At last, pics of the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution SE
We've been waiting since last week to bring you pictures of the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Special Edition, and they're finally here!
Recapping what we previously reported, the Evo Special Edition represents the final round of updates to the Evolution IX bodystyle. With its price set at $33,249, this new trim grade includes the aluminum roof shared with the Evo RS and MR, a new front lip extension, lightweight 17" BBS wheels finished in a "Diamond Black" look, red-stitched Recaros, and HID headlamps.
The Graphite Grey exterior color depicted above looks good to us, but if that's not your fancy, Mitsubishi will be happy to make you one in Apex Silver or Tarmac Black instead. Wth that, we bid a fond farewell to the Evo IX.
On deck: Evo X!!! Not that we're not excited about it or anything....
(More pics, press release after the jump)
[Source: Mitsubishi]
PRESS RELEASE:
THRILLING VISUAL AND PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENTS AT AN EXCELLENT VALUE DISTINGUISH 2006 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION SE
Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is applying the "Special Edition" treatment to its critically acclaimed ninth-generation Lancer Evolution. The 2006 Lancer Evolution SE offers special features at a competitive price of $33,249 MSRP to make this legendary performance vehicle even more thrilling. The new SE trim level represents the final enhancement to a Lancer Evolution body style that has been on sale in the U.S. market since 2003.
Inside the Special Edition trim level, supportive, red-stitched RECARO® seats accentuate the interior while the exterior receives a new front airdam extension that adds style while reducing front end lift. A lightweight aluminum roof panel, also found on the Lancer Evolution RS and MR, helps control body roll by lowering the vehicle's center of gravity. The feather weight 17" forged BBS® alloy wheels, now in a new "Diamond Black" finish, add style while reducing unsprung weight to improve suspension performance. The SE trim level also includes high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights with halogen fog lamps giving the vehicle a distinctive look. The available exterior color choices for the Lancer Evolution SE are Apex Silver, Graphite Gray and Tarmac Black.
True to the Lancer Evolution's heritage, the SE is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder DOHC intercooled-turbocharged engine with Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and Electronic Control (MIVEC) that is mated to a rugged 5-speed transmission.
The revised airdam, Recaro® seats with red stitching, and forged BBS® wheels with "Diamond Black" finish are available on the MR trim level as well in the form of an Appearance Package which sells for $500.00.
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, finance, sales, marketing, research and development operations of the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in the United States. Mitsubishi Motors sells coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of approximately 540 dealers.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Michael 5:09AM (8/25/2008)
A few questions regarding the 2006 Evo;
Does the SE edition have the same ride quality as the MR edition? I've read the MR edition has softer shock absorbers & springs.
Does the MR edition have more acoustic sound deadening material than the SE edition?
Can I have cruise control installed in a 2006 & how much $ ?
Many thanks.
Reply
phil 8:43AM (8/08/2006)
quick, we need to get to Stop & Shop for some bread, milk, and eggs as fast as we can kids... hold on!!!
Reply
Davis 9:22AM (8/08/2006)
I love this car. Hope the Evo IX has a good final run. Cant wait for the Evo X.
Reply
villainy 9:28AM (8/08/2006)
Mmmm.... Take that wing off and drop it just the tiniest of bits to fill in that front wheel well, nobody would suspect a thing until the little Mitsubishi is suddenly doing 120+ and turning into a little dot on the horizon. I want.
Reply
C 11:23AM (8/08/2006)
I suppose this might command MSRP as a special edition, but does anyone know what regular EVO VIIIs and IXs are going for on the street? I own a '93 AWD DSM, and over $30k seems pretty steep for a car with what I can only assume is similarly fun performance but questionable build quality.
Reply
That One Person 11:32AM (8/08/2006)
WRXs are way better...
No matter how many bodykits they throw on this car or how much power they put into it, in the end its still a Lancer...which isnt saying much.
Reply
robino 11:35AM (8/08/2006)
I have never been in the market for a car like this as I want more refinement and luxury in a daily driver. However, a local dealer let me take one for a quick spin about a year ago. You have to be impressed by what Mitsubishi has done to maximize the potential of what is basically an otherwise unappealing car. It is as fast as it is ugly and this is no doubt part of its appeal. It also seemed to me that the cost of this "drugs, sex and rocknroll" approach is going to be a short lifespan. Second-hand Evo's are going to be huge money pits. I too look forward to the next generation.
Reply
Nick 12:57PM (8/08/2006)
I have the same car in non-SE trim and I must say the fake naca ducts in the front lip are hideous. It was bad enough when Audi had the Quattro25 with solid plastic 'grates' in the vents, but this is just a sticker...
#4, the evo is much better built than a DSM, and the price is more than fair when you consider all the top shelf hardware that goes into the car. Aluminum fenders, hood, and roof- forged aluminum suspension components, forged wheels, brembo brakes, etc. These are all components that are engineered into the overall design, and the car has very little in common with the base lancer. I had a 2003 and had zero problems with it over 3 years and 36K miles, and I tracked my car 4-5 times. I bought the 2006 because the resale value of the 03 made it work out, and I haven't looked back since.
#5- YOu're definitely entitled to your opinion but after owning a WRX they're not close to being in the same league. A stock Impreza is much better than a stock lancer, but the difference between a WRX and impreza is much smaller than the difference between an evo and a lancer. A WRX is more practical and has a softer ride, but for performance, the Evo is much better, the fact that they reengineered the Lancer platform with motorsports in mind meant that they compromised a lot less on the chassis.
Reply
Rob 11:11PM (5/26/2008)
What about the 06 EVO as a daily driver 150-200 miles a day and 400 mile road trips, if driven lightly? would it be dependable over long term???
C 1:15PM (8/08/2006)
Nick,
I'm glad you think the build quality of new EVOs is better than DSMs, but it's what happens after the warranty expires that would worry me. EVOs just haven't been around long enough (in the states) to determine how they'll hold up to, say, 10 winters.
Reply
Nick 2:21PM (8/08/2006)
C,
Mine was fine after 3 winters... i think the determinant here is the quality of care the car gets. After 10 years you start to see deterioration of seals, etc, that are present in all cars. One point I'd like to make is that the Evo lacks lots of the little things that break in cars after 10 years. No auto climate control, no power seats, not even cruise control. Since the car is overengineered for stock power, if you're not burning out at every stoplight and not modding the car to within an inch of its life, you'll probably see some reliability.
The Evo is an FIA homologated chassis- the suspension components, transmission, and engine are all very close to their WRC Group A and Group N counterparts. The body is heavily modified with a series of reinforcing spot welds and braces, and the only body panel it shares with the base car are the front doors. In Japan, the competition RS model is solely for motorsports use- it has 15" steel wheels and a stock lancer interior and is barely street legal- because the assumption is that the interior, wheels, and brakes will all be replaced by the owner for racing. The suspension components, transmission, and drivetrain are identical to what we get in the US. It's not like a DSM where the GSX model had relatively mild chassis and suspension upgrades compared to the base model.
The 4G63 is an evolution of the engine in your DSM, and the crankwalk issue has never been a problem with the Evo, so there aren't any inherent flaws that have popped up with the latest engine.
The bottom line is that if you're not thrashing your car, and keeping up on the maintenance, I'd expect the Evo to be a very reliable car. Also, despite the cries about warranty denials from people who probably shouldn't expect a warranty, the Evo has a 5 year/60K mile bumper to bumper warranty. I don't think anything else in this performance class has that kind of guarantee.
Not sure if this helps but just thought I'd share my experience. Also, I bought my Evo in 2003 for 29K and sold it in 2006 for 21K. In the end I paid around 10K (including interest) to drive a car for 36 months. That's basically like leasing a $30K car for under 300/month, so resale on the Evos appears to be quite strong.
Reply
C 4:49PM (8/08/2006)
Nick,
I appreciate your detailed response, and it's good to hear that your EVOs have been durable--of course I'd love to have one.
Also I'm glad there's at least one other person with a 4G63 who isn't just interested in $3000 turbos and stage 14 clutches.
Reply
Poe 7:53PM (8/08/2006)
"5. WRXs are way better...
No matter how many bodykits they throw on this car or how much power they put into it, in the end its still a Lancer...which isnt saying much."
...and a WRX is still an Imprezza. They're BOTH butt-ugly 4-door econoboxes with kick-ass powertrains. Your point?
Reply
Andrew 7:58PM (8/08/2006)
#5.. GREAT COMMENT! "In the end its still a Lancer"... so in the end a WRX is just an Imprezza per your analysis... so what's that saying?
You can't compare a base Lancer/Imprezza to it's big brothers.
I hate fanboys.
Reply
Stacey 2:49AM (8/16/2006)
I bet there'll be an automatic impulse to bring this to a reputable tuner the moment you bought one. I'd go for the Tarmac Black, though I would prefer a red one, but seems I got limited choice.
Reply
tink 2:57PM (8/17/2006)
i brought an evo in sept 04 and personally its the best choice for me and my family so far i would never go back to what you would call the normal car now we all love it too much and really we cant wait till 2007 which we belive is the release date for the concept x its never let us down drives well when you around town and even better around a track as for the wrx i think there no good at all evos forever
Reply