Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X test drive since 2008 sedan
Techno-art
The name of these machines contains almost the entire English alphabet Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Ralliart Special Edition and Subaru Impreza Wrx STI Type R. Since the end of the eighties, according to the new rules of the International Federation of Motorsport, the participating companies of the World Rally Championship have been forced to homogologize the models on the basis of which rally cars were built. The manufacturers faced the dilemma: either to leave motorsport, or to release several thousand cars under an homologation of a series. Some left, and some not only remained, but even learned to sell such machines with those whose passion for motorsport is not limited to the dream of Autographer Tomi Myakinen. Moreover, monsters such as Subaru Tehnica International and Ralliart managed to raise sports equipment to the level of art.
ART. Mitsubishi with great difficulty guesses the outlines of the serial Lancer Powerful front spoiler with an open turbocharging radiator, rally spotlights, air intakes on the hood, additional body kit and, like an apotheosis of art in the style of rally, a huge double -wing with a variable angle of attack. The Lancer Evolution at the Mitsubishi factory is assembled by Ralliart people using their proprietary technology, slightly different from Mitsubishi technology. In a different way, the body has been cooked in the suspension used levers from high-strength aluminum alloy, installed high-friction differentials and a new turbine from a titanium-aluminum alloy, brake Bremo.
The car, which visited the autopilot test, was from the limited line of the Limited Edition of such machines in the world only 31. From the usual Evolution VI RS2 (7 thousand pieces were already made), it differs in the presence of sports seats and the block of additional devices on the central console. It seemed to us that the latter is more likely to read the readings with difficulty as a driver and a navigator.
TECHNIQUE. Subaru Impreza compartment, and you will not find such a body among serial machines. Only sedans and station wagons are made directly on Subaru. Coupe is a branded dish of a subsidiary of STI (Subaru Tehnica International), which specializes in deep sports tuning of cars of this company. The appearance of Subaru is impressive less, and next to Mitsubishi it looks like a poor relative: the most striking part is an anti -wing, made in the form of a huge letter P. Even the seats for rally spotlights are closed with plugs with the STI emblem. Then it turns out that this is such a thin pont of the fans of this brand.
The rest of the STI and Ralliar approach to sports tuning is not much different in Impreza also aluminum front levers, four -circuit brakes, and high performance intercooler.
Unlike Lancer, a different injection control unit on Mitsubishi brains is installed on Subaru, standard brains. If you install the block from Ralliart, then the engine power will increase to 380 hp.
Technique. Art. To remove more power, the motor can be squeezed by raising the compression degree, for example, up to 10: 1. And you can, as is done on Ralliar and STI, just increase the engine efficiency, decreasing its heat transfer as much as possible. In motors of this class, the habitual antipolitanal system does not cope, and it is necessary to provide additional cooling of the engine lubrication system. Hence the extra oil channels in the motor and huge radiators of oil cooling. Both firms install an intermediate cooler of turbocharged high performance. In addition, Subaru and Mitsubishi have another cooling system, when water from a special tank under the hood is primitively sprinkled on the radiators of the intercooler and the oil line. Management is displayed in the salon and is carried out by a simple press of the button. But it will be required only on the descent along a winding mountain highway at a temperature of about 30 degrees when the engine is too often operated in reduced gears.
POP ART. Inside, both machines are not much different from serial originals. Standard plastic sheathing, standard devices, primitive audio training. In Lancer, we found another airbags, air conditioning and minimum glass and mirror electric packet. But this is at Limited Edition. The main pride of all the owners of such cars is the Recaro seats, a sports steering wheel from MOMO and a fundamental rejection of the ABS system.
In Subaru, a small wheel is located in the area of \u200b\u200bthe parking brake handle. It concentrates the fundamental difference between Impreza and Lanser. This is an electromagnetic switch of the torque distributor between the axes. In one extreme position, the car behaves more like an rear -wheel drive 65 percent. The force from the motor is transmitted to the rear wheels, 35 to the front. Professionals use it to spectacular passage of turns in lateral sliding. The other extreme is complete blocking of the differential with a layout of the force of 50/50. It is very effective at the time of acceleration. There are two more intermediate options, and therefore Impreza is easier to train in complex sections of the road. Although in the end it all depends on the driver's skill
The art of technology. On public roads, both cars behave approximately the same. The strongest sensation that you immediately experience in Subaru and in Mitsubishi is a murderous shaking that pierces the seals from the teeth and the soul of the body weakened by sitting at the computer. You need to get used to it gradually and on an empty stomach. But getting used to it, you understand that it shakes in them differently.
In Lancer Evolution, vibration is most noticeable at low speeds and bumps, such as crushed stone under the wheels. A real princess on a pea. At a speed of about 80 km/h from the effect of the ironing board, it is possible to practically get rid of, and even the tram tracks do not respond with sharp tremors in the spine. In Subaru Impreza, everything is exactly the opposite, more smooth acceleration is replaced by merciless shake at high speeds.
But this can and you can get used to thanks to such a stiff suspension, both cars are almost unfamiliar with the body rolls in steep turns. This allows not only to fall into steep turns at high speed, but also to get out of them with such acceleration as the drivers never dreamed of even such supercars as Porsche. On Lancer, this is even better and more spectacular than on Subaru, still the steering on Mitsubishi is more acute and informative. In some crisis situations, a feeling is created that the steering wheel itself pushes the driver’s hands in the right direction.
At first, some troubles cause a Lancer driver a combination of a frantic temperament and a rather long -term adhesion. If the left leg at the time of switching does not have time behind the right, then in the cabin it begins to actively smell of a burning clutch. The work of the transmission switching mechanism on Mitsubishi is an order of magnitude better. At some point, it seems that the box itself pulls a selector to itself, which surprisingly clearly and smoothly connects the desired gear.
Subaru in this regard is more athletic clutch there is short -term, and the transfers mechanism is less clear. The handle has to almost drive into the chosen position, but such behavior at the wheel is quite consistent with a sharp sports style of driving on such machines. Yes, and this decay is felt only in comparison with Mitsubishi.
Technosila. Mark Twain claimed that the newspaper lives one day. Many believe that the rally car lives from the start to the finish line. He opened, closed to the pedestal! As one familiar racer said. Then a team of mechanics piles on the car, and by the next admiration it is again as new. Vice opinion states that details working on such machines in extreme modes are less durable than regular ones and will fail much faster.
Complete nonsense! Motor details and other components used in the assembly of such machines are, of course, much more than ordinary details. But they are also made using special technology and completely other materials, with a tenfold margin of strength. Motors for such cars generally gather almost manually under special control and will last much longer than usual. At mitsubishi, troubles can only be caused by candles that the engine is pouring and it must be well warm. At least a third of the stroke of the arrows according to the temperature indicator. Or regularly change candles, the set of which costs more than $ 100, and suffer with launch on hot.
Which of them is cooler than Mitsubishi or Subaru can only be determined on a special test, armed with an ultra -high stopwatch and putting two identical qualifications behind the wheel of two drivers. The autopilot did not strive for this. We understood this one of these cars for real fans of speed that will never allow themselves to use such a car for every day. This is equivalent to playing the Stradivari violin in a suburban train. Lancer and Impreza were created for those who can afford to have more than one or even two cars in the garage, but one for each case of life. Although more experienced we can advise Subaru Impreza WRX STI TYPE R, and novice champs Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI RS-2.
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo Alexey Ilyin
Source: "Autopilot"
