KEY POINTS:
So you wanna be a top rally driver? Bad news - you're probably not. Really good rally drivers belong to a strange, highly advanced species that can do things with cars you and I can only dream about.
Perhaps what you need is a car that makes you look and feel like a top rally driver, yet won't make you wet yourself when things get hot and heavy. Which they will, because you're pretending to be a top rally driver, remember?
That first bit is easy. The Japanese, in particular, do quite a nice line in technology-laden rally-inspired cars, which go fast and have their tyres coated in Superglue.
But machines in that category that won't scare you silly are pretty rare - most of the time, the noise, violent acceleration and potential for a huge accident are really quite intimidating.
Which is where the all-new Mitsubishi Evo X comes in. Mitsubishi has a fine tradition of bonkers Evo models, but this isn't one of them.
It's astonishingly fast, sticky beyond belief in corners and likely to get you an entry ticket to the impound yard, but that supercar performance and handling comes wrapped up in a package that's smooth to drive, refined and generally provides no-fuss transport when you're commuting to work.
The Evo X is crammed with weight-saving technology.
Almost every body panel is aluminium, and the only component carried over from the regular Lancer is the bootlid.
Regardless, thanks to extra chassis stiffening, the new Evo is still 100kg heavier than the car it replaces. No matter - it manages 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds, just like the old car.
The engine is all-new - a 2.0-litre turbo 12kg lighter than the Evo IX mill and pumps out 206kW/422Nm.
There's more force than ever before contained under that alumin- ium bonnet, but it's delivered in such a smooth way that the term "turbo lag" must be banished from this story right now.
However, the heart and soul of the X is not the engine but the Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) four-wheel drive system. Like the previous model, the Evo has trick stuff such as an Active Centre Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC) and anti-lock braking.
But new for the X is stability control, which not only provides a safety net if you get carried away, it has also been integrated into the car so all of these electronic driver-aid systems communicate with one another to put the power down and keep the car stable in extreme cornering situations. Surreal speed through the trickiest turns is a flex of the right foot away.
All Kiwi-market Evo Xs have what's called the High Performance package in Japan - forged alloy BBS 18-inch wheels that are lighter than the standard items, Bilstein dampers, Eibach springs and massive Brembo brakes. It's a lot of high-tech car for $62,990.
Our evaluation car had the five-speed manual transmission option, but the one to have will be the new Twin Clutch-Sports Shift Transmission (TC-SST) on the way for next year.
It's an automated six-speed manual that promises lightning-fast gear changes, yet with the ability to be driven like an automatic when you're stuck in traffic.
That will really open up the Evo to a new market, especially when the car is also so practical. Like the Lancer on which it is based, the X is a roomy family sedan with decent ergonomics.
There's some compromise that comes with all this performance, but only some - the rear seats no longer fold down because there's a huge V-brace behind them for extra body strength, the boot is slightly smaller because the battery and washer bottle have been relocated there to improve weight distribution, and the ride is pretty firm - but not acceptably so for everyday driving.
The Evo X is a very different car from version IX that came before it - larger, more sophisticated and more user-friendly, yet significantly faster from A-to-B. Is that progress in the world of rally-inspired road rockets?
Of course - and yet there will be many who'll miss the adrenalin rush and raw enthusiasm of the comparatively crude Evo IX.
I must confess if I was in the market for a vehicle like this at the moment, I would be tempted to hunt down a near-new Evo IX in light of its potential to provide sheer thrills.
But only if there was something less manic sharing the garage for weekdays. To drive the IX every day would drive you bonkers.
And that's where the Evo X shines. It's the ultimate Evo in technology and performance - and it's easy to live with.
- Detours, HoS
