Nevertheless, the boring appearance has certainly nothing in common with diamond. So conservative that it feels outdated from day one. Inside the cabin is another matter. The new dash and integrated center console is quite stylish and made of better quality plastic, although the wood-grain dashboard in some models looks tasteless.  

Like all competitors, the Lancer has grown a lot to improve accommodation. Wheelbase is now stretched by 100 mm to a more reasonable 2600 mm, or exactly the same as the new Toyota Corolla. This frees up a massive 60 mm to rear passenger’s legroom but overall speaking the cabin is still obviously less spacious than Corolla and Civic. The new chassis gains 50% in torsional and bending stiffness, in addition to more sound-insulating foam added to door pillars, noise suppression is vastly improved.  

Unluckily, Mitsubishi’s GDI engines are not renowned for smoothness and quietness. A bit more fuel-efficient they may be, but both the 1.5 and 1.8-litre version employed by the Lancer are too loud and harsh at high rev. To make things worse, the compulsory (for Japan) Invecs-III CVT always tends to keep the engine running at high rev and spoil refinement. On the other hand, both engines are less powerful and willing than Toyota’s VVT-i and Honda’s VTEC counterparts, generating just 100 hp and 130 hp (plus a not-so-broad torque curve) from 1.5-litre and 1.8-litre respectively. I miss the previous 175 hp MIVEC 1.6 very much. Perhaps Mitsubishi should have put its limited development budget on variable-valve timing instead of GDI. 

Mitsubishi’s first CVT is another weakness. It may be cheaper than conventional automatic but it did nothing to solve the "rubber-band effect" problem found in conventional CVTs. Floor down the throttle, you’ll hear the engine rev hard but the car accelerates slowly. Luckily, 1.8-litre version provides an additional Sport Mode, i.e., Tiptronic-style manual override which provides 6-predefined ratios. But isn’t it nonsense to buy a CVT car and always drive it in manual mode to avoid rubber band effect ? 

Again, Lancer is one of the rare small family cars employing multi-link rear suspensions. Again, this does not benefit handling and ride at all, strangely. Although the company claimed some improvements to the geometry (higher roll center, for instance) and stiffer control arms, and the chassis is much more rigid, the new Lancer actually inspires less its driver. It is not a bit involving to drive - isolated steering feel, too much understeer, no throttle steer at all. At cornering limit, its steering lightens and becomes mushy, devoid of any confidence. The old 175 hp MR had no steering feel too, but at least it could play oversteer and thrill its driver by the 7,500 rpm engine. In contrast, the most sporty new Lancer, 1.8 Touring, is of course less harsh on bumpy road, but it is also not refined enough by today’s standard. A new Civic will leave it dead in both ride and handling. 

Seeing such a disappointing new car, now we know why Mitsubishi is running into financial trouble. 
 

Lancer Ralliart

Lancer Ralliart is produced exclusively for the US market. It targets at the "pocket rocket" segment currently consists of Ford SVT Focus, Honda Civic Si, Dodge Neon SRT-4, Mazdaspeed Protege Turbo and Mini Cooper S. Based on the front-drive Lancer sedan chassis, Mitsubishi reinforced the chassis with front tower strut, stiffened springs and dampers, retuned power steering and adopted 16-inch 205/50 tires. According to testers, handling and ride is surprisingly good, easily being the best front-drive Mitsubishi. Crisp turn-in, stable cornering and compliant ride make it a satisfying driver’s car. 

Under the bonnet, a larger, 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is fitted. SOHC driving 4 valves per cylinder is a low cost solution rather than engineer’s choice. The once-dead MIVEC cam-changing variable valve timing and lift mechanism is reborn in this engine, but it is used as a means of enhancing economy rather than power. At low rev, it switches to a set of uneven cam profiles that introduces swirl to the air flow in order to help fuel mixing. That means even 2.4 litres of capacity can generate only 162 horsepower. Ford Focus, for example, generates 170hp out of 2.0 litres.

Thanks to a rich torque curve, Lancer Ralliart is brisk enough to drive. It won’t touch the turbocharged Neon SRT-4 and Protege Turbo, but its extra capacity allows it to out-pace SVT Focus and Civic Si. Unfortunately, pocket rockets are not all about speed and handling. Styling is also an important factor to young buyers. In this aspect, the Lancer loses marks. The Lancer sedan was never a pretty car, so adding a new nose and rear spoiler won’t change that much. Sadly, this car goes much better than it looks.
 

Lancer GSR Evolution VII

Evo V, good. Evo VI, better. Tommi Makinen, welcome. Anyway, they were just small evolutions from the Evo IV because the chassis and powertrain were basically unchanged. As the Lancer sedan was renewed in mid-2000, the new Evolution VII also enjoys a new chassis. In addition to a new active differential, Evo's fans have more things to talk about than ever. 

Let us start from the chassis first. The regular Lancer Cedia is already far more rigid than its predecessor, but the Evolution strengthened it further by adding some 200 spot welds to suspension attachment, sills, pillars, floorpan etc. - the result is 50% higher torsional stiffness than the outgoing Evo VI ! 

For crash protection, refinement and space reasons the Lancer sedan is also considerably heavier than before, just like the new Impreza. However, unlike Subaru, Mitsubishi made extra effort to cut fat from Evo VII, including using aluminium bonnet and front fenders, magnesium cam cover (these improve weight distribution as well), thinner roof panel and glass. Even the Recaro seats are lighter. They also reviewed the rear wing and decided to discard its adjustable function. All these works result in just 40 kg increment over Evo VI, which is undoubtedly very good considering the car is 105 mm longer, 45 mm wider and have a wheelbase stretched by 115 mm. 

The powerplant remains to be the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged four named 4G63. Believe or not, it has been serving Lancer GSR since the first generation ! this latest version is believed to be the last evolution of the engine and it will be replaced by an all-new GDI unit in Evo VIII. As it reaches the end of life span, not many things can be improved. In particular, it is still lack of variable valve timing or variable intake. Here is the list of minor improvement: hollow camshafts, smaller turbo nozzle for better mid-range response, variable back-pressure exhaust for improved noise and lower back pressure, higher flow intercooler with 1 more water spray injector and at last a bigger oil-cooler. These small tweaks add 1 kgm (7 lbft) of peak torque while - officially speaking - peak power remains at the domestic voluntary limit of 280 hp. I believe the actual figure has already exceeded 300 hp.  

The old Evo VI did 0-60 in 4.4 sec and 0-100 in 11.2 sec. The new car is 40 kg heavier but deliver slightly more torque, so in terms of straight line acceleration it is more or less the same as before. However, in terms of cornering the new car is obviously quicker, thanks to improved chassis and 4-wheel drive system. It is always more resistant to understeer. If we define the outgoing car's cornering limit as 100%, then the new one will be 108%. Someone lapped a new GSR in Japan's Tsukuba race track in 1 min 6.67 sec, eclipsing Evo VI's 1 min 6.71. Yet this is just in a smooth and familiar racing circuit. In real world - less predictable public roads or poorer surfaces - the difference will be inevitably much bigger. 

Now let us talk about the most interesting part - the drivetrain. While transmission is virtually the same 5-speeder (sorry, the rumoured 6-speeder did not come true, giving Impreza STi a clear advantage here), the center differential is new. All previous Lancer Evo employed a simple viscous-coupling unit as center LSD, whose disadvantages are passive and a fair amount of delay (see Technical School). Calling ACD (Active Center Differential), the new unit is a multi-plate clutch whose degree of engagement is controlled by computer via hydraulic according to needs. New concept ? no, it was pioneered by Porsche 959 and is now using by Audi TT, Volkswagen Golf 4motion etc. What differs it from other similar systems is that it cooperates with the existing AYC (Active Yaw Control) and, I believe, its software is the best developed among all. Undoubtedly, Mitsubishi's experience and requirements in World Rally Championship must help a lot the tuning of the system. By the way, rally cars such as Focus WRC also use active center differentials. 

So what is the advantage of active differential ? firstly, using multi-plate clutch instead of viscous liquid speeds up response by 3 times. Secondly, the torque split between front and rear axle can be varied many times during cornering to maximize grip and steering response. Normally the torque split is 50:50. When entering a corner, ACD will tend to distribute equal amount of torque to both axle by locking up the clutches in order to maximize grip and induce a bit understeer - both of them are vital to stabilize the car. In mid-corner, ACD will tend to disengage the clutches thus allow more speed difference between front and rear wheels, which is vital to cornering agility. In the exit phase ACD will lock up again to equalize pulling force on all wheels, hence maximize traction to pull the car out of corner. 

Another advantage of ACD is that it is adaptive to road conditions. Choose "Tarmac" mode and it will allow more clutch slippage, hence torque transmit freely from one end to another. "Gravel" mode tends to limit the difference between front and rear torque split so to minimize tyre slip. "Snow" mode nearly lock up all wheels to prevent from any wheel spin.  

The last advantage is that it cooperates with AYC. Remember the active yaw control ? it has been adopted since Evo IV and is renowned for killing the understeer character of the car. It is actually a small multi-plate clutch incorporated inside rear differential. When the clutches engage, more torque will be sent to the opposite wheel. In mid-corner, AYC directs more torque to outside rear wheel to reduce understeer or even induce oversteer as desired. Exit corner, it transmits more torque to inside rear wheel to induce understeer for stability. The AYC in new Evo is unchanged, but it shares the computer and sensors (steering angle, g-force, yaw, wheel speed etc.) with ACD and communicate with each other to optimise the result. Think about it, ACD adjusts torque split between front and rear while AYC takes care of left and right (rear wheels), so they can virtually control the torque transmitted to any individual wheel as desired. As long as the software is right, this is the ultimate drivetrain engineers dreamed for decades ! 

On The Road 

You will never appreciate its styling, but honestly speaking I think the (relatively) leaner look of the new car is far better than the horrible He-man style of the old one (I don't like He-man, by the way), although few journalists agree with me. Anyway, if you really care about styling, you must wait for the forthcoming Focus Cosworth. 

In contrast, all people will agree that the new cockpit is a big improvement. Apart from more head room and rear passenger leg room, the dashboard also looks smarter and made of higher quality plastic. Thanks God, the fake wood found in regular Lancer Cedia is no longer here. Facing the superb Recaro seats are chromed-rim gauges and a window showing the manual selection of ACD - "Tarmac", "Gravel" and "Snow". Interesting enough ? 

Twist the key and you'll notice the engine is silencer - thanks to variable exhaust and better noise insulation of the stronger body shell. Simultaneously, you'll find throttle response is sharper than ever once the turbo is operating. Among all turbo machines, you might need a 911 Turbo to beat its throttle response. For best results from the engine you still need 3,000 rpm, but the torque curve is obviously flatter - not only comes earlier but also drops later. Power band is strongest between 2,750 and 5,500 rpm. Turbo lag has been reduced a lot, although a single big turbo indicates that it is not in the league of Audi RS4, that miracle turbo machine. 

Very quick, no doubt, but anyone having experienced the Evo V upwards won't be scared. Instead, they will be surprised by the new-found refinement. The strong chassis and additional suspension travel (15mm front and 10mm rear) result in less thump and bang on rough surfaces. The steering column transmits less vibration. Noise level is well down. However, all these are relative. Compare with other sports sedans - new Impreza STi inclusive - it still rides very hard thus is not a good companion for long journey.  

Although we would have preferred one more ratio, transmission has a decent shift quality while it matches the power band very well. It is not as slick as Subaru STi's 6-speeder, but with shorter throw, true decisive and meaty feel. Autocar's test editor Stephen Sutcliffe said qualitatively speaking it is more satisfying than Subaru's six-speeder but both EVO and a Japanese journalist said it could be sticky in a hurry. However, there is no room for argument that the braking is first class. The Brembo brakes are not only powerful but pedal feel is also superb. 

However, the strongest area of the new Evo is cornering ability. Apart from TVR Tuscan we have never seen a car with a steering so direct - just 2.0 turns from lock to lock ! in addition to active yaw control, steering response is astonishing. At first you might think it is too nervous, but getting use to it you'll discover it is extremely precise and well weighted while that directness allows you to attack corner with the least hands movement yet full confidence. The result is, we have never seen a car turn-in so enthusiastically and corner so quickly. The power of ACD and AYC is really astonishing. They give the car bags of grip yet virtually no understeer. Best of all, the computer cleverness does not devoid of driver involvement. You can still adjust driving angle and line by cooperating throttle and steering and even plays power slide.  

Undoubtedly, Mitsubishi has succeeded developing the ultimate driving machine in the world. It is the quickest A-to-B car ever made. Best of all, it remains to be a bargain. Subaru Impreza STi is thoroughly knocked out. 
 

From Evolution I to VI

Since the first Lancer Evolution arrived in 1992, it kept updating nearly every year. The Evolution I was already a spectacular car, with the 4G63 turbocharged 16 valves straight four engine pumping out 250hp, 4-wheel-drive, aluminium bonnet, close ratio gearbox, Recaro sports seats and Momo steering wheels...  

Evo II launched in late 1993, had little modifications, the most important of which is the increment of ride height to provide more suspensions travel. The engine got 10 extra horsepower.  

Evo III in Jan 95 introduced a set of awesome aerodynamic kits, including big front bumper and bi-plane rear wing. Intercooler was enlarged while power raised to 270hp.  

Evo IV of summer 96 was based on the body of the new generation Lancer sedan. Apart from the stronger chassis, a lot effort was made to the engine and drive train. Racing camshaft, improved induction and exhaust added 10 hp and more important, 33 lbft of torque. Helical mechanical rear LSD was used while the AYC Automatic Yaw Control made its debut.  

Evo V of Jan 98 was also another great improvement. Front and rear track received a generous increment of 40 and 35mm respectively. Wider wheel arches accommodate the 225mm wide, 17in diameter sports tyres. Superior brakes incorporated Brembo calipers with 4 pistons in front and 2 in rear. Suspensions arms made of aluminium alloy. Inverted dampers improved chassis rigidity. A new turbocharger and improved intercooler brought peak torque to 275lbft from 261lbft, while the 280hp power was bounded by domestic regulation. An improved AYC reduced the understeer found in previous generations so that many people started to choose the Lancer instead of Subaru Impreza WRX.  

Evo VI of Jan 99 improved mostly in aerodynamics reacted to the change of WRC's regulation, plus improved engine cooling making the same power and torque more durable. RS version introduced the world's first titanium turbine to reduce turbo lag. Extra spot welds improved chassis rigidity.  

Late 99 introduced Tommi Makinen edition of Evo VI as a celebration to the driver's 4th consecutive WRC title with Mitsubishi. Cosmetic changes aside, there are some minor tweaks - ride height dropped 10mm (therefore ride even harsher), revised Titanium turbine to improve response, more engine cooling, larger exhaust diameter and improved oil pant. 
  

Evo VII GT-A

GT-A can be described as "gentlemen’s Lancer Evolution". It is slightly less powerful, heavier and slower than the regular GSR, but with automatic transmission, softer suspensions and better NVH suppression to please those less-hardcore customers.  

The biggest change is the use of Invecs-II 5-speed automatic transmission instead of the 5-speed manual. The Tiptronic-style gearbox has button-shift controls at the steering wheel. In normal use it shifts smoothly, if not quickly. Manual mode does not improve response, making it less satisfying to drive than the GSR.  

The turbocharger uses smaller turbine and nozzle to reduce turbo lag and improve drivability. This drop horsepower from 280 to 272hp and reduce torque from 282 to 253lbft. Taking into account the torque converter and 80kg of weight penalty, you can see 0-60 is closer to 6 rather than 5 seconds.  

The exterior of GT-A is less aggressive than GSR. To achieve a "gentleman’s look" it even sacrifices some functional designs, such as the cooling outlets on the bonnet. This will inevitably limit the durability of the turbocharged engine under hard use - a thing less important for the GT-A. Similarly, the number plate has been relocated from side to middle of the nose to refine the look. This block part of the air flow to the intercooler. Another downgrade is the rear spoiler, which has been replaced by a small one. The adjustable big spoiler is only available as option. Alternatively, if buyers want their cars looking like "wolf in sheep clothes", they can have no rear spoiler too.  

The chassis is added with more sound insulation and reinforcement to reduce vibration and harshness. The ultra-quick steering rack has been toned down. Suspensions are tuned softer to deliver better, if not truly comfortable, ride. Nevertheless, as ride height and low-profile tyres remain unchanged, low-speed ride remains harsh, although high-speed ride does improve.  

Very disappointing. Mitsubishi has created something neither exciting nor comfortable. We would have liked to see a mini Galant VR4, but unfortunately Lancer GT-A is not such car. It is also over-priced. Mitsubishi UK offers it at £31,500. For less than £30,000, you can have an Alfa Romeo 156 GTA with Selespeed, which is definitely the more attractive GTA here. 
 

EvoVII Extreme

The Extreme is a hotter version of Evo VII modified by Mitsubishi's official tuning arm Ralliart UK. It is not a stripped-out version as it has all the standard equipment such as air-con, CD player, ABS etc. as the standard Evo VII GSR. However, a re-chipped management program pushes maximum turbo boost to 1.6 bar, accompany with forged pistons and con-rods, larger intercooler as well as bigger bore exhaust, the maximum power is raised from the standard (if quite self-limiting) 280hp to 340hp. That might not impress you, but like rallying cars, torque is the most improved area - now it has 350 lbft instead of 282 lbft. 

The gearbox is unchanged, but clutch is 25% stronger to cope with increased torque from the engine. Most astonishing are brakes - the front has a AP 6-pot caliper clamping 362mm-diameter, cross-drilled ventilated disc ! other modifications are much more predictable, such as stiffened suspensions, 20mm lower ride height, larger 18in wheels wearing lower-profile Yokohama AVS rubbers. The wheels are made of magnesium to cut weight, so the Extreme - despite of all the strengthened powertrain and brakes - weighs the same as the standard GSR. 

The Extreme does 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, which means it can compete with a Porsche 911 Turbo until three figures. The 0-100 time of 11.0 seconds already reflects the fact that its down-force-based aerodynamics is not designed for Autobahn. This is further confirmed by the 160mph top speed. However, at what we called "real world speed" the Lancer Extreme is nearly unbeatable, especially its combination of 4WD, ACD and AYC provides unmatchable grip and accuracy in any roads, including the worst bumpy and twisty roads. The explosive power is well under controlled by the superb chassis. It combines the best of two worlds - TVR's explosiveness and 911's security. And Lancer's practicality too. Despite of harder ride, the Extreme is not as difficult to live with as you might expect from the name. 
 

Evo VIII

Finally, Evolution VIII is understood to be the last evolution of the hot Lancer. From 2005, its status as a WRC rally car will be substituted by the smaller Mirage / Colt hatchback. Perhaps the Lancer has got too big and heavy during all those years. 

As it is the last generation, Mitsubishi didn’t invest too much into it. Insiders said it is actually an Evo 7.5, just like the Tommi Makinen version being Evo 6.5. Compare with last generation, Evo VIII has a list of long but rather insignificant improvements. Externally, you can easily see it has adopted a new company grille, whose generic shape does not suit the rest of the car. The nose is also extended forward by about 40mm to reserve a space for an anti-intrusion bar required by the US regulations, although the domestic and European version does not have that anti-intrusion bar installed. Additional holes in the front bumper added 10% cooling to the intercooler.  

The intercooler itself is also enlarged. In addition to modified exhaust and a more efficient turbocharger, the 4G63 engine now generates 289 lbft of torque at 3500rpm, an increase of 7lbft. Mid-band torque curve (between 3000 and 5000rpm) is also improved. Officially, power remains at the self-regulated 280hp, but engineers revealed that it is actually closer to 310hp. 

The Evo VIII weighs 10kg more than last generation, quite impressive considering the longer nose and the strengthened bodyshell. In fact, Mitsubishi worked hard to save weight from other places - 2.5kg from engine, 3.2 kg from new wheels, even the big rear spoiler is now made of carbon fiber.  

10 more kg and 7 more pound-feet would have meant unchanged performance, but here is the real breakthrough: the Evo VIII employs a new 6-speed manual gearbox, replacing the long-serving 5-speeder. This is the company’s first all-new gearbox in a decade. Its shifts as quick and precise as the old 5-speed unit, with the benefit of closer ratio and therefore higher performance. According to official figures, 0-60mph now cuts to 4.6 seconds. The performance gain is marginal, but tell me what else at this price can offer sub-5-second 0-60 and sit 4 people? the Japanese rally cars are still unmatched by European challengers. 

In the chassis side, ACD active center differential continues to serve the car to provide massive grip and adjustable torque split according to driver’s choice. AYC active yaw control has been upgraded to Super AYC, using planetary gear instead of bevel gears to double the amount of torque transfer allowed between rear wheels.  

The result? road testers found the Evo VIII corners even quicker than Evo VII. Steering is even shaper, without understeer even at cornering limit. This is also the biggest advantage over Subaru Impreza STi and Prodrive. On the other hand, the suspensions are slightly softer thus ride is a little quieter and more compliant than the old car, although "harsh" is still the most suitable adjective. 
 

Evolution (US version)

While Mitsubishi plans to sell just 5,000 units of Evo VIII in Japan during its whole life, it expect to shift as many as 6,500 units to the USA in the first year. To achieve the higher volume, cost reduction is inevitably necessary. Therefore the expensive ACD active differential has gone, replaced with a cheap viscous-coupling (which transfer torque passively once slip occurs). AYC active yaw control is also substituted by a conventional mechanical LSD. There are no 6-speed gearbox. It still employs the old 5-speeder from Evo VII. Luckily, Brembo brakes are retained. 

LEV emission regulation requires the turbocharged engine to be detuned to just 271 hp and 273 lbft. Worse still is that the car weighs 70kg more than the supposedly more complicated Japanese version, mostly due to the anti-intrusion bar at the nose as required by safety regulations. The car is therefore slower than the Japanese version. 

So, once again American has to put up with an inferior car than the rest of the world has. It even lost the magic number "VIII" - because the first 7 incarnations were never sold there, Mitsubishi US simply calls this car as Lancer Evolution.