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 above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi Evolution X

We've already spent some wheel time in the Mitsubishi Evolution X GSR, and despite some dynamic criticisms, we're convinced that the new Evo remains one of the most compelling performance bargains south of $40-grand. But what about the MR? Mitsubishi contends that its top-of-the-line Evo is aimed at discerning drivers looking for a compromise between brute force and comfort. Well, that balance comes at a price, and when the MR hits dealers this June, soft-bottomed enthusiasts will have to pony up $38,290 to get behind the wheel of the more "luxurious" Evo X.

The MR comes standard with Mitsubishi's new six-speed, Twin-Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) and all the other features found on the standard GSR. If you option up the MR with the Technology Package, which includes a 30-gig harddrive navigation system, 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate Premium Sound Package, Sirius Satellite Radio and "FAST Key" entry system, the price rockets skyward to the tune of $40,840. Considering some of the competition playing around at that particular price point, buyers might have a tough time passing the BMW dealer on their way to Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi's press release is available after the jump.


[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]

It didn't take long for Japan's journalists to get the new STI and EVO X side by side, and the results are now officially in. Tsukuba circuit regulars Kazuo Shimizu and Manabu Kawaguchi spent an afternoon thrashing around the notoriously twisty short circuit just north of Tokyo and here (drum roll please) are the best times they could ring out of the AWD rivals:

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X : 1:06:46

Subaru Impreza WRX STI : 1:05:95

So there you have it. The new engine placed further forward in the engine bay of the EVO X than in the EVO IX has indeed proven to be a handicap, while the STI's "wheel at each corner" longer wheelbase plus new double wishbone rear suspension has proved its worth.

Neither car is quite as quick as its immediate ancestor though.

Check out this 15 year rivalry of the EVO vs the STI as recorded at Tsukuba after the jump.

[Source: CAR Top magazine]

It's been generally accepted that the sales success of the first generation Subaru Impreza WRX caused Mitsubishi to rethink its policy of keeping the Evo off U.S.-bound boats. The Evolution's introduction in the States was quickly followed by the STI's, and all was right in the AWD performance segment. Not quite. Mitsubishi needs a direct competitor to the base WRX and as we've seen already, the Ralliart moniker is coming back, and it won't be limited to a couple of stickers and 15-inch O.Z. wheels.

Some European journalists were assembled by Mitsubishi this week (likely an Evo X ride and drive) and it was revealed that a five-door version of the Lancer would be made available abroad sporting a 260 hp engine and the Evolution IX's all-wheel-drive system. If this is the same setup as the Ralliart Lancer we'll be getting in the U.S., that pegs the 2008 Subaru WRX with a 36 hp deficiency, not to mention the wizardry of the last generation Evo AWD system.

Also noted in the article were three different versions of the Evolution X that our friends across the pond will get in the coming years, with models creating 295 hp, 330 hp and 360 hp. No surprise, since they've been blessed with a number of FQ-models over the course of the Evo's lifespan.

[Source: 4Car]

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 Nipponese friends from Nihon Car just attended the imaginatively named "Motor Sport Japan 2007" event and came across the new Mitsubishi Evolution X sporting some Ralliart duds. Although they weren't able to pry any details from the tight-lipped Mitsubishi PR flacks, they were able to run around the car with a video camera and compiled the snippets into a brief montage.

Aside from the Ralliart graphics, the silver Evo appears to have gotten a set of 18-inch black rollers, what may be a different rear aerofoil and black wing mirrors. How much of this is destined for the show stand in Tokyo next month is open for debate, but it looks damn close to production trim to us.

[Source: Nihon Car]

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]