Test drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution v 1998 - 1999 sedan

The top of evolution

The first Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was created in 1992 - to participate in the world rally championships. The evolution of the car is reflected in the names of modifications - Evolution II (1993), Evolution III (1995), Evolution IV (1996), Evolution V (1998). This year - Evolution VI. At the end of January, the car began to enter the Mitsubishi dealers salons, first in Japan, and then abroad. A rally car - in the dealership salons?
 
Lancer Evolution (for brevity it is sometimes called Lancer Evo), perhaps one of the best rally cars in the world. This eloquently talk about this in a row of championship titles among brands, as well as at the same time among drivers (won by Finn Tommy Myakinen). A rather modest outwardly, similar to the serial Lancer, only decorated with advertising stickers, this car easily crushed its eminent rivals - Subaru, Toyota and Ford, prepared in accordance with the requirements of FIA for WRC (World Rally Car) vehicles. But he is not from this group.
 
Now in the global autoralli they set the tone of Cars of the WRC category. These are machines built on the basis of serial model rows with an annual release of at least 25,000 copies. The expression on the base is quite vague. In vehicles of the WRC category, almost any changes in the design are allowed, with the exception of the use of someone else's engine (at least the cylinder block should remain from the own manufacturing engine) and the transfer of the power unit. The rest is at the discretion of the developers. You can make a drive to all wheels, new suspension and brakes - in a word, complete freedom of creativity. The main thing is that for homologation it is not necessary to repeat all the changes in a large number of cars: it is enough to build one - and you can put it up for competitions. At the same time, a real racing model is obtained, but it is available to a limited number of drivers, mainly to the riders of factory teams.
 
The creators of Lancer EVO are much more connected - the machine is produced and prepared for races according to the technical requirements of group A, which are much less liberal than those that are presented to the global rally cars. In addition, under the conditions of homologation, it is required to produce at least 2500 copies of the model per year. On the one hand, this greatly price increases the project, on the other hand, it allows you to recoup costs by selling road versions - full -fledged sports equipment, which have nothing to do with the base model Lancer. Anyone can buy such a car.
 
It should be noted that before the appearance of Lancer Evo VI, sports versions were almost not exported and were available almost only to Japanese customers. This year the situation has changed, Mitsubishi corporation is more actively promoting the model to foreign markets. So they got to Russia - Rolf, the official dealer of the corporation, represented the car on the Khodynsky field.
 
The Ralliart company was cooked by EVO VI, which since 1984 has been specializing in cars with three diamonds in the emblem - Mitsubishi for automobile rally and off -road raids. Differences from the previous version of EVO V are mainly cosmetic. There are small changes in the aerodynamics of the front line and the motor compartment, the site for the license plate on the front bumper is shifted to the side, which made it possible to increase the mouth for cooling the heat exchanger of the turbocharger. The stylish two -story anti -wing with an adjustable angle of attack, which is located on the trunk lid, is most striking. Distributed something in the mechanics.
 
The levers of suspensions (front - macpherson, back - multi -leaf) are now made of forged aluminum, the rear of the rear is increased by the renewal of the end of the end - to improve the adhesion of the wheels with the road in corners.
 
A two-liter 16-valve 4G63 engine with a turbocharger and intermediate cooling of a compressed air turbine received lightweight forged pistons and a new turbocharger with a titanium and aluminum rotor, which has a lesser moment of inertia. As a result, the power characteristics have slightly improved.
 
Here, in order to avoid confusion, a small explanation is needed. Two cars were shown on Khodynka - modifications of RS and RS -2. In the prospect, the first attached to the cars, the second is called the road. In fact, judging by the technical characteristics, both of these versions are road.
 
The real rally version of the Lancer Evo VI, indeed, has the RS designation and differs primarily by the characteristics of the engine, which develops 300 hp. Power (7000 vol./min.) And 490 Nm of torque (3500 rpm). In addition, it uses an InVECS 6-speed box with sequent transmission and two- or three-disc dry clutch.
 
The all-wheel drive transmission of the rally machine has three differentials in the form of multi-disc courses with electron-ghradias (interdosseous can be disconnected when turning with a handbrake). Brakes - AP Racing with water cooling, in front of six-, behind - four -piston. This car is in service with the factory team Mitsubishi Ralliart.
 
Road version - i.e. Allowed for daily use on public roads (in most markets it has a GSR designation) - a little easier. The engine develops a power of 280 hp. (6500 vol./Min.) And torque 373 Nm (3000 rpm). The box is the usual mechanical, five -speed, and the clutch is single -disc. In the rear bridge, a differential of high friction is used. Everything is exactly the same as on both cars represented in Moscow.
 
(Interestingly, the passport capacities of both engines are suspiciously precisely coincide with the maximum installed by the FIA \u200b\u200bfor rally cars (300 hp) and Japanese law for road (280 hp). In fact, the power may turn out to be larger.)
 
Apparently, the versions of the RS and RS-2 presented in Moscow were called the rally and road in order to emphasize the differences in their consumer qualities. The first is more Spartan both on the equipment of the salon, and in configuration (for example, wheeled wheels - stamped 15 -inch, brakes - with floating brackets). It is on its base that a charged combat vehicle is being built for the factory team, which receives an additional equipment permitted for installation and additional equipment (sports suspension and the already mentioned transmission and brakes). The second is richer (better finishing, air conditioning, a full electric packet, wheel discs - 17 -inch cast, brakes - Brembo, with hard brackets, four-, two -piston -piston ones in front). There are differences in the gear rates of the transmission.
 
We got acquainted with the RS -2 version, making a trip on it along the Khodynsky Ring highway (which, it seems, will soon cease to be such - a cottage village is being built on its territory, probably more desired to the city, and to all domestic motorsport).
 
In the cabin - home comfort of the family Lancer: a familiar dashboard, not in sporting playing upholstery of seats that provide good fixation. Of the sports supplies - only the MOMO steering wheel with covered skin rims and the tip of the gear lever with leather sheathing. But it was worth starting the motor ...
 
The engine works idle with a characteristic sports, glandular, exhaust sound. Touching, no - start. The car seemed to wait for the moment to rush off. He seemed to anticipate the actions of the hand on the lever of the box and legs on the pedals. Switching occur fantastically quickly and clearly - it does not happen better ...
 
Direct ended too quickly. In a bend, the car behaved impeccably, the subsequent snake showed filigree handling. Lancer Evo prescribed a trajectory with minimal rolls, tenaciously holding on to moist asphalt without hints of wheels. Again, a reversal, and the clean straight line allowed to reach the fourth gear - one hundred percent of enjoy not only the dynamics of acceleration, but also the excellent work of powerful brakes.
 
The meeting was fleeting, but a pity. But the main thing is clear - the happy owners of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI can fully feel what a real rally car means, and the best today. We will not deny ourselves this pleasure and we - we hope that we will be able to chat with Evo more closely.
 
P.S. Lancer Evolution VI is offered to order from a warehouse in Finland at a price of about $ 30,000 (depending on the configuration). Customs and delivery - Extra.
 
P.P.S. Evolution ended. Lancer Evolution VI is the last car of group A released by Mitsubishi. The corporation has already announced that since 2000 it has been switching to CARC Cars. And this means that there will be no more road versions for civilian buyers.
 
Sergey Ivano
 
 
 

A source: Magazine Motor