Test drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 2003 - 2005 sedan

Red Devil

You have not happened to feel like a guest in a familiar atmosphere, say, an Englishman who got to Russian expanses in the usual right -handed car? This is precisely, only on the contrary, the author recently experienced. Funny sensations! Inside the car, everything is as usual, but you have to drive constantly in the oncoming lane, look at the intersections in the wrong direction. Going to England for the eighth-generation test of Lancer Evolyushn, we still counted on the closed roads of landfills and racing tracks. No matter how! Fortunately, no one chose professional honor, but on narrow serpentines the oncoming drivers were pretty well -haired. I am sure that in these parts they learned about the completion of the European premiere of a quick and surprisingly gambling car, which was clearly cramped on the usual roads of the UK.
 
Genes of dominance
Compared to the predecessors of Lancer Evolyushn VIII, this is not only an updated design in the current style of Mitsubishi. Technical weapons, aerodynamics, chassis, brakes and body rigidity have changed. And most importantly, the road version was saturated with the most complex electronics, designed, first of all, to strengthen the pleasure of driving. The transmission was supplemented by the active rear differential Super AYC type. This innovation made it possible not only to increase the transmitted torque, but also to adjust the characterization of the rotation of the car.
Well, besides, the branded AWC (All Wheel Control) front -wheel drive system with a front -line differential of high friction and active central (ACD) with three asphalt, gravel, and snow settings. All this allows the creators to argue that Evo VIII technical armed forces surpasses all (!) Famous road sportsmen.
Optimized aerodynamics is another result of the eighth evolution. The resistance to the air flow and the lifting force acting on the car are reduced. A lot of attention is paid to the finalization of the front bumper, the bottom of the car, its rear.
All other components of success (and the new Lancer has already been awarded the highest titles at a number of foreign automobile publications) were scored bit by bit. The engine is modernized first of all, the torque is increased at medium speeds. The brake system is equipped with a sports ABS with a sensor of angle of rotation of the steering wheel. The hardness of the body has been increased by 33%, while it did not become heavier, since the hood is now made of aluminum, like some elements of the suspension, to reduce the influence of unsproved masses.
 
CLASSICS OF THE GENRE
I admit, I don’t know very well the features of the entire range of sportsmen from Mitsubishi, and therefore it is unlikely that I can clearly highlight all the nuances of the new item. I can only state that from the very first meeting of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution/›Lancer Evolyushn has become a cult machine for me, better than others, which meets the claims of those drivers whose opportunities have gone much further than the usual and accumulated algorithms.
I was always impressed by a combination of combat, assertive appearance and almost standard internal content. And now Evo VIII tickled the driver's pride by the predatory contours of the front bumper, the fashionable nostrils of the false radiator lattice. He made his tongue at the sight of a carbon rear spoiler, bright red-piston-piston calipers of Brembo, incredibly light (3.2 kg!) Forged wheels of a seventeen-inch dimension. At the same time, the car quite peacefully accepted the tight arms of the rosaro seats in the dense, tenacious embrace, put a comfortable lamb in his palms, and the feet of the feet are the most ordinary pedals, to settle down. And this, perhaps, is not necessary. You just need to get used to a non -standard flight a little the steering wheel, obviously closer to the driver, try to twist the wheel adjustment of the back, hidden into a completely inaccessible niche, and fix the recalculation of miles into kilometers in memory. No, of course, you can still attach a cupcan of the control of an active differential or look at the gambling scales of the devices (the calibration of the tachometer ends with the number 9!), But all this, in general, is insignificant.
And he is not at all angry, this Lancer, the first thought after a soft and not at all sports touch. I gradually prepared for exorbitant effort on the pedal, a lack of torque at low speeds. And I just released the clutch on you and rolled it as if nothing had happened along the access roads of the Manchester airport. Of course, even in these modes it is striking harshly at invisible irregularities, sensitive, almost picture steering makes us concentrate, and a characteristic racing endowing of either the gear of the box, or differentials, or differentials are heard from the bowels of the transmission. But in general, Lancer behaves absolutely peacefully, as if getting used to the new riders and accustoming them to his own characteristics.
 


Hidden opportunities
After waiting for a convenient moment, I try to start in combat ahead. There is no sharp jerk, rather, a blow that ran through the veins of the all -wheel drive transmission, the most severe overload and cataphic of catapes on the road instantly merged into a continuous line under the juicy roar of the motor and clasping of a feverishly distorted gearbox lever.
Yes, everything is in order with racing surroundings. The motor who felt freedom does not want to calm down in any way, very sensitively reacting to the slightest touch to the accelerator. The highest, fifth gear has already been included, the cruising speed close to the permitted rules is reached, but it is worth licking the gas a little, as Lancer jerked forward under the characteristic sob of the turbine. Great! At the same time, up to 3000 rpm of the engine characteristics of the engine are not notable for anything special: you can roll, as on an ordinary two -liter Lanser, not even suspecting the hidden capabilities of EVO. But it is worth passing the line of 3500 rpm of/min The motor explodes with such a pickup that the tachometer arrow over a split second reaches a seven -thousandth mark.
As already noted, the pendants of this sports car are very uncompromising. They pretty annoyingly shake you on all types of irregularities, especially for bedridled police officers. It is worth relaxing a little, you get a vertical impetus, which is quite comparable to the starting dynamics in terms of acceleration. Only at high speed the shock absorbers slightly soften their disposition, making the car, not comfortable (this feeling to the driver EVO is not available) rather, sparing in relation to those inside.
Meanwhile, the route becomes more winding and thorny. Roads resemble rally special stages that England is so famous for. In real life, they, however, are dumbfounded by a very intense oncoming movement here you can’t relax for a second. A supers -sensitive steering only complicates the driver's task. The slightest inaccuracy and the car scribes to the side, not even forgiving a hint of a mistake. I will not hide, such a severity of relationships starts: you begin to calculate the trajectory to millimeters, scrupulously choosing the angle of rotation of the steering wheel.
And yet something is alarming in some ways. No, he is impeccable in the most difficult serpentines and, even moving on the verge of slipping, simply sticks to the road. But there is a little nervousness in his behavior, which prevents it from merging with the machine. It seems that Evo had just moved perfectly along a given arc, and suddenly either a small, invisible uneven road, or an insignificant change in your position in the seat, the car instantly shifts a few centimeters. Perhaps the atypical of the conditions and the lack of freedom affected the assessments, but it seemed to me that the previous versions of the car were calmer.
Well, it's time for the return route. I hope we do not say goodbye for a long time. Ahead of Lancer Evolyushn VIII road to the consumer, including the Russian one. For the first time in the official range of Mitsubishi sold from us, a real sports car with full certification and the manufacturer’s guarantee will appear. The planned price range from $ 43 900 to 44,900 depending on the interior decoration (alcantara or leather) and the type of rear wing is high or low. I think already in Russia we will continue our acquaintance with this ambitious, fast and interesting machine.
 
Evo VIII without five minutes a rally car.
In the design of anti -winged, carbon fiber is used.
If you do not focus on the little things, the internal content will seem quite peaceful. Only the steering wheel costs a little closer.
In this seat you feel like a rally.
On the right are the central differential modes.
Brembo brakes and Enkei super -light wheels.
The highlight of Evo VIII rear AYG active differential, which can work in three modes.

 
 
 
 
Sergey Voskresensky
Photo by the author and the company Mitsubishi
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"