A few weeks back, lucky NST journalist Shannon Teoh took the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 out for a test drive review, and I got to have a taste of the car as well as be the photographer for the test drive. I can’t say much about the car as I only got to drive it a little around Cyberjaya and back to NST in Bangsar, but it’s safe to say it was everything I expected it to be and more.
I found myself saying under my breath, “I can’t believe this is 6th gear” – and the reason for it being said under my breath was because I did not want to interrupt the moments where I was feeling that amazing amount of torque – all 400Nm of it.
That is the same amount of torque as the new E92 BMW M3. While the Evo 9 introduces MIVEC variable valve timing to the venerable 4G63 series and is supposed to smoothen out the torque curve and increase low-end power, there is still a mad surge of power and the intoxicating sound of a large turbine spinning furiously when you enter the boost range which begins a tad below 4,000rpm.
It was very hard to believe that this is a performance car, as the Lancer Evolution 9 had everything you need to be a practical family sedan – 5 seats, 4 doors, a nice big boot. What else could you ask for? However, it was hard justifying the thought of me ever buying one if I could afford it, as for a sedan that costs a tad over RM280,000, the interior sure did not feel premium.
For example, even the air conditioning was a manual knob controlled unit, and the audio system was very basic. Plus, just try maneuvering the Evo 9 in tight parking spaces. You’ll discover that for some reason the car has a really bad turning circle, ensuring that multiple three point turns will be one of your most frequent maneuvers in this car.
But then again, that’s just me. I am very particular about my car interior ambiance, and the Evo 9 is just not for me. It might be the car for you though, if you had RM284,872 to plonk down for one of the most exciting cars you can buy on Malaysian roads. BTW, there is no standard warranty for this car – a 1-year warranty is optional!
For now, have a look at more photos after the jump. You can click most of the images in this post to view an enlarged version.
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the most uber, practical and not the very idea of an ungraspable supercar you can get.. when will santa drop this car in my garage.. tsk tsk
Optional warranty? that's the first time i've heard from a dealer! That means it will breakdown sooner or later.
Nice… BTW, when you said bad turning circle, how big is the turning radius?
I thought that all Mitsu came with 5 years warranty. I guess due to the sporty nature and the potential "usage", they kept it optional. That option I feel could be quite pricey.
some manufacturers usually have separate warranty plans for "motorsport" oriented products and vehicles. as brakefader rightly said, it is because of the 'expected' hard usage usually associated with cars like these.
looking at the way shannon is driving, its probably what he would be doing all day if he owned one ;)
Paul,
nice panning photoshoot skill..
Very nice, for 280k, yes I'll have it hehe, either this or the Impreza. You're very good at panning, Paul!
It needs a Rockford Fosgate 650W audio to really sweeten things up, but then again the best part of the car is driving it and even if the a/c is cheap and the radio is weak you'll still find one reason or another just to get in and drive
for this car, the engine and power is good…
however, the interior esp dashboard and meter panel are too plain and simple…
who cares about ICE in a car like this? any way i cant even begin to imagine what u felt Paul…."I can't believe this 6th gear"…I've driven an old Ford Capri with an ca18det, or something like that, with 200lb+ of torque, and thats plenty powerful already….
I guess you got to feel how bad the turning circle is on these. It seems most Mitsubishi AWDs suffers from the same problem.
I can never really do 3 point turns or U turns in my Eclipse unless the road is like 4 lanes wide….
280k because of our tax, but think about it, most of that money (when you take tax off) goes into the excelent engine and drivetrain. Less is wasted on garnishes…
if any of you guys really wanna own it, wait for the launch of the evo 10..
surely the price will drop!! :D
i think this is better looking than the new one cos it looks like it had some cues from the old galant.
“I can’t believe this is 6th gear†is derived from the fact that
1) 400Nm of torque =) 2) Short gear ratio gearing plays a small part as well akin to the GT-R Getrag 6 gearboxes.
I'm in a mixed state of mind when it comes to Evo's. I've always like the Evo 6 Tommi Makkinen Edition but could never help hating the Evo 7 – 9 because of the Super AYC, ACD and Zero-Counter.
I've seen totally hopeless nut-jobs driving them but they still look good doing it.I mean I love gadgets as much as the next guy but its too…computer controlled.
I know somebody would bring up an example of the GT-R and its HICAS system but its not as governed as the Zero Counter on the Evo. Maybe theres an option to turn it off?
I like the Evo 9 but still prefer Evo's of olden days.
Evo9 + 18" wheels + twin turbo + advanced ICE + keyless entry & ignition system + 6-speed sequential close-ratio paddle shifter + GPS + NOS + yellow paint + dark black glass tint = MY CAR
EVO FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!
evo with paddle shifter?
personally, my favorite is evo6 as it has the most agressive look out of all the evos. but this evo9 is not bad too. i'd buy it if i have the money, and buy evo6 also. hah IF only…
about the interior, ICE and all that creature comfort, i don't mind them being simple and not luxurious, heck, i want the evo for it's pure driving pleasure, not some negligible creature comforts.
Permanent AWD vehicles usually have larger turning radius. It's the same for performance cars. I guess the engineers are more concerned about handling than ease of parking. I've driven the Harrier 2WD and the 4WD has a larger radius. It's a pain trying to negotiate an Alfa 164 in crappy basement carparks but it takes corners beautifully.
I agree that the interior is really low rate for the price but for its $$$ to performance ratio is really good. Nothing else can touch this car at this price, except the WRX of course. At least my ATR's interior looks much better. :D
i dont agree that this is a family car with 4 doors and enough space….i mean the ride is so brittle , from the pics paul,it seems that u tested the car on a brand new asphalt ! bt seriously the ride is horrible in a typical pj road…and highway driving oso is quite noisy …..nobody in his rite mind wil carry his family in this car for a journey lets say….bt as u said,the torque wave wen it arrives,it arrives like noting else! great car bt jus too hardcore for everyday use….i dont even wanna talk abt FC issues !
never drive this,
looks like evo suffer at low end, initial take off looks heavy, and i did saw its stall like almost needed to race the clutch a bit.
is what i prceive is true?
How big is the turbo? How many months/KM you have to service the turbo? and how many months/KM for the tyres? No video's of crazy driving:D?
so big and reliable that you can never service the turbo!
Paul did you stain the driver's Recaro seats? Must be during full boost.
I must say the evo is the best mitsbushi class in term of quality, performance, I know how my friend abuse his evo 8 and the car still strong and tough…
evo 9 with Mivec is even better, and sure evo 10…
BTW, US has launched the new 2.0 Mivec 152hp mitsubishi lancer with CVT transmission, wonder when malaysia will bring in this model to compete with current honda civic 2.0 155hp…
http://www.mitsucars.com/MMNA/jsp/lancer/08/index…
Driver looks like V for Vendetta (MCA Version)!
proton GL, how can you say the evo suffers on lowend? it can hit 100km/h from a standing start in less than 5 seconds!!?@! the car you saw must have been driven by a monkey (no offence to monkeys and no animals were hurt in the process of this posting).
I don't know why they have to have such big rear spoilers. It's downright ugly, and too 'boy racer' image for me. If faster cars like the M3 and RS4 can do without the atrocious contraption, why can't the EVO and Subaru offer it as an option only?
LJ
the large spoilers on these road going "rally-cars" have a function in rallying. They help keep the cars stable during big jumps as well as offer downforce during highspeed driving.
because these cars have been so successful for these brands due to their close association with their rally counterparts, they try to include as much of the elements from the rally cars into the road going cars as possible.
People who usually buy a wrx or an evo, do so because they want their car to look like the rally car. without the wing, its just not the same.
I think the Evo and Subaru spoilers are a little bit lairy but they are functional nontheless serving as a useful feature rather than a purely cosmetic trend as they are purely derived from rally racing.
If you think the standard wings are horrendous, wait till you see the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Super Rally Car's wing. That thing would make the even most riced up driver blush from embarrassment.
hondadriver said,
April 11, 2007 @ 8:25 am
proton GL, how can you say the evo suffers on lowend? it can hit 100km/h from a standing start in less than 5 seconds!!?@! the car you saw must have been driven by a monkey (no offence to monkeys and no animals were hurt in the process of this posting).
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yah hondadriver youre right, its a fast car,
probally what i saw is an evo 8 non-mivec / moded bit probally.
–but with non-spirited driving style caused a hicup,
i always agree with paul and you all .evo simply fierce with power
Wtf, NO WARRANTY!?!?!??! Even then, 1-year is optional? I think in UK, all Evos hv 3-year warranty as std, nt sure abt the FQ400, bt when Jeremy Clarkson was reviewing the FQ340, it did come wit 3-year warranty……
The saddest part abt this car is it doesn't feel like a RM280k car wit it's rather basic interior that's not much different than any other Jap saloon, bt cost nearly thrice (even almost quadrupel) than the others!! It also has the turning radius of a Jupiter, making it a real pain in the ass when it comes to tight corners, bt the engine is sooo rewarding…….
Paul, is the one that you drive comes wit 280hp? Hm…..so this car costs RM1,000/hp + miscellaneous extra, lol.
The 4G63T engine which is a 2 litre is a punchy boxy engine which means the revs climb up pretty well to 4,000 RPM where the big turbine does its job at optimum.
Proton GL, the Evo that you probably saw has been tuned for top end power or maybe the driver didn't want to push it. Frequent full out starts will cause the engine great stress. As for power, its either responsiveness or full on top end power normally only pushed from 3rd, 4th or 5th gear onwards to the 6th gear.
Very rarely have responsiveness and full on power come to perspective unless you have bucket-loads of money when you can customize a hybrid turbine with a bigger housing and a lighter turbine fin or ball-bearing turbine. Fueling and a good management system also come into play .
morning,
agree cbljkkj, my guss the guy i saw , since his is the non mivec, he might put adjustable cam pulley, or mild (or racing ) cam or combination , set it for racy top end, making its engine less flexible down low,
now thinking that how nice sequentil turbo and twin charger are,
or sequentil turbo and twin charger are too complicated and playful for a hardcore,
impressive car!
True true Proton GL,
However, there have been rumors flying around in the Japanese tuning circle that the Evo 9's Mivec 4G63T engine may not be as powerful as the non-Mivec engines found in the previous version of the Evo Lancers. Reason they said was because of the Mivec system.
Although cannot be confirmed as true, it cannot be denied as well. There may be some hidden truth behind it who knows?
Actually sequential twin turbo or just plain normal twin charging turbos like the GT-R are not exactly for performance. The reason for it being twin chargers is for efficiency not exactly power. However, if done properly it can be as nice as the twin GT2530s on the Mines GT-R.
Most people would normally plonk in a huge turbine because it is more efficient than two larger turbines as air has to be divided to both the turbines for pushing air into the engine. Therefore in this case, a single turbine would be best for a smaller displacement engine.
An example of how two high large end turbines can be utilized in a car with a huge displacement are the Hennessy Viper 1000hp Twin Turbo and of course the magnificent Bugatti Veyron.
Reason it can withstand the two or more huge turbines is because the displacement for those cars are alot bigger than Japanese supercars like the GT-R and the Evo.
Mistake in second paragraph, two larger turbines require a huge volume of "exhaust gasses" to spin the fins to channel in air to the engine, not dividing the air. Larger displacement engines naturally provide enough gasses to spin up one or more turbines than smaller engines.
who would want to buy with the evo10 so close. might as well wait for the run-out model time to buy. considering evo's are usually the same price and u might want to evaluate the performance of the new version.
and potential buyers wouldnt need to think about the threat from the new sti. even if the evo 10 is marginally slower
cbljkkj,
i agree with u,
just remember that the sequential turbo is actually is a supercar level,
if iv not mistaken the old Porsche 959, with awd, 3 point something to 60mph. using sequential turbo,
but, yes twincharger is power and efficency, in golf gt ,
anyway this configuration is probally to be tweaked not posibble used for high end sports car,
just a tought,
i
All the more reason for the Malaysian Police force to be arrogant on the road. They are already arrogant when they drive a Proton Waja, imagine you waste an EVO on them ? And all these comes back to one thing, the rakyat has to suffer yet again because where do you think these police patrols petrol money come from ?? From the RAKYATS POCKETS, BLOODY FREAKING HELL !!!!
While its always wonderful to see the old Evo being whipped around empty roads like the pictures above, I think this review came a little late. But not that it would matter if anyone is given a chance at the wheel, eh?
It would’ve been better if the opportunity is used to put it against the current Jap Q-cars like the new Evo or the WRX STI. But I’m quite sure it’s not easy to obtain for review purposes isn’t it?
Anyhow, the old Evo is still a wonderful car to have and enjoy. Its quick and easy to drive.
But you know what Paul? I find it a little ‘slow’ (if you can call it that) next to the Merc E55 AMG, when I drove the Evo 9 a day after I returned the E55. Of course, comparing the E55 to the Evo 9 is like comparing a space shuttle to the 747 but I just thought I should mention it here ‘coz the Evo 9 is actually just good for quick bursts, not the right weapon if you want real-deal blindingly fast speeds.
evo 8 is the best car!!!