2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR Review

Canadian sports car enthusiasts have been blessed this year, as two new video game celebrities finally arrived in our market: the Nissan GT-R, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. We've been taking them on the tracks in such games as Gran Turismo, and now, we have a chance to park one in our garage.

The Evo is a quick machine that has razor-sharp handling and looks to match.

Obviously, the Evolution is half the price of a GT-R, but you get much more than half its performance. There are two versions of the Evo, the GSR tested here with the 5-speed manual, and the double-clutch MR.

Turbo boost
For Evo duty, the Lancer's 2.0-litre engine is turbocharged and intercooled to produce 291 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. That's over 145 horsepower per liter, and more than any other turbo four on the market, including GM's 260-hp 2.0L, Chrysler's 285-hp 2.4L motor and Mazda's 263-hp 2.3L. No wait--Subaru's WRX STI, the Evolution's nemesis, dishes out 305 horses with its 2.5-litre boxer engine.

Launching the GSR is actually tricky; press the gas and drop the clutch, and the car bogs down for about 2 seconds before blasting off like a rocket. That's quite irritating, like if the driveline needed some time to digest the incoming power surge. We tried to launch the car a few different ways, including revving the engine at 4,000 rpm for maximum torque before launch, but when we started smelling something toasting, we stopped.

The result is 0-100 km/h times of 6.6 seconds. Normally, the MR model we are actually testing the same week should be quicker with its sequential tranny, and it is; still, its recorded time of 6.1 seconds is slower than what we expected.

On the other hand, the Evo's passing power is remarkable. 80 to 120 km/h bursts take only 2.8 seconds; in the recent cars we've tested, only the Nissan GT-R could do better. Between 3,000 and 5,500 rpm, the car's engine becomes the Incredible Hulk.

80 to 120 km/h bursts take only 2.8 seconds.