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Mitsubishi’s tenth generation Evo is pure weapons grade adrenalin muscularly forged over obdurate eighteen inch alloys. Inarguably the best value for money performance car on the Aussie market and having driven Subaru’s reticent WRX STi and Volkswagen’s righteous R32 Golf it’s clear that I’ve left the best ‘til last.

From the rapaciously predatory front end with ducted bonnet vents and front mount intercooler proudly hinting at the performance potential underneath, to the insatiably aggressive lines stemming from the vents of Lancer’s electrifying side profile or that corpulently upright backside with dual exhausts and diffusers underneath, every angle’s an absolute charm and only further enhances the overall experience to give the Evo a palpable performance edge, even before the ignition’s turned on.

But while looking fast at standstill is probably enough for those with a weak ticker, standing around gawking at it is a job best left to those still in school uniform or “yes dear” husbands with their wedding tackle under lock and key. For me? I’m heading for the hills, G-Tech in hand to see if the new Evo is indeed all it’s cracked up to be.

The first thing you notice when driving the Evo, aside from the roman numerals now missing from the badge, is just how placid and docile it can be when poking around town. Its purpose is certainly evident, and little prods of the throttle will make that immediately and abundantly clear, but should you need to keep it on the chain it’s very easily done.

But to not unleash the Evo would be like pulling back a slingshot and not breaking a window, it has to be done, and what better place to do it than snaking through Victoria’s magnificent high country where high hills and hairy hairpins, crisp crests and free flowing corners beckon a more liberated driving style worthy of such an exhilarating machine.

A light and ultra responsive all-new, all-aluminium 4B11 2.0 litre turbo charged MIVEC four cylinder engine with an intense 217kW @ 6,500rpm and indomitable 366Nm @ 3,500rpm pulls hard from mid tach with a feverish metallic howl which when kept north of four and a half grand is positively prodigious. There’s also a sweet, willing induction note and undeniable turbo whistle to keep your ears involved, even if the exhaust note is a might subtle.

The variable valve timing, now on the inlet and exhaust valves, can be felt again and again as you surge seamlessly through each of the direct shifting close ratio gears before reaching crescendo just south of the 7,600rpm rev limiter for that final dive back down the cogs under brakes.

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Mitsubishi Motors Corporation says the Racing Lance’s mission will be to target victory on next year’s Dakar which breaks new ground in 2009 with a switch from Africa to South America.

For Mitsubishi Motors, not only does the Dakar serve as a platform for the sales and marketing of the Pajero/Montero but it also provides a unique proving ground for powertrains and 4WD transmission systems.

MMC says that in light of the corporate decision to focus the firm’s cross-country rallying activities on the development of a new diesel engine, it is a natural step for the Lancer (known in Japan as Gallant Fortis), a commercially and globally important model powered by the diesel power plant, to take over the competition baton from the Pajero/Montero and the Pajero/Montero Evolution.

It says that the technological expertise accumulated thanks to the firm’s cross-country rally program - which includes the Dakar - will be applied to its diesel engine development, including the new-generation clean diesel that will power the future production cars.

Meanwhile, as was previously the case, the 4WD systems technology will also be carried over to the production versions after their configuration has been optimized as a function of their end-use.

Under its new corporate communication tagline ‘Drive@earth’, Mitsubishi Motors has a commitment to providing the joy of mobility for customers worldwide while at the same time taking a responsible stance on the environment.

Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart will also play an important role as an integral part of the automobile research and development program.

Wondering what MXr09 means? Well MMC says ‘MRX09′ stands for ‘Mitsubishi Rally ‘Cross Country’('X’), plus a suffix for the year in which it competes (’09′ = 2009).

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All generations of Evolutions were represented at the event - grouped by colour, including a few brand new Evo X’s.

“It has taken a small team of MLR members a huge amount of time and effort over the last year to pull this World Record attempt together, but to see it finally come to life on Saturday was incredible”

The event also raised £7,459.27 for the Richard Burns Foundation which provides support for people whose lives are affected by serious illness and injury.

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With an Australian equivalent price tag of less than $30,000 in Japan, the Lancer Ralliart certainly isn’t low on kit - as a matter of fact the standard equipment level is astounding.

Firstly, that Twin Clutch SST transmission we have all heard so much about in the Evo X is standard for the Ralliart - albeit with modified ratios in 5th and 6th for improved drivability at high speeds and economy.

The transmission also loses its Super Sport setting in the Ralliart, restricted to just ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’.

Don’t think Mitsubishi has skimped on the drivetrain either; the Ralliart receives what most refer to as the Evo IX AWD system - certainly not a compromise by any stretch of the mind.

This incorporates a front helical limited slip differential, an Active Centre Differential and a mechanical rear LSD which are managed by Mitsubishi’s vehicle dynamics control system which incorporates Active Stability Control and Anti-lock Braking.

The ACD system retains its calibrations from the Evo X - featuring TARMAC for dry paved surfaces; GRAVEL for wet tarmac or loose unmade surfaces; and SNOW for snow-covered surfaces.

So naturally the costs have been saved in the engine bay, right? Wrong. The Lancer Ralliart features the same intercooled-turbocharged 4B11-type 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC MIVEC high-performance engine as the Evo X - although it does use a smaller turbocharger.

Peak power stands at 177kW at 6000rpm and 343Nm at 3000rpm, compared to the Evo X’s 217kW and 366Nm.

Braking performance relies on 16-inch 2-pot calliper ventilated disc brakes at the front borrowed from the Outlander SUV, riding on 18-inch 7JJ alloy wheels fitted with 215/45R 18 89W tyres.

Exterior design changes are arguable, resembling more a built-up Lancer rather than a toned-down Evo, comprising new front and rear bumpers, a lightweight aluminium bonnet with vents to feed the turbocharger and an optional deck-lid spoiler.

The interior is also borrowed from the standard Lancer, featuring a unique instrument cluster with matte black faces, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminium pedals and sports suede-knit bucket seats.

Expect a RRP of roughly $40,000 to compete with the Impreza WRX here in Australia when it arrives.

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From the purposeful stance to the throaty note when you fire the engine, the Evo X – Mitsubishi’s 10th iteration of its rally-bred performance car – is something special.

Not that its humbler origins aren’t apparent in the neatly designed but still a bit too plastic interior that cannot be disguised by the leather and cloth Recaro seats.

But let’s cut to the chase, fire the 2.0-litre, twin cam, four-cylinder engine with its twin-scroll turbocharger that generates an impressive 217kW of power at 6500rpm and 366Nm of torque at 3500rpm, slip the gear lever into first and if you’re lucky enough to have the all-new Twin Clutch Sport Shift Transmission (official acronym TC-SST) at your disposal, simply nail the throttle pedal and hang on – because all hell is about to break loose.

With everything in the right setting performance is quite literally shattering, Mitsubishi is coy about 0-100km/h times but we believe they’ve recorded something close to 5.6 seconds and we also believe that under optimum conditions this car could go close to or under the 5.0sec mark.

Stopping is equally improved with huge Brembo brakes front and rear. Both the Lancer Evolution and MR models employ the same size rotors (350mm diameter in front and 330mm diameter in the rear), and the MR uses new two-piece rotor construction to reduce weight. Both use four-piston callipers in front and two-piston callipers in the rear.

There is so much in this car that is new, innovative or just a little bit exotic – like the aluminium roof, bonnet and front guards - that it’s hard to know where to start.

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Click through for EVO X gallery.

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The research has revealed that 38 percent of Twin Clutch SST buyers have switched over from premium German brands such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes - with a further 31 percent defecting from competing Japanese brands such as Subaru.

Sales of the manual transmission however have been dominated by existing Evo owners, accounting for 40 percent of the total with a further 19 percent from German and 20 percent from Japanese manufacturers respectively.

“This shows that the new Evolution X is certainly attracting people out of German cars, especially into the SST, and that the manual gearbox car is not only attracting traditional Evo customers, but also customers of other Japanese marques.”Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi UK’s Sales and Marketing Director.

In an extraordinary case, a Ferrari F430 was traded in at a dealer for a brand new Lancer Evolution X FQ-300 SST along with a cheque for £90,000.

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The 5-door sport hatchback will address a big gap in the current Mitsubishi lineup. The Japanese giant says there will be three engine choices (Europe - Australian specifications are yet to be confirmed)

At the bottom is a 1.5-litre (~80kW) four-cylinder petrol, which sits below the 1.8-litre (~105kW) to round out the N/A engines. There will be a 2.0-litre (~103kW) turbo diesel engine available a well.

Mitsubishi has also released specifications for the Ralliart variants, with power output of 177 kW and 343 Nm of torque. As far as we can tell, the Ralliart versions will not be available in manual, instead both shapes will be driven via Mitsubishi’s Twin Clutch SST transmission with an Active Center Differential.

The AWD system is borrowed from the previous generation Lancer EVO IX and therefore provides extremely responsive steering and traction. Brakes are a tad ordinary with two-pots at the front (but with a larger brake master cylinder).

Another feature Mitsubishi is promoting is the “auto-folding function”. The system allows for an adjustable rear floor height and rear seatbacks that can be tipped forward via a lever located in the luggage compartment.

The diesel engine as well as the Sportback should arrive in Australia by mid-late 2009. The CarAdvice team will be in Paris (as par of our Full Throttle in Europe trip #2 - more on that soon) for the show, so expect full coverage.

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