2008 Mitsubishi Evolution

PETER BLEAKNEY FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The MR version of the Evolution costs $6,000 more than the Evo GSR. With an additional $4,000 premium package, its pricetag adds up to more than $51,000.

Peter Bleakney

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

MONT TREMBLANT, QUE.–Canadian fans of Mitsubishi's iconic Evolution exhaled a collective "it's about time" when the 10th edition of the all-wheel-drive rally-bred sedan finally made it to our showrooms this spring.

It was worth the wait. The $41,498 five-speed manual 2008 Evo GSR, based on the fourth-generation Lancer platform, packs a 291 hp turbocharged 2.0 L four under its hood, S-AWC (super all wheel control), and is certainly the best-looking and most-refined Evo to date.

Yet it can still deliver a driving experience somewhat akin to riding on the back of an over-caffeinated stoat with ADD. And I mean that in a good way. The only major drawback to the GSR is a short fifth gear, which has the little turbo four spinning furiously at highway speeds.

Enter the 2008 Evolution MR. Arriving in showrooms shortly, the $47,498 MR features a number of performance upgrades, the most notable being a twin-clutch six-speed transmission operated by column-mounted paddle shifters.

Like VW's DSG transmission, Mitsu's TC-SST (Twin-clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission) is essentially a pairing of two three-speed boxes, each with its own clutch. One handles the odd-numbered gears, the other the even-numbered gears, and a very clever electronic brain acting on advice from myriad sensors, pre-selects the next cog.

With a flick of the paddle, one clutch opens and the other closes, giving instant and seamless shifts.

The transmission will run in fully automatic mode, and drivers can choose Normal, Sport or S-Sport settings – the latter two serving up progressively shorter shift times and increased throttle response.

So what else do you get for the $6,000 extra for the MR? Forged 18-inch BBS wheels, weight-saving two-piece Brembo front rotors, cloth and leather heated Recaro seats, a bigger rear spoiler, adjustable HID headlights, Bilstein/Eibach suspension and chromed body accents.

Out on the sinuous and scenic roads around Mont-Tremblant, this ultimate expression of Evo-ness proved to be a sharp driving tool. It's very fast, very precise and surprisingly forgiving.

With the latest generation S-AWD imperceptibly shuffling power fore and aft, and from side to side as we attacked the bends, there was nary a whiff of understeer to be found. Grip is sensational: the car rotates in a bend like it's reading your mind. Driving the MR and five-speed GSR back to back, I found that the MR's suspension tweaks have given it further clarity, while the SST transmission shifts are lightning quick and smooth as silk. And yes, highway motoring is considerably less frenetic with that sixth gear.

Several laps on the 4.26 km Circuit Mont-Tremblant further cemented my conviction that Mitsubishi, with this Evolution MR, has created a practical, everyday sedan that can shame just about any performance car out there, price notwithstanding.

While the MR's interior may not keep anyone at Audi awake, the surfaces are all high quality and it seems pretty well screwed together. The bolstered Recaro seats provide incredible lateral support – something needed in this car.

My tester was equipped with the $4,000 premium package, which added a sunroof, Rockford Fosgate sound, navigation, Bluetooth, FAST key-entry and Sirius satellite radio – bringing the price to a whopping $51,498.

Mitsubishi says it will sell about 600 Evos in Canada this year, and expects a 50/50 split between the MR and GSR.

For those enthusiasts who can't pony up the cash for the Evo, Mitsubishi will introduce the Lancer Ralliart later this year, which, for lack of a better description, is an "Evo-lite." It will have a less-complicated version of the Evo's AWD system, and will sport a detuned version of the 2.0 L turbo, putting out 237 hp. It won't have the Evo's fender blisters, but will get its own aggressive snout with HID headlights. Expect it to be priced in the low $30,000s.

Travel was provided to freelance writer Peter Bleakney by the automaker pebleakney@sympatico.ca

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