Last week we got to look at two models head-to-head that we hadn’t been able to get together before. The 2009 Lancer GTS has a new engine, and the Sentra SE-R Spec V is an under-the-radar model. Kelsey Mays takes both on the track and on the street to deliver his verdict in this video.
Mitsubishi is filling the gap in its lineup between the 2009 Lancer GTS — which gets an improved 168-hp engine itself — and the top-of-the-line Lancer Evolution with the 2009 Ralliart that debuted here in Detroit. The Ralliart has a detuned version of the same turbocharged engine in the Evo, which puts out 235 hp. Amateur mechanics might have some fun trying to bump that number up.
It’s kind of hard to figure out which Lancer is the Ralliart in the Mitsubishi booth. It has the spoiler from the GTS trim and the hood from the Evo. If you’re really stuck, there’s a small Ralliart badge on the grille.
We’d guess prices will be very close to the Subaru WRX, which rings up at $24,850. Mitsubishi will offer Recaro front seats as an option, along with comfort features like a moonroof, 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo and 30GB hard-drive navigation system. More photos below.
The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR will go on sale at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $32,990. This brings it in under the Subaru WRX STI’s price tag of $35,000 even, but there are plenty of available options that come with varying price tags attached (read about them after the jump). The Lancer Evolution MR, equipped with a six-speed twin clutch transmission, will be priced later this spring. Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder recently drove both versions of the new Lancer Evo. You can read his impressions here.
At 9:30 a.m., the sun began to punch holes through the rain clouds that have hung for days over the Sonoran Desert, thrilling the locals and filling my head with dread visions of standing water, driving rain and people in yellow rain slickers telling me to slow down. Instead, rolling up to Firebird International Raceway outside Phoenix, I was met with a glistening 1.6-mile track and a row of glistening 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions. It promised to be a very good day.
Last sold as a 2006, the Lancer Evolution has been completely reengineered and is now the Evolution X (that's 10, as in 10th generation, not X as in Racer). The new one won't hit dealers until February with the MR coming later this spring. As before, it's equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo four, but it's a new one that mates to a new five-speed manual or twin-clutch six-speed automatic with sequential paddle shifting capability. An automated manual rather than a conventional automatic transmission, the Twin-Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission weighs less, is more efficient and is designed to shift faster than any driver could.
Foregoing the autocross course, I first took to the streets for the important livability test, where the Evo X proved itself to be a different animal than the IX. Specifically, it's less of an animal in normal driving, and there's nothing wrong with that. Though it has improved over the years, the previous generations never let you forget that you were in a scrappy, rally-bred beast. This one is quieter and more refined, and the ride is reasonable over decent pavement.
Mitsubishi made a small announcement today: Both the regular Lancer sedan and the Outlander SUV will get Mitsubishi's latest 2.4-liter engine. Mitsubishi calls the engine its next-generation four-cylinder; power is up to 168 hp, nominally more than last year's 2.4-liter.
In the Lancer, the engine will go in the GTS trim, while other versions retain a smaller, 152-hp engine. A manual or CVT automatic is available. The Outlander gets the 2.4-liter engine with a CVT in ES and SE trims, while LS and GTS trims have a V-6.
The extra power should help the Lancer, which is engaging to drive but could use a little more oomph. The Outlander, meanwhile, gets 3 mpg better in the city (20/25 mpg city/highway with either FWD or AWD) with the four-cylinder versus the V-6, but highway mileage stays about the same.
The figures stack up about even with the four-cylinder Saturn Vue (19/26 with FWD) but fall slightly short of the Honda CR-V (20/27 and 20/26 with FWD and AWD, respectively) and four-cylinder Toyota RAV4 (21/27 or 20/25).
A Mitsubishi product manager told us the four-cylinder Outlander is a 2008 model and will go on sale early next year, while the upgraded Lancer GTS is a 2009 model and will go on sale in the spring.
While we get hard at work on the full review of the new Subaru Impreza WRX, we figured there was enough interest out there to warrant a video. After you watch the staffers hit the highlights, don’t forget to read our first impressions of the redesigned sedan. If you’re a member of the Mitsubishi Lancer camp — it’s like a Hatfield vs. McCoy thing — you can check out our expert review of the new GTS, along with a video of its own, here.
We’ve gotten official word from Mitsubishi on the next-generation Lancer Evolution that adds to what we found out last week. The turbocharged sedan will indeed have a new engine producing 295 hp and 300 pounds-feet of torque when it arrives at dealerships next year in GSR and MR trims. Mitsubishi has also upgraded its all-wheel-drive system, calling it Super All Wheel Control, which utilizes everything from four-wheel drive to stability control to ABS to torque that’s split 50/50 between the front and rear wheels.
There’s also a new six-speed twin-clutch automated-manual for the MR that uses both a shifter and/or shift paddles to change gears, but there will be no clutch pedal on the floor. Overall, Mitsubishi says the new Evo will be a much better daily driver than the last generation. We just hope that breakneck speed and joy isn’t completely sacrificed. Still, most people can never fully utilize what these types of machines can do unless they go to the track, so maybe taking a bumpy road is a good tradeoff.
The new Evo is a lot stiffer though, and the roof, hood, front fenders, and front and rear bumpers are all lightweight aluminum.
There are more photos below, but what do you think? Is this new Evo too much of a compromise for everyday drivers?
The next big global auto show will take place in Japan, and one of the biggest introductions there will be the next Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, known as the Evo. The last-generation Evo was made famous in video games and movies like “The Fast and the Furious,” but for those who drove it, the race-ready speed and handling — and a roughly $30,000 price tag, like that of the Subaru WRX STi — was hard to put down. Now Mitsubishi is showing off the next generation: the Lancer Evolution X based on the all-new Lancer platform that debuted last year.
Mitsubishi has released images of the Japanese market’s GSR and one shot of the interior of the U.S.-bound Lancer MR. Unfortunately, Mitsubishi hasn’t released any information officially. Luckily, Car and Driver’s November issue has hit some newsstands with a complete test drive, which of course has been scanned and distributed all over the internet.
The article states that both the Japanese base-level GSR and upper-level MR are rated at 295 hp with 300 pounds-feet of torque. More interesting to us is an all-new dual-clutch sequential gearbox for the MR. That’ll cost a bit more than the five-speed manual in the GSR, which should have a starting price around $30,000. There will be a new all-wheel-drive system with a perfect power split of 50/50 to the front and rear wheels, but up to 80% can be sent to either the front or rear wheels, which is impressive. The new Evolution was a tick slower to 60 mph — it makes it in 5.0 seconds — than the last generation, but the new car should have better grip and handling. We’ll keep an eye out for more information on the U.S.-bound model as we approach the auto show season. For now, check out the few more images we have below.
Related
First Look: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X (KickingTires)
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Expert Review (Cars.com)
This week we had a trio of $100,000 cars in the office. That’s a rarity, let me assure you. Still, we don’t turn our noses up at cars like these when they do arrive.
Cadillac XLR-V
My time with the XLR-V was tragically brief, but it didn’t take long for me to appreciate its exceptional powertrain. The gutsy supercharged V-8 alone will get your attention, but its harmonious integration with the six-speed automatic is inspiring. The gearing is very well matched, and the revs stay at remarkably low rpm in normal driving, much like the Chevy Corvette on which this Caddy is based. Stand on it, though, and the XLR-V takes off like a shot. Chirping the tires when already in motion is one thing; doing so when moving at highway speed is an accomplishment — one I accomplished enough to ensure I wasn’t imagining it. Though it’s not marked, if you move the gear selector into the manual-shift gate, it seems to activate an eager automatic sport-shift mode. Only when you push up or back does it start locking in gears. There are no shift paddles, and I certainly didn’t miss them.
Previous
Subscribe to our feed
Email us your tips!