Mitsubishi Evo
Mitsubishi Evo VIII
February 2003
By Peter Lyon/Masanobu IkenohiraFebruary 2003
Mitsubishi pulled a quicky on us by launching the US-spec Evolution at the LA Auto Show in early January, a month before the full-blown Japanese-speccer hit its home streets.
The US car, the first homologated Evo ever offered on the American market, is reminiscent of the mid-'90s Evo III in that it has none of the high-tech gizmos we've come to expect from recent Evos. Shorn of AYC (Antive Yaw Control), ACD (Active Centre Diff) and even the all-new Mitsubishi six-speed gearbox that debuts in the Japanese and Euro-spec models, the US car is nevertheless a bundle of fun - you can wreak havoc in it, play oversteer or understeer or whatever you fancy.
The all-new Japan-spec - the car we can expect to see in the UK - follows a far more familiar formula on the gizmos front, and you'd expect nothing less!
Inheriting the VII's platform and body, the Evo VIII (although you won't find VIII badging anywhere on the car) comes with a newly designed grille and bumper combination, concocted by chief stylist Olivier Boulay. The new front end is the product of the American connection; US regs insist on a bulky anti-intrusion bar, the inclusion of which has meant extending the nose to accommodate it.
In the Jap-spec car, and therefore the UK version, too, the anti-intrusion beam itself has been discarded to save weight; it adds 50kg to the front end. Even rid of it, though, the VIII's bigger front end contributes 10kg to an overall 50kg increase over the VII - the rest of the weight gain comes from a stiffer bodyshell, a larger, higher-capacity battery for colder climates and a larger, 55-litre fuel tank.
Creating space for the beam meant other problems, too - the new front bumper design allows less air to the intercooler than before, which marginally affects performance. That's why there are two vents built into the bumper to maximise airflow to the intercooler.
Power remains the same as the VII's at 276bhp, while torque rises marginally to 290lb ft at 3500rpm. Just between you and me, a couple of Mitsubishi engineers reckon the claimed power figure may be on the modest side and that 307bhp could be closer to the real number. Torque response is immediate and strong from just over 3000rpm through to the 7000rpm redline and beyond.
This VIII's performance is even more explosive than the VII's; it does the zero to 62mph dash in a claimed 4.8sec, a couple of tenths quicker than we squeezed from the standard VII to 60mph.
Some of this extra vitality can be attributed to a brand-new six-speed transmission, the additional ratio being more or less forced upon Mitsubishi by the fact that arch-rival Subaru has already stuck one in the WRX STi. Whether the Evo really needs a six-speeder - Mitsubishi's first completely new transmission for a decade - is a cause for some debate, as the current five-speed is superbly matched to the car's meaty bottom-end torque.
First and second gear synchros have been upgraded from double-cone to triple-cone and the throws in first and second have been lengthened. Where the WRX STi's six-speeder feels mechanical and notchy, the Evo's new 'box simply feels like an extension of the existing five-speed unit, which is no bad thing. Shortened ratios allow the VIII to get its power down quicker - wring it round to 7000rpm and you'll hit 37mph in first gear, 59mph (maybe 60 if you're brutal) in second, and 84mph in fourth.
And what of the handling, I hear you ask? Is it better than the VII's? The outgoing car already had one of the world's most advanced traction control systems in the form of Mitsubishi's Active Yaw Control; new-wave AYC is even more sophisticated.
'Super AYC' has double the computing power of its predecessor and now employs lighter, more efficient planetary gears for its mechanical workings; the result is cornering limits lifted to a new dimension. 'Super AYC' sends more power to the outer rear wheel in a high speed corner to minimise understeer and maximise grip.
Meanwhile, the Active Centre Differential (ACD) - which in normal conditions helps split the torque 50:50 front:rear - continues to monitor cornering forces and steering input, then divvies up power accordingly to maximise turn-in quickness, cornering speed and exit velocity.
Putting the Evo VII and VIII back to back on Mitsubishi's Okazaki circular skid pan, it was immediately obvious that the new unit delivered far more cornering speed than its predecessor. It also outshone the WRX STi that Mitsubishi kindly brought along for comparison. Shot onto the skidpan, the Evo VIII was 3-6mph faster than the STi and noticeably quicker than the VII. And in 'gravel' mode (which acts to promote more understeer) on a wet track, you really had to do silly things to upset its stability through high-speed corners.
In the more oversteer-oriented 'tarmac' mode, the Evo VIII required a minimum amount of steering input once the tail started to slide. The steering itself is meatily weighted and the turn-in commendably sharp.
Not that there's any lack of grip. The VIII is shod with specially developed 235/45 ZR17 Yokohama Advan AO46 boots, which run with a stickier compound for Europe and Japan than the Yanks get. Four-pot Brembo brakes take care of stopping duties with reassuring savagery.
As ever with the Evo series, though, if you're after refinement and everyday usability, you've probably nipped into the wrong showroom. The eighth incarnation of Mitsubishi's road-going rally star remains an intense in-your-and-every-other-road-user's face experience.
It's quicker than ever point-to-point, and thanks to 'Super' Active Yaw Control, it has cornering ability you'll scarcely believe possible. Just as the Impreza STi has moved up a gear, the Evo has responded in kind. There's a fight brewing.
on old but a good comparision between VII and VIII and impreza
regards
