Autoblog

Click for a hi-res gallery of the Mitsubishi Evo X

Some cars look bad-ass, while others have a bad-ass image. The latest Mitsubishi Evo ticks both boxes, and ticks them off with a big X. Despite being based on the run-of-the-mill, work-a-day Lancer sedan, the Evo X has all the attitude you could ask from a performance icon, with the actual performance to back it up.

With the Evolution X now upon us, Mitsubishi has released no fewer than 35 new jumbo images of the beast, which we've added to our ever-growing high-resolution gallery for a total of 89 images to thrash your desktop into submission. Check out what happens when the Evo comes to town by clicking the thumbnails below.

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Click either image for a high-res rendering of each model at AutoExpress.

Mitsubishi and Subaru are entering round two of the newest battle for all-wheel-drive supremacy and AutoExpress has ringside seats. Both automakers are preparing hard-core versions of their turbocharged, rally-bred road rockets and that means more power, more aerodynamic mods and, in the case of Subaru, less weight.

The Lancer Evolution X MR is on the way, with a new fascia equipped with extra venting and a new air intake, while a revised rear wing, side skirts and blacked-out wheels complete the exterior makeover. Output is increased by 20 hp (in JDM spec) to 305 hp and the mid-range has been tweaked to provide more low-end torque, dropping the 0-60 time to under five seconds. The paddle-shifted SST twin-clutch transmission transfers over from the GSR model (likely with some software revisions) and the body has been stiffened to maximize the MR's handling.

Subaru is taking a different tack, keeping power upgrades to the STI's turbo'd 2.5-liter boxer to a minimum and instead focusing on weight reduction. The Impreza WRX STI Spec C will get a slightly revised aero kit, with a roof scoop (functional?), standard gold wheels, a lightweight roof, aluminum trunk lid, compact battery, smaller fuel tank and thinner compartment glass all around. All that work is expected to result in a 154-pound drop in weight, so the Spec C will tip the scales at just over 3,000 pounds.

Subaru is also planning to equip the new Legacy with the STI's drivetrain, a revised suspension and slapping on an "S402" badge on the back, along with a sporting interior with more grippy seats. All of this is only for JDM consumption at the moment, but we'd expect to see both the MR and Spec C hit the UK next year, with sales in the U.S. of the MR coming around the same time.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Click image for a gallery of the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

When the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution made its North American debut in 2003, folks in Canada were left out in the cold. The diamond star vehicle's bumper design and intercooler placement did not meet Canada's low speed impact regulations. Fortunately for the land of maple leaves, Mitsubishi considered their plight when designing the new-generation 2008 Lancer Evolution. As is the case with many automobiles imported to Canada, the Evo meets the stringent bumper standards through the inclusion of a plastic bumper guard. A loyal reader sent us photos from the Canadian International Auto Show to illustrate the necessary modification. From a side profile, the almost 2-inch-thick extension above the rear diffuser has the appearance of a diaper, as it awkwardly protrudes out from the rear bumper. For your consideration, we have included picture galleries of the Canadian model along with the images from the car's US release at the end of the post.

The bumper guard isn't the only extra tacked onto the Evo in Canada. There's also a bit of a price disparity that comes with it. The Canadian Evo GSR is set at $42,993, a $10,003 difference from US-market pricing, while the WRX STI, including navigation, is priced at $46,590 -- a difference of $7,121. Fans of the Subaru WRX STI can also note that, unlike the Evo, the new Canadian scoobies do not require added stick-ons. The matter may not sway the diehard Mitsubishi fan, but it might not be enough to win over those on the cusp.

Thanks for the tip Marc!

Gallery: 2008 Canadian Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Gallery: 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

EVO magazine has picked its Car of the Year Winner: the Porsche GT3 RS, which we're going to call The Orange Crush from now on. It only just beat out the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, and had only slightly more breathing between it and the third place Audi R8. Looking at the entire top ten list, two race-cars-for-the-street beat eight other cars with nifty little features like power windows and leather seats, which makes sense, but even cars like the 350Z and Mini Cooper S Works still made it on the list.

However, the most interesting result could be that the Honda Civic Type R came in sixth... one spot ahead of the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. We have no idea what their exact criteria was, not having read the article, but it appears that at EVO, raging bulls should be a little more ... civic.

[Source: German Car Scene]

click above image to view high-res gallery of the Ferrari FXX Evoluzione

Following earlier reports, Ferrari unveiled a new, modified version of the super-Enzo during this past weekend's Ferrari World Finals at its Mugello race track in Italy. As the name suggests, FXX Evoluzione is a further evolution of the FXX program that places "client test drivers" (i.e. obscenely wealthy Ferrari aficionados playing Schumacher) behind the wheel of developmental test beds to try out new equipment for Ferrari. In fact, Schumacher himself was reportedly on hand to unveil the car, having sporadically participated in the program over the past two years.

The FXX Evoluzione picks up where the "ordinary" FXX program left off, extending the program by an additional two years, based on an even more radical version of the track-only machine. With 35,000 kilometers worth of telemetry from the 20 cars, engineers compiled a series of tweaks to sharpen the car's capabilities. Output is boosted to a staggering 860 HP, redline is up to a shrieking 9,500 rpm, and shift times are down to a lightning-fast 60 milliseconds. The traction control system has been modified to be less invasive, more adaptable and can be adjusted in-cockpit on the fly between nine distinct settings from corner to corner. Suspension geometry has been modified, as has the aerodynamic package, which, along with fresh livery, accounts for a slightly different appearance compared to the previous version.

The result of all these and a few other small modifications (which you can read about in detail in the press release after the jump) means that the FXX Evoluzione can now lap the company's private Fiorano test track two seconds faster than its predecessor at 1 min 16 sec. The kit can be retrofitted to any of the 20 FXXs that took place in the program until now, and includes participation in a renewed program that will take these most extreme machines to two events each in North America, Europe and Asia (for a total of eight track events) each year over the next two years. Money may not be able to buy you happiness, but it can buy you a seat as a Ferrari test driver, which sounds like happiness to us.

[Source: Ferrari]

http://digg.com/offbeat_news/Schumacher_to_present_the_new_Ferrari_FXX_Evoluzione_this_weekendReports are circulating in the Italian motoring press that Ferrari is preparing to show a significantly reworked FXX Evoluzione. The development car is reportedly being unveiled by none other than Michael Schumacher next weekend at the company's Mugello circuit in Italy in conjunction with the final stage of the Ferrari Challenge series. Also taking to the track will be an anticipated 34 retired F1 cars of various eras from the company's F1 Clienti program as well as the FXX program.

The FXX itself is, of course, an evolution of the Enzo supercar, which gives selected clients a chance to participate in the testing and development of new features and components for Ferrari road cars. It's essentially a rolling test bed, with new parts being tacked on all the time. The FXX Evoluzione, then, must be a significant step forward to warrant the new nomenclature, and sources suggest it will benefit from new aerodynamic elements, a new traction control system using applied experience from F1, and a power hike to 850 HP. Like the incremental modifications the FXX has undertaken to date as part of the ongoing program, the Evoluzione package is expected to be retrofitted to the existing cars.

[Source: Autosprint magazine via Autoblog.it]

Click the image above for more shots of Mitsubishi's Evolution X.

We're counting down the days before our departure to Japan for the Tokyo Motor Show, and as we mark each passing date with a red "X" it takes on a special meaning.

Car and Driver's initial review of the Mitsubishi Evolution X has already given us some of the specs, including the new blown two-liter's rating of 295 HP and 300 lb.-ft. of torque in GSR and MR guise. Now, Mitsubishi has released three images showing the JDM-spec Evo's exterior, and one pic that reveals what U.S. buyers can expect to enjoy while sitting in the new Evo MR's cockpit.

Check the gallery below for more.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Our pulpy friends over at 2002 Hogback Road have gotten their hands on the latest version of Mitsubishi's Evo, the Evo X. Car and Driver's November 2007 issue has a preview of the Evo X, and they found that while the new car gives up speed to the outgoing model in a drag race, it kicks it in the teeth if curves are on the menu. Any car that can run a 13.8-second quarter mile is not slow, anyway. Consider that you get that kind of speed for a base price of $30,000, and 295 horsepower from two-liters is impressive. C&D's numbers are from the Evo GSR, and a JDM one at that, but changes for US-bound Evos are down to details.

Putting the 295 horsepower and 300 lb/feet of torque to the ground in a seamless manner is a bucketful of acronyms. There's a new dual-clutch sequential gearbox called Twin-Clutch SST that is bolted to four coordinated systems that get the overall descriptor of Super All Wheel Control. S-AWC combines a center differential with yaw control, stability control, and a rear differential with separate clutches for the left and right wheels. The structure is stiffer and lighter, and in the boy-racer arena, the Evo's always been a sweet driver, which hasn't changed. In fact, the character of the car has become a little less uncouth, which purists may cry about, but the rest of us will just giggle like schoolgirls as the Evo X replicates the video game experience IRL.

[Source: VWVortex]

Thanks for the tip, Chris!

Over nearly two decades, Mitsubishi's Evolution has done exactly what its name implies, with each successive model getting better, and a separate numerical designation affixed to the trunk. However, according to AutoExpress, buyers of the newest Evo in UK will be getting their all-wheel-drive rally rocket bereft of the next Roman numeral, "X" on the boot.

The plain-old Evolution will be anything but when it goes on sale next spring, packing 300+ HP and enough electronics to keep any CES geek catatonic for weeks.

[Source: AutoExpress]

A recent conversation with a colleague, whose previous stint as a traffic officer in the UK equipped him to become one of the preeminent driving instructors in the U.S., prompted a discussion of law enforcement exercises. Apparently in the U.K., it's not uncommon to see an unmarked Volvo, with neither a siren blaring nor lights flashing, traveling upwards of 140 MPH down the M1. Only a sticker on the rear proclaims the vehicle's purpose: "Police Training."

As if that wasn't disconcerting enough (albeit incredibly cool), our new friend Alex of Team Polizei fame was fortunate enough to have a reader send in shots of one of two Mitsubishi Evolution 8s currently used by the UK ANPR police. His story is accessible by clicking the "Read" link below, but according to Mr. Ed these two Evos won't be the only AWD rally rides carrying the boys in blue – they'll be getting two new Subaru WRXs, complete in yellow and blue livery within the next couple of months; all paid for by traffic offenders. Drive right and read on.

[Source: Gumball144]