Legends arise in motorsport. In this case, the history book opens in the rally year 1988. For the first time Mitsubishi brought a sports car with all-wheel drive to the start. It can be seen as the hour of birth of the ancestors of the Mitsubishi EVO X. Last year the rally grandson had to say goodbye to the European market, now the tough fellow is also in the USA.

Today, the signs point to energy transition, to eco and electric. Alternative drives and hybridization are aiming for the top spots. Even a rally hero can feel out of place. As a farewell, we look back once again at a very fine guy!

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

End of working day. But legends do not die.

After you have laboriously fitted yourself into the tight-fitting Recaro sports seats, you might cry in disillusionment. So this is the grandson of the rally legends? And the cockpit looks like a normal Mitsubishi Lancer. But wait: the speedometer shows 300 as the final stop and in the middle next to the cup holders there is a switch to control the active center differential and below the automatic selector lever there is a rocker button and next to it the lettering “TwinClutch SST”.

Who starts the engine, is received by the comforting hum of the four-cylinder. Not a big show, but a strong and deep-rooted racket reminds of the far too rare moments of the full-throttle festival.

Where is the next special stage?

Even the first descent feels like you are on the direct route to the next special stage. At 11,8 m, the turning circle of the EVO model is almost two meters larger than that of the standard Lancer. The chassis and the tires indicate the color of the asphalt in a bone-dry manner and with a direct reaction to the accelerator pedal, the turbo four-cylinder can also convince in the rolling phase. Where is the next rally? The Evo and us - we'd be ready. It's not just buzzing under the hood - the whole Evo hums, the driver's heart clocks in with the frequency of the sports equipment. Looking forward to a trip in a car that doesn't care about CO2 balances.

Which is completely okay so far - the Evo is an automotive cultural asset and only finds its way onto our streets in highly homeopathic cans. Evo driving is considered medicine for the hearts of motorists who have been put to sleep by eco-madness.

Unplaned in his manners - wonderfully direct and simply without make-up. This is not about LED lighting in the headliner or seats with massage functions. This car, the 295HP turbo engine, the 6-speed dual clutch transmission and the highly complex all-wheel drive, all of this has only one point: Maximum lateral dynamics - on any surface!

One still wears wings

Understatement is for people without self-confidence.

The Evo sports a large rear wing, its effect is supported by widened fenders and striking air scoops in the bonnet. No other Mitsubishi model has the aggressive jet fighter grille fit better than this highway robber. Its 17-inch sports rims are almost a little lost in the wheel arch - there is no tuning box that has been improved afterwards - here the form follows the task. The wing? Those who have been successful on rally slopes are not impressed by stupid comments about seemingly post-pubescent behavior and comparisons of French fries. Fine-nerved elegance is reserved for others. The Evo knows this dramatic wing language, it doesn't show off, it shows off. Two wonderful Recaro bucket seats clamp the pilots in the right seating position for the next special stage between the supermarket and kindergarten. The rest of the interior is decorative and serves only one purpose, to pack the bare metal appropriately and with the necessary basic elegance.

Get it, you Wildsau!

The powertrain of the EVO X knows no mercy with the 245er Dunlop SP SPORT 600 rubbers. The drive force is mercilessly distributed and every tire is pushed to the limits of its maximum grip. What leads to an understeering front axle at the end of the asphalt toothing on dry asphalt, allows previously unknown lateral acceleration on roads with a low coefficient of friction. Neutral down to the dolls. The adaptive control of the all-wheel drive also allows the driver to influence the distribution and reaction of the drive train.

Dry asphalt: In the end, there is a lot of weight on the front axle and those who do not row with brute force on the steering wheel or take the handbrake to help the Evo X does not get oversteer. It is an impressive performance possible with the warm Dunlop SP Sport on dry asphalt. Anyone who exceeds the limits of liability has long since left the limits of the StVO!

Everything else: There is always more grip than you can imagine. In the depths of the transfer cases, there is a lot of work going on. Force here, no there. The Evo can not hide its dramatic passion for slippery track. He lives it out.

everyday factor: Hello, gas station attendant!

Admission on the third day of testing: Actually drive only muffler masochists, boost pressure fanatics or gas station sons a Mitsubishi Evo X in everyday life. Or rally fans. He is just too thirsty. And the mounted semi-sports tires are too stiff in the flank to give at least a basic level of ride comfort. In addition, there is a need for getting used to soundscape for people who have previously driven only energy-saving tires.

The Evo in its MR equipment brings everything with what you could need for everyday use. Even a seat heater for the Recaro bucket seats.

Standard equipment: Sport shoes

Well-known from other Mitsubishi models, Rockford-Fosgate's multimedia support includes sound support, as well as cornering-function xenon light, automatic wiper and keyless-go access to the vehicle.

In principle, however, everything is unimportant. For the real Evo driver, the button for the shift speed of the dual clutch transmission counts more than the button for the seat heating. And the button for adjusting the highly complex all-wheel drive is of course more important than the “info button” for the on-board computer. Four electric windows and cruise control round off the Evo driver's maximum comfort requirements.

What is really important is the “high-performance package” included in the MR variant. Above all, the Evolution buyer receives the necessary hardware to really impress on any surface. The dampers then come from Bilstein, the springs from Eibach and the two-part brake disc together with the four-piston caliper from Brembo.

Drinking habits: unpolished.

Classic food for lovers of compact Japanese athletes: two liters of displacement distributed over four cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, variably controlled by the MIVEC system and thus able to always let enough gas mixture into the combustion chambers. To ensure that the combustion chambers are always full, the engine is pressurized by a turbocharger. In the end, 295 hp await the courageous pilots and 366 Nm at 3.600 revs for the chance to blow dry wrinkles in the asphalt.

The engine sounds neither brilliant, nor convinced by moderate drinking habits. According to the Ralliart style, the quadratic power dwarf indulges in excessive use of his performance qualities and an extreme sip from the Pulle.

Under 10 liters of Super Plus per 100 km, only those who turn off the engine for the last 20 kilometers and roll downhill. Everyday life can be managed with 15 liters - the early Sunday ride is usually granted with 25-27 liters. That should be worth the fun.

stirrup

With the 6-speed dual clutch transmission, the Evolution should be perfectly equipped - but here too, in principle, the consistent design for the performance ride is evident. Everyday driving off in the city or in a traffic jam is torture for the transmission and the driver is informed of this through delayed reactions and poor controllability.

When you switched to S-Sport and clicked the lever into the manual lane, the picture changed. A transmission that sports drivers want. Very snappy when changing gears, without the bad habit of wanting to patronize the driver. Here only the driver switches gears - ideally with the fixed magnesium rockers behind the steering wheel. The transmission will not shift up even if the driver has reached the speed limit. This is what you want as a “sports driver”.

A multi-plate clutch as a variable center differential, a variable rear axle differential (Super AYC) with torque vector control and a differential lock via brake intervention for the front axle make up the all-wheel drive system of the Eco “. The driver only helps by presetting “snow, gravel, asphalt” and thus defines the basic torque distribution. In the end, it's the result that counts. And that is convincing across the board.

Multimedia & Audio: wtf

The radio and multimedia system of the Evo X does not matter. Not here. And not in the car.

Either you are in puberty or you have 100 octane in your veins, Driving a Mitsubishi Lancer in the Evolution variant with the MR Sport package is a special matter. Disabled motorists should not get involved in the adventure Evo X. Too great is the risk of being noticed negatively within the public traffic areas.

Anyone who spends every free minute on “track days” at the weekend and otherwise wants to combine turbo boom with traction will feel in good hands in the seats of the Evo.

Full throttle professionals and Trackday friends love the Evo - and there the often misunderstood rear spoiler lover feels in good hands.

What did it cost?

Pay more, so you get ran harder, I have understood so far different.

With the € 49.950 for the MR model, however, you won't go wrong - if you have made sure that you have enough reserves for sports tires and astronomical fuel bills. The consumption of the Evo certainly does not play a role for people who use the athlete as he likes: 5.000 km a year - just sporty and rough around corners.

The large two-part Brembo brake and the vehicle-specific sports tires provide an additional cost factor compared to the “normal” range of Japanese vehicles, which the driver can be prepared for!

Conclusion: indulged in the pleasure factor

"Curve Wildsau“. He was part of the top, part of those who gave the lateral automotive movement a face. Braking early and hitting the accelerator hard again before the apex - the fine art of dynamically pulling through the curve under load took some getting used to, especially on wet roads. Especially for the passengers.

It was a great pleasure to be able to move such a rough and wild dog. The times when 300 PS is allowed to blow more than 20 liters of SuperPlus are probably coming to an end, leaving only the following assessment:

He will miss us. Now it is Subaru WRX STi the last rally descendant in the showrooms.

• Model Name: Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X
• Equipment:  MR
• Test car Price: 49.950€
• Basic price series: 41.990€  (without TC-SST)

• displacement: 1.998 ccm³
• Power: 295 PS
• maximum speed: 242 km/h
• Acceleration: 0-100: 5,6 seconds