days…and a better driver's car... |
Sad... but unfortunately true! Still it's not the end of the world for me. All is not lost!
This means little in the real world of poorazz 2nrs to which I belong.
I can't afford to buy an Evo X... and I never thought that it was much good anyway.
It just means that I'll collect even more parts for future upgrades for the E6 RS2 and E6 TME Clone... No biggie!
There's NO WAY that I'll EVER sell either one now! This is 2/3 of my Classic Car Collection!
Sanctifier wrote: | The other is my rwd 1984 EX Lancer GSR with future 4G93T... I.R.S... and Brembo brakes to come. |
"Why not sell?"... you ask?... Simple! Here's a list of cars that do 0-60 mph in less than 5 sec... Quote: | 1. 2005 Ford GT.................................... 3.3 sec.
2. 2003 Porsche 911 Turbo...................... 3.9 sec.
3. 2003 Dodge Viper............................... 4.0 sec.
4. 2005 Chevrolet Corvette....................... 4.3 sec.
5. 2002 Ferrari 360 Modena....................... 4.3 sec.
6. 1999 Mistubishi Lancer Evolution 6 GSR.. 4.4 sec.
7. 2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra.............. 4.5 sec.
8. 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG............. 4.5 sec.
9. 1995 Toyota Supra............................... 4.6 sec.
10. Nissan Skyline R33.............................. 5.0 sec. |
BTW... NONE of the others can corner or stop with the Evo... especialy in the wet.
I already have "Supercar" performance... Now tell why I should sell my Evos again?
My $0.02¢ _________________ Walk softly... and carry a BIG stick! |
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