2010 LANCER RALLIART

Every once in a while, a car comes along that you just know will be a future classic by the sole virtue of how rare it is. Enter the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart, whose name is so long we'll run out of ink if we continue to use it. So, in the interest of saving precious natural resources, we'll call it the LaSpRa.

A smiling valet attendant called it "a really cool car," but then again, it was at the parking lot for H&R Block - and practically anything is cooler than the beige Toyota Camrys that all those accountants drive. But then a random dude walking by glared at the LaSpRa's bulbous rear end and asked, "Ew, is Mitsubishi actually going to try to sell that thing?" Ouch.

In either case, Mitsubishi is. And here's the lowdown: the LaSpRa is a slightly awkward-looking hatchback sibling to the very attractive Lancer sedan. The "Ralliart" part means that we're talking about the quick version: a low-compression (9.0:1), high-boost (17.9 psi), 237-hp turbo four-cylinder resides under the hood, and it sends its power to the computer-controlled all-wheel-drive system used on the previous-generation Lancer Evolution. The engine itself is a version of the current Evo's mostly aluminum unit, equipped with a single-scroll turbo in place of the dual-scroll charger you'll find in the quickest Lancer.

The LaSpRa comes only with the six-speed dual-clutch transmission that we whined about in our Four Seasons Evo, with slightly taller fifth and sixth gears for quieter and more fuel-efficient cruising. It suffers from the same reluctance to move off the line, especially up hills, where full throttle results in 3000 rpm of clutch slippage and little else until the lazy turbo spools up. The gearbox then redeems itself with damn-near imperceptible part-throttle shifts that happen within, oh, fourteen-billionths of a second of tugging on one of the steering-column-mounted magnesium paddles.

Optional Recaro seats are incredibly comfortable and supportive, if you happen to fit in them without needing adjustment, because they don't really do adjustment. The rear seats are more flexible, folding forward in one graceful movement and freeing up an enormous cargo hold that will swallow near-SUV levels of stuff that - thanks to quick and communicative steering - will likely wind up getting flung around the cabin as you dart through bends.

Unfortunately, when we saw the price tag, a couple of obscenities flew around the cabin, too. Our test car was well-equipped, but like the Evo, it seems to be priced a whole category too high. Its shocking $33,000 as-tested price is enough to ensure that this quick hatch, like its Evo brother, will be one rare car. We'll call it a classic in the making.

The Specs

ON SALE: Now

Price: $28,310/$33,059 (base/as tested)

Engine: 2.0L turbo I-4, 237 hp, 253 lb-ft

Drive: 4-wheel

RECORD in JEOPARDY

The year may be almost over but racing continues to press on.

This weekend sees the third meet in the Cayman Motorsports Association Full Throttle drag series.

Racing takes place Saturday at Breakers Speedway from 6pm.

The track will be open for testing and tuning on Saturday from 2pm.

Registration and technical inspection will be held at Automotive Art on Friday from 7pm until 10pm.

The association states the meet will be in honour of Marston Bodden and Rueben Forbes (brother of Cayman track star Ronald Forbes) as both passed away recently.

The two men are held in high regard by the association for their involvement in local motorsports.

In addition the association intends to have esteemed drivers Jody Jervis, Michael “Bad Oil” Williams, and Patrick Campbell competing in the event.

The trio primarily race around the Caribbean in drag meets representing Cayman. Jervis can be found in either a silver Nissan Skyline R33 GTS–T or a white Nissan Skyline R33 GT–S.

Bad Oil is known for his white Mitsubishi Evolution III and Campbell stars behind the wheel of his black Nissan Skyline R32 GT–R.

In any case much attention will be on Dail Davis, his black 1989 Ford Mustang and their place in the local record books.

Davis currently holds the record for fastest time by a car down the 1/8 track at 6.199s.

For the record Dante “Ross” Hydes of West Bay holds the mark for the fastest time by a local racer and the fastest motorcycle time at Breakers by running his red Honda CBR 1000 in 6.112s.

Spectators can also be on the look–out for the winners from the last meet. With the second meet in November being cancelled, three drivers still have props from their wins back in October.

Karyn Bodden dominated the Street class in her Porsche Cayman S, Ian Tibbetts won the Pro Street category in his Chevrolet Corvette and Junior Hydes cleaned up the Pro Race section in his red and yellow Ford Mustang.

News of Saturday’s race comes a few weeks after the Al and Jay Bodden Memorial Time Attack.

Put on by the association that meet drew a handful of racers at the Progressive loop, where Lakeview Raceway (held on the Bodden property) was years ago.

2010 LANCER EVO MR TOURING

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Listen here, sonny, that ex-rally racer known as Evo is all grown up. It goes by MR Touring now, but you'll know that the minute you see it. That ridiculous wing? Gone. A subtle, age-appropriate lip spoiler takes its place so there's no more guessing about the cop pacing behind. Inside, the Recaro racing seats are now lined in leather -- and heated to boot. A full color LCD now rests between the gauges and not only delivers more information (because of higher resolution), it's easier on the eyes. They've even put a powered sunroof in the thing -- a first for an aluminum-roofed Evo.

So this MR Touring definitely looks more mellow and certainly has additional creature comforts, but does this mean the mighty Evolution has gone soft? Limp even?

Not one bit.

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Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs still suspend the MR Touring, so the crisp handling clarity has diminished not one iota -- even with the 30 extra pounds the Touring package adds. And that glass sunroof? Though it puts weight up high, you can't feel the Touring roll any more than a regular Evo -- which ain't much. Steering feel and ride quality have not changed either; the MR Touring still rides on rails without feeling like it's snorted a few too.

It's not as fast though -- it's faster. Running upgrades to the TC-SST six-speed dual-clutch transmission mean all new MR Evos are apparently the fastest of the 10th generation. Mitsubishi claims the MR and Touring will consistently hit 60 mph in under five seconds. A bold claim (and one we'll have to test) since the last dual-clutch Evo we tested (2008 MR) managed only a 5.2-second blast.

What we do know is that, in Sport and Super Sport modes, the Touring we drove still drops rev-matched downshifts like a mechanized Makinen. Even better, TC-SST trans served up quick, yet velvety smooth shifts around town, at low speeds -- something few of these fancy dual-clutches seem to be able to manage. At this price point, the Evo has arguably the best dual clutch on the market.

So do all these upgrades make Mister MR Touring (1) worth the price and (2) a legitimate competitor to, say, an Infiniti G37 or BMW 3 Series? Well, prices are surprisingly close but clearly favor the Evo; a fully loaded MR Touring ends just about where the 335i begins - a hair over $40,000. Surprised? Don't be. Prices for both the Evo and its direct competitor Subaru WRX STI have crept steadily north since they first landed in this country. Whether they're worth it depends on what you're into.

If Mitsubishi's claim is to be believed, the smaller Evo is quicker than both the 335i and G37. The fancy torque-splitting Super-All Wheel Control system means stellar handling in all conditions too. Opt for that in either the BMW or Infiniti and you're looking at thousands more.

On handsome BBS alloys and sans wing (the automotive equivalent of a gel-helmet mohawk), the Touring does look more like an up-market sport sedan, though you won't likely confuse it with (or choose it over) either the BMW or Infiniti if you favor looks alone. It's not an ugly car by any means, but the large greenhouse paired with the rally racer fender bulges and jet/shark nose simply don't come from the same school of thought that produced the G37's sensuous curves or 335i's subtle surfaces.

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And though the MR Touring is an Evo at its most polished, it's still a bit rough around the edges. Despite the upgrades, it's obvious this Mitsubishi remains a level below BMW and Infiniti. Cheaper plastics with an abundance of mismatched textures and seams are big tipoffs. So are the tactile differences in the way the buttons click and knobs spin. Despite the addition of sound deadening material, swirling vortices can still be heard off the side mirrors.

No, BMW and Infiniti marketers won't lose much sleep over the arrival of the MR Touring, but Mitsubishi knows this. The MR Touring's mission is to add refinement to the Evo line without losing any of the excitement. And in that case, it's well done, sir.

2009 EVO X

Our last trip to Japan proved that one thing is clear: simple is back. For as long as the Japanese have become known for turning fantasy cars into reality, the unstoppable force that is known currently as the shitty global economy, took its turn this year and as a result, lighter mods and a step back to simplicity kicked in. Fortunately, that means street-friendly and a more realistic way of building cars for those of us without balling budgets to look towards for inspiration. Though the Monster Sport Evo X looks like a multi yen/dollar project, the spec list is shockingly short (but distinguished), kind of in the way Goose described his Johnson being like. Here, it's clearly not the length or the width, but the way the Evo works it.

Featured prominently at Signal Auto's booth, it was clear there's a partnership between the famed tuners, as well as Maziora, the paint company that has become synonymous with Signal's Show-Up division of body shops due to its color changing properties. You might've seen it on a few Signal race and drift cars over the years. Here, generous coatings of the company's own blend of Kandy Red paint has made its way onto the body and RS aero kit from V2 Champ, giving it a very familiar look that we've all come to love and enjoy. Monster Sport custom valved a set of Ohlins DFV coilovers to their specs, giving them a nice ride for the streets and at the same time drops the chassis conservatively over the 18-inch CE28N wheels from Volk.

You may be thinking the name Monster Sport isn't new to the US and you're right. For years they've been campaigning a Suzuki race car at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with driver Monster Tajima who has no trouble breaking records many times over, and so it should come as no surprise that they've carried their racing expertise to the enthusiast level, offering a variety of performance parts to the market, including the Evo X. On this demo car, they bolted on as many Monster Sport parts as possible, including the intake, exhaust and intercooler while also integrating a new induction system and blow-off valve, and boost levels can be adjusted with a HKS EVC 5.

Though the days of aggressive tuning in Japan may have taken a short break, Monster Sport shows that quality can be achieved through simplistic means. Take it as a cue to follow suit but if the Japanese have also proved time again it's that they can't leave simple alone. Who knows? This could come back harder as an updated demo and with Monster behind the build, there's no telling how far they'll take it.

Tuning Menu

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

Owner monster sport

(YASUFUMI ONODERA) Hometown tokyo, Japan

Occupation tuning shop

Engine Monster Sport PFX300 Power Air Filter, titanium muffler, titanium exhaust manifold, suction pipe kit, front pipe, intercooler piping and high-flow blow-off valve

Engine Management HKS EVC 5 POWER 450hp

Suspension & Chassis Cusco front Power Brace; custom Monster Sport-spec Ohlins DFV coilovers; JSpeed Super Sujigane-Kun

Wheels & Tires 18-inch Volk Racing CE28N wheels; Toyo R1R 255/35R18 tires

Brakes Image brake pads

Exterior Maziora PLREADES II Kandy Red Paint; V2 Champ RS Original aero kit and 3D carbon rear wing; Cecil Sports carbon electric mirrors

Interior Takata racing harnesses; Bride Zeta III (driver) and Artis III (passenger) seat

Audio Pioneer navigation system.

THINGS to KNOW of AUTO

Did you know ...

• If you were to put freshly brewed coffee into the tank of a BMW Hydrogen7, it would take 80 days to reach a comfortable drinking temperature?

The hydrogen tank is designed to store supercooled hydrogen, which powers the sedan, at a temperature of -253C. To achieve this, heat transfer is reduced to an absolute minimum, so the tank is vacuum insulated. The hydrogen remains chilled while coffee in the tank would stay piping hot. It would take a miniature snowman about 13 years to melt in there.

• Henry Ford was an early champion of plastics, commissioning projects to explore alternative materials for car bodies in an era when steel was in short supply because of the military buildup for the Second World War. He took the lead in promoting the concept: In 1941, he whacked his personal car with an axe to demonstrate the toughness of an experimental plastic trunk lid.

• With a standard Ontario-issued G-class licence, you may tow a trailer with a gross weight of no more than 4,535 kilograms.

• In 1978, the new King Cobra model was the first Ford Mustang to wear a 5.0 badge — the metric equivalent of 302 cubic inches.

• The Honda Civic, which was introduced in 1972, is the second-longest continuously running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer in the United States. The Toyota Corolla holds the top spot.

• In 1949, Chrysler hired Studebaker designer Virgil Exner to head an advanced styling revolution, a first step toward realigning the company’s design priorities. Exner enlisted the aid of Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Ghia to begin building a remarkable series of so-called “idea cars,” such as the 1951 Chrysler K-310 five-passenger sport coupe, the 1952 C-200, which featured the “gunsight” tail light design later used on Imperials, and the 1953 Chrysler D’Elegance, a three-passenger sport coupe with hand-sewn, black-and-yellow leather upholstery and matching luggage.

The most extraordinary car in this series was the Chrysler Norseman, which featured cantilevered arches to support a roof without A-pillars, all-aluminum body panels and a power-operated, 12-square-foot panel of glass that slid forward to expose the rear seat to the sky.

Unfortunately, when Ghia sent the Norseman on its journey to America, it sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean on the ill-fated Italian steamship Andrea Doria in 1956.

• Volvo, Latin for “I roll” (the name was originally owned by a ball bearings company), was born on April 14, 1927 when the first car, Jakob, left the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden.

• The topline BMW 7 Series has roughly 1,300 lines of wire that have a total length of 2,625 metres. That’s easily enough to reach to the top of the world’s highest building, the Burj Dubai, three times over.

• Toyota was founded in 1937 by a Japanese man named Kiichiro Toyoda. The company is called Toyota and not Toyoda because people thought it sounded better and it meant that the name could be written in Japanese with eight strokes of the pen. In Japan and many other Asian countries, the number eight is considered lucky and foreshadows prosperity.

• Porsche wasn’t always a purveyor of fast sports cars. The German automaker also used to manufacture tractors. The first Porsche Tractor prototype was completed by 1938, but production was halted for the Second World War. In 1949, the tractor was completely redesigned and evolved into four models.

• To save weight, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X has no dedicated reverse gear. Instead, the five-speed manual transmission uses a combination of gears one and three with an idler gear on a separate shaft to reverse the direction of rotation.

2010 EVO MR TOURING

A slightly more comfortable version of the iconic Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. As its name suggests, it’s based on the Evo MR, with its six-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox. The Evo MR Touring presents a somewhat subtler visual image with its less obnoxious rear wing while making occupants a bit more comfortable with full leather upholstery, more sound insulation, heated seats, and a sunroof. Auto headlamps and an insulated windshield round out the Touring trim, which is considered the flagship of the Evo line. A classier center console with improved materials also comes along for the ride to dress up the interior, as it does for all 2010 Evos and higher-end Lancer trim levels.

How Does It Drive?

Very well, since the additions only add about 30 pounds compared with the MR. It still drives like the Evo it is, it just seems to bring a little less craziness than do other Evos (and it can be argued that the normal one brings less craziness than most previous generations of Evos did). In other words, it’s fast, fun, and firm on the road. Retained are the sharp steering, right-now brakes, and very aggressively scooped seats. (We still have bruises on our right butt cheek from the first time we hopped in and didn’t quite clear the structurally reinforced lower bolster.) The turbo whirl and rorty note of the 291-hp four-banger are still present, happily, just not as in-your-face, which should be welcome on longer drives. Indeed, while we probably still wouldn’t choose this car for any “touring” duties, it is certainly the most touring-worthy of the current crop of Evos.

How Does It Stack Up?

If you consider the 305-hp Subaru Impreza WRX STI as the Evo’s only direct competition, the Lancer Touring can be considered the most premium and elegant car in its class. Tee-hee. However, at the Touring’s heavens-to-the-high price, there are many other slick rides that are just as fun—however different in character—including the Mazda RX-8, the Infiniti G37, and the BMW 1-series. We wouldn’t buy a Touring without cross-shopping the others to see which best handles your own brand of touring.

What’s the Cost?

At $41,710, plus a couple grand for navigation, the Evo Touring is a near-$44K proposition. Yikes. And it remains hard to get around that price tag even when bombing around corners with as much hustle as you can muscle. It might be a great used-car deal, however, once the first guy takes the hit, provided the car doesn’t take too many hits itself on its various “tours."

1001HP at WHEELS

If you followed the 2008/2009 drag racing season, then you’ll be aware of the Speedtech Motorsport-built Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX owned and driven by David Stock. Last season, David drove the Evo to a rapid 9.69 @ 228kph. However, over the off-season, the STM crew have been preparing the aptly named DS9 Lancer into a rabid straight shooter. Included in this build was the shift from the Garrett T04Z turbocharger that helped produce around 510kW at the wheels to a much larger Garrett GT45 turbocharger. The resulting combination has increased power to a mammoth 1001hp at the wheels on 42psi of boost. Other changes have included chassis and bodywork, lightening the body for straight-line specific duties, and adding a set of new wheels and tyres for extra grip.

Immediately, the results have been impressive, with David pedalling the Evo IX to a new PB of 9.52 @ 256kph. While the time itself is not too much quicker than its previous ET, the top-end trap speed suggests sharp ETs are just a matter of passes away! Unfortunately, a gear issue followed by a broken lifter meant 8-second passes weren’t on the cards at the recent STM, Redline Performance in association with Buddy Club day at Masterton Motorplex. Keep an eye on David’s Evo IX over the summer as it drops deep into the 9-second zone and beyond.

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