The Evo vs. WRX STI battle is the Ford vs. Chevy of the new millennium. School kids, internet racers and guys that actually know how to drive all love to debate the merits of these rally-bred AWD turbocharged sedans, and something tells us that people will still be having these heated discussions well into the future. Just like the Yank tanks your (grand)fathers drooled over, the Evo and STI offer incredibly high levels of performance at a price that even a Source Interlink employee can afford.
The next salvo in this battle has been fired, and early indications show that Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution X will be crowned the new favorite ride of the Super Street faithful. While Subaru has gone and given its new WRX the sex appeal of a new Corolla, Mitsubishi toughened up its already attractive Lancer and delivered an aggressive-looking, shark-nosed ride that still turns heads without the need to resort to freakishly large boy-racer wings. Yes, the Evo X still has a somewhat large wing, blistered fenders and a host of hood scoops, but each and every one of these features is functional and serves a real, measurable, performance-enhancing purpose.
That gaping gunmetal maw and center hood-mounted NACA duct work overtime to bring cool air to the new 4B11 T/C engine-the first all-new engine in the Evolution's history. This new Evo motor puts out 295 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque and is lighter, cleaner and more powerful than its 4G63 predecessor. This engine was designed with weight distribution in mind, too. It uses an aluminum block, which yields a 27 lb. weight savings over the old motor, and the exhaust manifold now sits at the rear of the engine to further improve the car's overall weight balance.
Power gets to the ground via a five-speed manual transmission or the optional six-speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST). While most enthusiasts will latch onto the manual car, the TC-SST version is actually pretty damn good. There are three computer-controlled shift modes here: Normal, Sport and Super Sport (S-Sport). Normal and Sport are pretty self-explanatory; S-Sport mode is a redline-loving, hard-shifting map designed for track use only. Those that don't like having a computer controlling the shifting can always opt to swap cogs via the Evo X's magnesium paddle shifters.
Both transmissions benefit from the addition of Mitsubishi's new Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. This S-AWC system uses a combination of traction-enhancing technologies-an Active Center Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC) rear differential, Active Stability Control (ASC) and sport ABS brakes-not only to keep the sedan glued to the road, but going in the direction you want it to. Turn the driving assists off, and the Evo's non-computer-controlled technology still works to keep the Evo's line tried and true on the track. The regular new Lancer is already 56-percent stiffer than the last-gen Evo 9, and this basic chassis has been beefed up even more to compensate for the Evo X's enhanced performance capabilities. The suspension consists of a MacPherson inverted strut front and multi-link rear.
Mitsubishi has made a concerted effort to give the Evo X's interior a more upscale feel. As awesome as the pre-X Evos are, they have been cursed with some of the cheapest interiors in the biz. The Evo Xs we drove were RHD Japanese pre-production units, and we feel it would be unfair to make a declarative statement regarding the car's cockpit. That said, the pre-production Evo X does feel a lot nicer inside when compared to the Evos of old. It's still not as nice as, say, a Civic inside, but it's a marked improvement nonetheless.