EVO XI for HYBRID TECH

Not so long ago the idea of a hybrid powertrain in a sports car was anathema to enthusiasts. But after this year's Formula 1 season, the debut of cars like the Tesla Roadster and Audi's all-electric R8 e-Tron at Frankfurt and the wider acceptance of hybrids in general by the buying public, it's not so unimaginable anymore. It's also at least a real possibility for the next-generation of one of the biggest performance bargains of the decade--the Mitsubishi Evolution Lancer.

Mitsubishi is set to unveil a new proprietary plug-in hybrid system in the Concept PX MiEV (pictured) at this month’s 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. The new system combines differential electric motors with Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system--already found in the Evo--and electronically controlled active yaw control. The front and rear wheels are powered by two permanent magnet synchronous motors, while a compact four-cylinder MIVEC engine is also used to power the front wheels or act as a generator.

According to latest reports, a similar system could be used in the next-generation Lancer Evolution XI (Evo XI for short). The first production models equipped with the advanced plug-in hybrid system is due in 2013 and company insiders say the technology could be directed at the new Evo eventually.

However, due to financial constraints, development on the next-generation Evo has been stalled so any launch of a plug-in hybrid Evo is still years away.

COMFORTDELGRO BRINGS BACK COSWORTH

The coveted Cosworth brand is making a comeback, thanks to ComfortDelGro Corp.

The transport group is making its maiden foray into the world of tuners and mods with a new shop called Spark Motorsports. It is the 'authorised performance centre' for Cosworth, which has not had an official agent here since the late 1990s.

As many motorsports fans know, Cosworth is synonymous with performance. It has been a long-time supplier of engines in major races, including F1, IndyCar, Nascar, World Rally Championship and MotoGP.

ComfortDelGro's workshop and engineering subsidiary, ComfortDelGro Engineering, has tied up with LTM Performance to set up the snazzy shop located in Senoko Loop to cater to petrolheads who want to try something other than Japanese modifications.

LTM is an established local motorsports player dating back to the 1960s. It has competed in numerous drag races in Singapore using its own modified racing vehicles and has won eight events in the last six years.

The 19,000 sq m Senoko facility was given a $500,000 facelift. Besides Cosworth, it stocks more than 500 performance products from brands such as Advan, Pirelli, Brembo, JUN, Apexi and Sparco.

Car owners will be able to have their souped-up rides tested on a dynamometer. Road simulation, engine mapping and inertia dyna-testing are some of the services offered at Spark Motorsports.

The two-storey building has eight repair hoists, a computerised wheel alignment machine and extensive diagnostic equipment.

Enthusiasts who wish to buy a done-up car off the shelf can shop here too. There are currently two cars in the showroom: a completely rebuilt off-road Mitsubishi Evolution and a track-ready Subaru WRX. There is also a complete Cosworth engine.

Like racing memorabilia? Check out the Advanti rim used in recent F1 races.

The new facility offers pretty competitive rates, too. The modified Subaru WRX on display costs $120,000 and another $30,000 for a spare engine. The Mitsubishi Evo is $80,000. These are off-road prices.

A relatively simple Cosworth modification, such as a camshaft change, costs around $2,000. For more complicated jobs, such as beefing up the engine, prices range from $5,000 to $35,000 for a full-blown mod.

But what is a public transport group doing in the high-octane world of tuning?

ComfortDelGro Engineering chief operating officer Sim Wing Yew says it is an opportunity to expand its client base.

'We have been in vehicle repair and maintenance for a long time now. But we have catered largely to the mainstream market,' he notes. 'This tie-up with LTM Performance will enable us to expand our reach and bring motorsports technology to a wider audience.'

LTM Performance director Jason Ang says the company is 'excited' about the new joint venture. 'We will leverage on ComfortDelGro's established brand name,' he adds.

STREET RACERS FACING JAIL

Two men accused of racing each other in their cars have been found guilty of dangerous driving.

And Judge John Evans warned Neal Smith and Christopher Whittaker they could be facing prison when they are sentenced next month.

Smith, 25, of Valley Garth, Esh Winning, and Whittaker, 24, of Plantagenet Way, Chester-le-Street, were each convicted of dangerous driving.

Durham Crown Court heard the pair raced each other on the A167 between Chester-le-Street and Durham City at speeds of more than 100mph.

The race ended when Smith, driving a Mitsubishi Evolution, crashed into the central reservation at Plawsworth.

He was thrown through the back window of the car. His baby son, who was in a child seat in the back of the car, was uninjured.

Whittaker, driving a Toyota MR2, pulled up just before the accident.
Both men were bailed to return to be sentenced on November 20.

NATIONAL TOUR TRI_STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (Oct. 28, 2009) -- On Oct. 24 -- 25, the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour held an event after the Tire Rack Solo National Championships for the first time since 1993. The Tri-State Championship has previously been an ongoing collaborative effort by the MidSouth Region, Arkansas Region and Mississippi Region. When a move to Blytheville didn't create the growth organizers anticipated, it was decided to give the event a boost by adding it to the Solo National Tour schedule, and the Tire Rack Tri-State Championship Tour at Blytheville was born.

The Arkansas Aeroplex in Blytheville, Ark., had already won the Solo community over long ago with its smooth, spacious concrete and local hospitality. Competitors experienced more of the same for the Tri-States Championship Tour. The two Doug Gill-designed courses were smooth and brisk, with most runs in the low to mid-60s and rather quick top speeds. The locals once again welcomed the event with open arms, hosting a welcome cookout on Friday night and a breakfast

Saturday morning. Solo competitors returned the favor by attending a local haunted house to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Additionally, all proceeds from the Saturday afternoon Test and Tune were donated to the haunted house and MDA.

Following class competition, the Tri-States Championship culminated in a Champion of Champions competition, which pitted the 2009 Eastern States Champions and National Champions up against the newly crowned Tri-State Champions in a two-run shootout, scored on an index. E Modified Tri-State Champion Jeff Cashmore, of New Berlin, Wis., claimed the Champion of Champions honor in his 2002 Sprinto 7 YC-3 over Jon Wagner, of North Richland Hills, Texas, and his Super Stock AfterthoughtsAuto.com Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Cashmore walked away with cash, a free entry to the 2010 Eastern States Championship and a $100 gift certificate from Solo Performance Specialties, a big supporter of the Champion of Champions concept.

The Ladies Champion of Champions was Sierra Danielle Pedroza, of Round Rock, Texas, who piloted an Automotive Specialist/FTW Racing Mazda MX-5 (C Stock) to victory over Tara Johns, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., in a Tweakit Racing/ABC Plumbing Mazda RX-7 (X Prepared). Pedroza too won cash, an ESC entry, an SPS gift certificate and an SCCA membership.

A Bonus Championship, for those not eligible for the other CoC showdowns, was staged with randomly selected entrants. C Prepared competitor Robert Lewis, of Tallahassee, Fla., took the win in his Sledgehammer Racing Ford Mustang over Jim Thompson, of Cleveland, Tenn., and his High Pressure Performance/Koni Mazda RX-8 (B Stock). Lewis claimed the cash, ESC entry and SPS gift certificate.

SCCA VP of Solo/Rally and Special Programs Howard Duncan reported that the Champion of Champions concept would be evaluated for use on a regular basis in 2010 National Tour events.

Also making its debut at the Tri-States Championship was the new Street Touring R class. The category had six entrants in Blytheville, a Honda S2000, Nissan 350Z and Mazda MX-5, and was the center of attention, as onlookers tried to spot which ride would be the "hot ticket" in the class. Andy Hohl, of St. Ann, Mo., came away with the win in his Mr. Mom Racing/Evolution Honda S2000, besting the LR Green Garage/Perfection Plus Nissan 350Z of Nelson Ireson, from Little Rock, Ark., by 3.195 seconds.

Other notable class winners included Jeff Schaadt, of Gladewater, Texas, who earned the D Stock win in his Hoosier/WMMFT/Thanks Shawn Subaru WRX by 0.271-second over the Chevrolet Cobalt of Des Toups, who made the trip to Arkansas from Bellevue, Wash.

Closer still was the battle in F Stock, where Jim Zeisler, of Cincinnati, Ohio, ultimately topped Kyle Langley, from St. Louis, Mo. Ziesler's runs in the Stranoparts.com/Dave Kutney Tire Ford Mustang Shelby beat Langley's Ford Shelby GT by 0.097-second.

Street Touring Ultra went to John Kvetko, of Cabot, Ark., in a Mitsubishi Evolution X, who beat out the Subaru WRX STi of John Powell, of Maryland Heights, Mo., by a scant 0.417-second. The largest class of the weekend, C Street Prepared, went to Matt Mccabe, of Omaha, Neb., who topped his co-driver, Mark Jorgensen, also of Omaha, Neb., in their shared Mazda Miata by 2.480 seconds.

Though the total event entry of 135 was modest by National Tour standards, it represented a 90 percent increase over what the event was previously drawing. Considering the competitors reaction to the event, Duncan expects to see further growth in 2010.

"The response to the Tri-State Championships was so positive, we've gone ahead an placed it on the calendar for 2010," Duncan said. "Considering the site we have to work with, the enthusiasm of the local regions and the support of sponsors like Tire Rack and SPS, we're expecting to see this even grow another 50 percent next year and hit 200 entrants."

Full results from the 2009 Tire Rack Tri-State Championship National Tour at Blytheville are available at www.scca.com/solo. The event did serve as a qualifier for the 2010 Tire Rack National Championships as it was held within 12 months of Nationals.

GREEN REVOLUTION

BRUCE NEWTON and RICHARD BLACKBURN uncover plans for another convert to the hybrid sports car cause at the Tokyo motor show.

Mitsubishi's iconic Lancer Evolution is set to change from red-hot to green, thanks to a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain planned for the model's next generation.

One of Mitsubishi's chief product strategists, Ryugo Nakao, confirmed the move at this week's Tokyo motor show.

"The next Evolution will be a hybrid, combining ecology and sport," Mr Nakao said, via an interpreter.

The revelation confirms internet rumours and follows a growing trend towards hybrid and electric sports cars from the likes of Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Toyota and Honda.

The all-new Evolution is due about 2013 as part of the next-generation Lancer range. The current model, dubbed the Evo X, went on sale last year. It pumps out 217kW and 366Nm and accelerates from 0-100km/h in as little as 5.7 seconds.

It follows the same all-wheel drive, turbocharged four-cylinder sports sedan blueprint as its predecessors, which date back to 1992.

Mr Nakao said the fundamental change to the next Evo's drivetrain was a response to changing consumer preferences. It also reflected the tightening emissions standards in much of the world and Mitsubishi's commitment to becoming an electric vehicle (EV) leader.

The company is yet to finalise what type of hybrid drivetrain it will use in the Evo, with a plug-in option one possibility.

In-wheel electric motor technology is also under consideration. An in-wheel electric Evo was tested in public by Mitsubishi at an EV rally in 2005.

"We need to see what technology is appropriate," Mr Nakao said.

Fierce rival Subaru has also shown an interest in squeezing more performance out of its cars by using some form of hybrid power assistance.

At the Tokyo motor show, the company displayed a hybrid GT sports car with dramatic "gullwing" doors. The Tourer Concept uses a turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder engine combined with two electric motors. One motor provides power and drives the front wheels, while the other drives the rear wheels.

They are positioned low and close to the car's centre of gravity to improve the weight balance and sharpen handling.

Honda will beat its rivals to market with the world's first hybrid sports car, the CR-Z, early next year.

The sales and marketing general manager of Honda Australia, Stephen Collins, said the company hoped to have the car on sale in Australia by 2011.

"We're certainly very keen to get it. It's definitely on the shopping list, it's a great car for the brand," he said.

"Honda has a rich heritage in sports cars and this would definitely fit the bill."

He would not be drawn on a price for the hybrid sports car but said it would be affordable, with potential rivals including sporty Euros such as the Mini.

"We don't want it to be a massively niche vehicle. We want to position it so we can do a reasonable volume."

Toyota has hinted it will follow Honda's lead by building a hybrid — and perhaps even an electric — version of its new FT-86 sports car.

The president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, confirmed it was looking to have a hybrid version of every car in its range by 2020.

"At present, hybrids are the only vehicles able to provide both outstanding fuel efficiency and low cost while maintaining the basic performance of cars at a high level," he said.

Toyota's project manager for advanced vehicles, Akihiro Yanaka, said he could see performance benefits in electric cars. "Electricity has the nature of having good torque from low revs and it has high responsibility," he said.

But Mazda is not as enthusiastic about electric power for its sports cars.

It believes internal combustion hydrogen engines may fit better with its "Zoom-Zoom" philosophy than electric vehicles.

The company is developing a second-generation hydrogen-powered version of its rotary-engined RX-8 sports car for feasibility trials in Norway.

The senior managing director of Mazda, Nobuhiro Hayama, said internal combustion hydrogen engines provided more enjoyment for drivers.

"It's easier for us to realise that 'Zoom-Zoom' with the hydrogen vehicles and the rotary engine," he said.

HYBRID EVO?

We can't help it. Once in a while, we like to toss in big honkin' performance cars, like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. And even screaming smaller tuner sedans, like the 2010 Subaru STi WRC and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

But now comes news to rock the world: The next generation of the Mitsubishi Evolution Lancer, the STI's arch-enemy, is rumored to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Right now, tuners and drifters all over the world are feeling faint and looking for a nice calming glass of water.

i-MiEV electric car a success

Mitsubishi has struggled in recent years, but its one bright spot is the global praise and sales success of its i-MiEV electric mini-car. And the company has been aggressively researching electric drive systems for more than a decade, with a dozen or more concept cars to show for it.

Mitsubishi’s latest system combines differential electric motors with their Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system--already found in the Evo--plus electronically controlled active yaw control.

S-AWC uses two permanent magnet synchronous motors, one each for the front and rear wheels, along with a four-cylinder MIVEC engine that also powers the front wheels or acts as a generator to recharge the lithium-ion battery pack.

First production plug-ins: 2013

Mitsubishi plans to equip its first production models with its plug-in hybrid system in 2013. A similar system could appear in the next-generation Lancer Evolution XI, eventually, say reports attributed to company insiders.

The company's waning fortunes, however, have frozen funding for development of the Evo since 2007, however. So any plug-in hybrid Evo will be years away yet. Still, we can dream ...

TEST DRIVE: EVO X MR

I have been wanting to get my hands on the all new Mitsubishi Evo X MR and now I finally have been able to get some seat time in the 290 plus horsepower all wheel drive beast.

This new Evolution X MR is not the Evo your next door neighbor got from his rich parents as a graduation present for private high school: it is more mature and the first signs of that are it's striking design.

Spectators when driving by with the new Evo would shoot out: "Wow look at that grill! "

Now let me not forget to tell you that these spectators were children but the fact that children are getting a great response from seeing a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR drive by is quite the compliment to the Mitsubishi design team. These are future buyers and why not get them young?

As a side note if you guys do not know I am a Boston bred fellow and attended college in the heart of the city. I know the streets quite well and had a chance to pilot the Evo X MR through the streets of the financial district in Boston where folks would walk by the car and actually walk to the rear of it to see it's designation.

It's an "Evo" I yelled out the window to the two foreign gentleman who walked passed an intersection and wanted to know what the car was. I think if I stopped and offered a ride they may have taken me up on it but if they want to experience one they will have to head out to the Mitsubishi dealership and try one for themselves.

Businessmen in suits would stop and stare or perhaps it was the new Killers disc that I had pumping through the 650 watt Rockford-Fosgate sound system which is controlled via the 30 gig, hard rive, touch screen navigation system. Perhaps they were startled by the way the car sounded as the SST transmission was engaged in SuperSport mode? More on this in a few...

Now that you know that this vehicle appeals to all types of people let me tell you what it is like to sit behind the wheel of one.

Approaching the Evo X MR you do not need a physical key to open it. You just grab the handle and it detects that you have the key to the car on you. It is a quite a modern feature and one that was not found on previous Evo models. This feature comes standard on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR. This feature is known as Mitsubishi’s Fast key system and is super convenient.

As you sit down you are mated to some of the nicest and comfortable (believe it or not) racing seats made by Recaro. Warn you though if you are a bigger fellow you may not like the size of these seats.
The seating position is great and the steering wheel is meaty. Powering up the Evo means just turning the permanent key that sits in the ignition: as long as you have the key sensor on you. I wore the key fob attached to a necklace so that I had it on me at all times. As a safety precaution if you drift to far away from the car with the key on you then Mitsubishi system will warn you. I imagine if you drift too far the car shuts off altogether.

Now on with the SST transmission, which is an automated manual gear shifting system. The day that I took delivery of the vehicle one of the first thing's I asked was how to put the car in SuperSport mode which is controlled by a small lever below the automatic shifter.

When in SuperSport mode the car shifts furiously and you hear and feel the full power of the Mitsubishi Evolution X MR. The magnesium paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow you to shift your own gears which I did quite often.

Just letting the transmission shift the gears for you is also a great way to experience the Evo X MR. the shifts are lighting fast and to be quite honest the speed of the car was quite scary. It is almost like you have a little Michael Schumacher sitting in the transmission telling it when to shift: it is that fast and that efficient. Of course with great reward from the performance of the engine comes a negative attribute: this one being less than favorable gas mileage.

Mitsubishi says the car can get to sixty miles per hour in the low 5-second range via the 291-horse 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Although I did not test this myself I firmly believe the estimate.

Look for the review of the car in the next week or so.

2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X MR

MSRP: $38,290.00

Price as tested: $41,515.00

Options featured on car:

Technology package: $2,550.00

Exciting Standard features:

HID headlights, Fog lights, flared fenders, large rear spoiler, MR badge, 18-inch BBS wheels, Brembo Ventilated Disc brakes with ABS/ EBD, Tire Pressure Monitoring system

City MPG 17, Highway MPG 22