Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X CAR review

So this is the tenth new version of the Evo – why should I still take any notice?

Sure, some previous new Evos had differences that only its diehard fans could spot or cared about. Not this time. The Mitsubishi Evo X is new from the wheels up. It reignites the rivalry that has raged on streets and rally stages between Mitsubishi and Subaru since the ‘90s; both the Evo and the new Impreza STi will be launched at this month’s Tokyo Motor Show, but CAR Online has driven the Evo first and exclusively at Mitsubishi’s Tokachi proving ground in northern Japan. And most importantly, it aims to broaden the Evo’s appeal away from just those diehards to the huge numbers of buyers who will happily spend £30,000 on a sports saloon and love the idea of the Evo’s supercar performance, but who just couldn’t live with the old car’s hard ride, cheap cabin and lack of refinement.

First things first – it’s still insanely fast, right?

Right. The new engine (more of which later) officially makes 280bhp and 311lb ft, and boots the stripped-out RS version to 60mph in just 4.5 seconds. The heavier GSR (around 1520kg, or 100kg more than the IX) carries all the kit that will be fitted to the FQ-badged version we’ll get in the UK and takes just 5.2sec when fitted with the SST twin-clutch paddle-shift manual. Mitsu admits privately that its power and acceleration figures for the new car are a little conservative. The UK importers will offer the standard car as an FQ300 (its true power output) with uprated FQ330 and FQ360 versions that will take the 60mph time back under five seconds.