1. 22 I TOTAL EVO I July 2007 23July 2007 I TOTAL EVO I
I Feature
The Result
of Natural
SelectionThis is the fastest Evo yet, and it upholds Mitsubishi honour until an
all-new car arrives in the autumn. ANDREWNOAKES drives the Evo IX
MR FQ-360, and finds it’s in a class of its own.
R
ain batters the windscreen of the Evo IX
MR as we dodge the articulated lorries
lumbering east on the A14. We’re
heading for a disused airfield -
somewhereinCambridgeshirewherewecangive
this final evolution of the Evolution a chance to
showwhatit’smadeof,butprogressisslow.When
a gap opens up in the stream of coast-bound
trucksanddawdlingcommuterstheEvocanhint
at its potential,but even a car as quick as this has
its work cut out in rush hour.
Trundling along with the traffic, it’s an
uncomfortable,irritablecompanion.Theride >>

2. 24 I TOTAL EVO I July 2007
I Feature
25July 2007 I TOTAL EVO I
iswoodenandthecabindrab,liveneduponlyby
a fine Momo steering wheel and Recaro seats.
Noise levels inside are high, the engine note is
uninspiring.It doesn’t have the flexibility to pull
sixthgearcleanlyunder2000rpm,butdropacog
or two and you have a different problem - all too
easily the Evo is into its 3000 rpm-plus working
zone and dashing headlong into the traffic.
Lifting off, or dithering with the throttle, brings
with it untidy drive-train shunt.This is not a car
that likes to queue.
Open roads – and even better, the wide open
spacesof ourairfield–areamorenaturalhabitat.
Mitsubishi’s claim that the Evo IX MR will
dispatch the benchmark 0-62mph sprint in just
3.9secondsiswhollybelievable,andthatputsthe
Evo into a select class populated by the likes of
Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Closely-
stacked ratios in the six-speed gearbox make
it easy to keep the engine spinning hard, and
mid-range acceleration is never less than brutal.
But the Mitsubishi can’t match the supercar
exotica for outright speed - as was the case with
its predecessors it is electronically limited to
‘only’ 157mph.
A familiar engine provides all this urge. As
with every Evo since 1992, the MR is powered
by the four-cylinder 4G63 unit which appeared
in normally-aspirated, single-cam form in the
1970s and made its turbocharged debut in 1980.
The most significant development in recent
times has been the introduction of MIVEC
variable intake valve timing in 2005, though
there have been continual detail changes.
Japanese-market Evos are still claimed to deliver
276ps, but UK-bound have long been reworked
todelivermoreandforthe2006EvoFQ-360and
the 2007 Evo IX MR that work is entrusted to
Ralliart, Mitsubishi’s in-house tuning division.
“We wanted to deliver the best possible
Mitsubishi’sclaimthattheEvoIXMRwill
dispatchthebenchmark0-62mphsprintin
just3.9secondsiswhollybelievable
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3. 26 I TOTAL EVO I July 2007 27July 2007 I TOTAL EVO I
drivingexperience,ratherthanconcentratingon
a headline-grabbing power output,” says
Ralliart’s Paul Brigden. “We’ve worked hard to
optimise the FQ-360’s driveability.” To that end
the MR sports a revised turbo with
titanium/aluminium alloy fins and a smaller
compressor inlet diameter, which is said to
improve engine response throughout the rev
range. Fat alloy induction pipes from HKS
provide a freer-flowing path into and out of the
intercooler (which still has water-spray cooling,
complete with a gimmicky manual over-ride
button). HKS also supplies a high-pressure fuel
pump and the ‘Super Dragger’ exhaust system
which incorporates a low-loss sports cat. A
remapped engine-management ECU completes
the mechanical changes, which boost power to
no less than 366ps at 6887rpm. Torque rises to
363lb ft at 3200rpm,even more than the special-
edition FQ-400 of 2004.
There are more changes outside, but it takes a
sharp eye to spot most of them.A subtle carbon
fibre lip now sits at the bottom of the front
bumper/airintakemoulding,andthere’sa‘shark
tooth’ vortex generator over the rear window
(carried over from the FQ-400) which is said to
reduce drag and boost rear downforce. Out go
the10-spokeEnkeiwheelsandincome11-spoke
Speedline Turinis which mimic the style of
Mitsubishi’s British Rally Championship cars.
Bilstein dampers are carried over from the
regular Evo IX, but the MR has stiffer Eibach
springswhichlowerthecarby10mmatthefront
and 5mm at the rear.
The MR also benefits from an uprated‘Super
AYC’ yaw control system. Super AYC transfers
torque between the rear wheels to alter the car’s
attitude in a corner, effectively minimizing
understeer. In the MR, the system has a torque-
transfer capacity approximately 10 per cent
greaterthanbefore–andtheretunedsuspension
is also said to improve its effect.
Evos have always been criticized for their stiff
ride, but the problem is really the way they
struggle to cope with potholes, cambers and
Thefrontendrunswideonlyuptoapoint,
thenmagicallyholdsitslineasthe
electronicsdotheirstuff
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4. geared steering. But safe, predictable understeer
is the dominant characteristic, and as you
accelerate hard through a bend you can feel the
Super-AYC yaw control system feed more power
to the outer rear wheel to keep the understeer in
check - the front end runs wide only up to a
point, then magically holds its line as the
electronics do their stuff. On track, only the
brakes let the side down - a dozen hard go-stop-
turn cycles for our cornering shots left the pads
wilting,thoughthatmighthavebeenasymptom
of our press car’s previous abuse. Even so, for
29July 2007 I TOTAL EVO I28 I TOTAL EVO I July 2007
jointsinthetarmacwhenyou’repressingon.The
advent of Bilstein dampers on the last of the Evo
XIIIs largely solved the problem, but the stiffer
springs of the MR bring back that nervous,
unpredictable character which makes for a less
confidence-inspiring machine when the road
surface deteriorates. But get it onto a smooth
track and it’s transformed.
As long as the surface is friendly, the Evo is
stable and sure-footed. Lift-off mid-bend – or
worse still, hit the brakes – and the tail will step
out,needingaswiftcorrectionthroughthehigh-
serioustrackdayusetougherpadsorbiggerdiscs
would be a worthwhile upgrade.
But it isn’t the Evo’s outright ability on track,
good as it is, which makes it so memorable. The
impressive bit is that the Evo combines that
shattering straight-line performance and
scorching track pace into a practical package
with four doors, four seats and a sensible boot.
And it all comes at little more than half the cost
of a Porsche 911. Which is slower, anyway.
Just 200 examples of the Evo IX MR FQ-360
will be built before the all-new Evo X is
announced in the autumn. The next Evo
promises to be a very different machine, with a
more mainstream appeal.Which means the Evo
IX MR FQ-360 is not just the last of its
generation – it’s also the end of an era. There
might never be anything like it again. <<
SPECIFICATIONS MitsubishiLancerEvolutionIX
MRFQ-360
ENGINE Turbocharged4G63in-linefour,
transverselymounted;HKS
inductionkitandexhaustsystem
POWER 366psat6887rpm
TORQUE 363lbftat3200rpm
SUSPENSION MacPhersonstrutfront,multi-
linkrear;Eibachsprings;Bilstein
dampers
BRAKES Ventilateddiscsallround;
Brembofour-potcalipersat
front;SportsABSandEBD
WHEELS&TYRES 8x17inSpeedlinewheels,
YokohamaADVAN235/45ZR17
tyres
PERFORMANCE 0-62mph:3.9sec,Topspeed:
157mph
ECONOMY combinedcycle19.6mpg
PRICE £35,539
TheEvoIXMRFQ-360isnotjustthelastof
itsgeneration–it’salsotheendofanera
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