By Aida Sevilla Mendoza
Inquirer
NEVER eat a full meal before you board a Lancer Evolution X with a Mitsubishi Motors Corp. test driver at the wheel. This was what we learned during the handling demo organized by MMC at a handling test track after lunch and a tour of MMCs Okazaki, Nagoya plant.
Prior to the handling demo, we were allowed to take the Evo X for a brief test drive. The four motoring journalists from the Philippines (with this columnist as the only female) were divided into pairs and took turns driving the 2008 Lancer and the Evo X one lap each around MMCs oval test track in Okazaki. We also got to drive the i-MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) around a slalom course on a smaller test track.
Test-driving the high-performance turbocharged AWD 2008 Lancer Evo, one of the 10 fastest cars in the world, was to be the highlight of our sojourn to Japan for the 40th Tokyo Motor Show. But whoa! We were told to limit driving speeds to 120 kph. And to make sure that we observed the speed limit, a Japanese MMC engineer sat in the back seat each time out.
We did not protest, but perhaps the Evo X itself did, in a manner of speaking. We noticed that the new 2.0-liter 4B11 Mivec (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system) engine with aluminum cylinder block and twin scroll turbocharger was revving by itself as if to protest the placid pace and daring us to make max use of its capability.
Shift modes
Could it be because of the shift mode we were in? The Evo Xs 6-speed Twin Clutch SST (Sequential Sportshift Transmission) has three shift modes: Normal, which upshifts early for fuel economy; Sport, which holds gears longer and delivers quicker shifts; and S-Sport mode, which holds gears much longer, downshifts more aggressively and changes gears vigorously. Dual-clutch technology, which heretofore was only offered by Audi, changes gears faster and more smoothly than a jerky single-clutch sequential manual.
On the track, the Evo X reached 120 kph almost immediately and seemed eager to go faster but the presence of the MMC engineer in the back seat made me lift my foot off the accelerator when the needle reached 150 kph. Although MMC has not yet announced the engine specs and top speed, the US specs are expected to be 295 hp/6,500 rpm and 300 lb-ft/4,000 rpm max torque. The aluminum block, the first ever in an Evo since the models 1992 debut, reduces the engines weight by 28 lb and not only results in improved fuel efficiency, it also helps lower the cars center of gravity and thereby increases its stability on the road.
All-wheel control
The new Evo is taller and wider than the 2006 Evo IX and has a wider track and wheelbase. Its platform, the same as the normally aspirated 2008 Lancer and the Outlander SUV, is more rigid in torsion than the outgoing Evo, which translates into faster cornering speeds. Together with S-AWC (Super All-Wheel Control), the stiffer chassis guarantees more agility with more grip and traction. S-AWC integrates drive-torque distribution, braking (Brembo brakes on 18-inch Enkel wheels) and the rear differentials active yaw control to influence the cars cornering performance.
Active Stability Control (ASC), Mitsubishis new electronic safety system, can be switched off in the Evo X for track usage. I forgot to ask the MMC test driver whether he switched off the ASC before he took us on that handling demo run at breakneck speed on a rally-like test course. It was the most exciting ride of my life since it was the first time I was buffeted by G-forces so many times. I sat in the front Recaro seat with my crash helmet almost coming off as the Evo X, with superb self-assurance, rocketed up and down the handling track two times.
Red line
On the first lap, the MMC driver used the center consoles automatic transmission; on the second lap, the manual transmissions steering column-mounted paddle shifters. Although I was unable to read the speedometer because of the roller coaster ride, I managed to see the tach needle often swinging close to the red line. All throughout while it was being flung around, the Evo X retained its composure and felt utterly safe and capable.
At the end of the Evo Xs handling run, those seated in the back felt so dizzy and nauseous that they chose not to join the off-road demo of the Delica D:5. It was then that we realized the wisdom of not having a full meal before a handling demo of the Evo X. Nonetheless, the demo proved that Mitsubishis cutting-edge technologies4B11 MIVEC aluminum engine, twin scroll turbocharger, Twin Clutch SST, S-AWC, active yaw control and ASCwork together smoothly to make the Lancer Evolution X the best rally-bred sport sedan ever produced yet.
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TODAY’S BUMPER STICKER: My other car is a bicycle.
Photo by Aida Sevilla Mendoza
November 14th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
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