Mitsubishi Announces the 403HP Lancer Evolution X FQ-400

Wow a 400hp rice rocket, for around $100k US, I don't think so.

Note it said "in the UK". This car will not come to the US, it won't sell here for the price of a Z06, Viper, or GT-R. Too many better cars in every category at that price.

I still like the fact that they officially have a car wit hthe FQ monkier. FQ for those of you that didn't know, stands for F*cking Quick. We'd never see this car in the US anyway, as we do not have 97+ octane gas like they do in the UK.

That 3 year/36,000 mile warranty is scary, especially if this model uses the new dual clutch trans (which I seriously doubt it does).

Yay, another junk-box with too much power. Was recently in my friends new Subaru WRX-265... just a cheap car with lots of power, no comfort or refinement whatsoever.

No kidding Noya, that thing is just begging to implode.
I agree with Kevin too, I can think of a bunch of cars for that price I would rather have and trust to last awhile.

That being said, I would still like to take one out and bang through that dual clutch tranny until it pukes.

@ Ryan

I don't know how a 2009 wrx is considered a cheap car, sure it's 26k for a compact (or something around that), but for 26k which car are you looking at the just oozes refinement and luxury? The build quality and reliability of subaru is well above average, and the fit and finish rarely is complained about....so I'm not sure what you're comparing it to. In general most performance cars aren't worth the money if you're just looking at them from a luxury or comfort perspective, but that's not the market they're in. What performance car that is so uber quality for 26k are you thinking of.

@ thetruth

Sorry to burst your bubble, buddy, but most people lack common sense and an i.q. higher than 8 (sarcasm, if you haven't noticed.) Jokes aside, you're one of the FEW people who actually are using 10% of your brain; the rest use only 5% at most.

@ RX-7 Guy

Yes, and your RX-7 with hit-or-miss reliability is no more a rice rocket than an Evo X on steroids.

@ Ryan

Read what "thetruth" wrote...

guys... it's 50 pounds in the UK... it won't be the equivalent here. they price their cars per market. it will be expensive but in the area of 50-60K not 100K.

Oh boy, it's our favorite assclown. TRidiots. The fishing must be slow in Kiddietown, so he came here to troll.

Trying to compare Mitsubishi to Mazda? Please kid, spare us. If it wasn't for the Lancer, Mitsubishi sales would be down by 70% here in the states. Nobody wants an ugly, bloated, underpowered Eclispe. Mitsu screwed themselves on that front. The last good Eclipse rolled of the assembly line in what? 1999?
The Galant? Not even inner city folk buy those anymore. There's the Outlander, but i cannot confirm they actually have sold any since i fail to see them on the street.

While i will recognize that the latest Lancer Evo has serious clout, Mitsu simply doesn't have brand recognition, reputation, or volume to compare or compete with what roams the streets of America right now. Or any time in the near future. Especially since this car isn't hitting our shores.

Take your sarcasm and pathetic YouTube quality post and blow junior. Since all you have is insults, it's obvious you don't have much else to offer.

wow just tuning a GSR Evo is easier, right?

@Kevin

I'd take this in a heartbeat over a Z06 or a Viper. Not only is it much better looking and much more practical, I'm betting with the AWD it could probably outdo either on a track as well.

LOL@Totenglocke

Dude the Evo MR can barely loose a Cobalt SS around a track( according to car and driver the cobalt is faster around Virginia International Raceway). what makes you think it can compete with a Viper, Z06? 100 HP? Please a Z06 and a Viper have way better power to weight ratios. If the GTR has its hands full with a Z06 and Viper, you think An EVO?! Sorry i cant stop laughing. And dont say you saw it on Top Gear beat a Lambo, cause we all know that they are a bit biased sometimes, most of the time.

@muscleoverbrains

To let my nerdity show, if you bothered to RTFA (google it if you don't know what it means), you'd see that it has a WIDER TRACK and LOWERED SUSPENSION -- and I'm sure there will be other handling increasing changes too. While the Cobalt SS may have been faster than an Evo MR (not that big of a power difference between the Cobalt SS and the Evo MR actually), adding 1/3 more power to the Evo (not even taking into account the handling improvements) will definitely kick the Cobalt to the curb.

It's amusing that you bash Top Gear for being biased (which if they would be biased, they'd go for the Lambo over the Mitsu), yet your very name itself screams your bias. But it's ok, the Evo will leave your Challenger in the dust once you get to that corner coming up on a REAL road and not a drag strip.

Heck, I *want* that car!!!
And me being an E39 M5 owner too!! :P

I'd have to wonder what the spool time is for a turbo to be making that much boost...

At the same time it is unfair to think of this car as anything more than a collectors item. Yes it would be fast just about anywhere, but it is setup to be more of a track car than anything. This as a daily driver would be rough to say the least. In a way it would be comparing a Porsche GT2 to the 911 Turbo...

And to anything that thinks a "rally" anything equal comfort and luxury what are you thinking? I certainly don't hold Subaru or the Evo in company with BMW or Audi.

400HP/Tq on 2.0L 4 cylinder engine is something American car industry will never achieve because their engine would simply fucking blow out. This car is faster then Mustang, Camaro SS, actually any American car except for Corvette ZR1.

Somebody said that Eclipse is underpowered and slow. That Eclipse runs same as new Camaro V6, so much of being underpowered moron.

@PAUL

I believe they use a different octane rating system in the UK, so 97 octane there is equivalent to 93 here.

miki, the Eclipse weighs 200-300 pounds less then a v6 Camaro, makes less power, and gets less gas mileage. So yes, it is slow.

As for the FQ 400. First, torque peaks at 3500 rpm, turbo lag much? Second, speed wise it tops out at 170 mph unlike the 200 mph cars people are comparing it to, so this means its top end isn't all that great. With 400 hp, my GTO tops out at 181 mph and the Evo weighs about 200 lbs less. As for upgraded bits, 6 piston calibers, revised aero bits, more cooling vents, 18 inch wheels, lowered, bigger turbo, revised ECU. Now I could be wrong, but I don't think all that is going to make it a track star to the point which it can keep up with a Z06 and/or Viper. The Z06 has 25% more power on tap and runs 0-60 in 3.9s. The Viper has 50% more power and 0-60 in 3.5s. The Z06 weighs less and the Viper weighs the same as an Evo X.

Now who knows, the FQ400 could be completely revised, but as pointed out, its little brother can't keep up with a Cobalt SS turbo around a track. The Z06 is a meaner, better brother on steroids to that Cobalt SS turbo.

Totenglocke

the Evo has 60hp more than the cobalt, some crazy AWD that keeps you from crashing compared to the FWD for the Cobalt, its sad it cant beat it. I doubt that this Evo is in the same class as a z06 viper or even 911 turbo and GTR seeing as those are the cars that compete with them.

and my name is mucleoverrice cause my friend used to post on this site and was a HUGE JDM fan. I dont own a Challenger i think that is probably the worst "sports car" on the market. I only own one American car, and that one is locked in the garage, unless you count my wife's car. Maybe i should change maybe i should change my name?

And I love Top Gear but they are extremely biased, just look what they did to Tesla

@timeless:

True, the UK uses a different rating, the RON system, while North America uses AKI. It works out to whatever the UK rating is subtract 4 or 5 on average. You can buy 102 RON 'petrol' in the UK, which is 97-98 AKI fuel here.

You are correct though, that most of the UK fuel comes in at 93 AKI, which is still higher than most of the US has access to. In fact, I can't think of a single gas station anywhere near me in California that sells 93 octane gas without blending it with ethanol. 91 octane pisswater is pretty much the best gas we have access to in Cali. When I was in Texas however, 93 octane was everywhere... ironic considering how many trucks there are there.

The FQ400 is a track tuned car. It's top end is electronically limited to 155 MPH. Not a big deal since I can only think of two racetracks in the world where a street car might get to 150 MPH on a straightaway, and the Evo has no where near enough balls to get there since a Viper can barely hit those speeds. On a track car like this, it's all about downforce. The Corvette C5R, and Viper ACR do the same thing. If I remember correctly, the Viper ACR can generate about 1500 lbs of downforce at 80 MPH, which is substantial. F1 cars generate about 2000+ pounds at this speed (almost more than the car weighs), and most street cars will do from 100-300 lbs. Races are won in corners, not on straights. Don't get me wrong, I still don't think it'll take a Z06 or a regular Viper on the road, but it could be closer than expected on a track with a lot of corners and short straightaways.

Stock Evo's beat regular vettes all the time at Buttonwillow. To start this old debate though, it's normally the driver and not the car.

@Tote

The new GT-R can't outdo the Viper so what makes you think THIS can.

P.S. The new Challenger is a FAILURE!!!

Recession? What recession?
Global warming? What global warming?

@426Hemi

But The New Camaro is just pure sex.

@everyone else

Its a Mitsubishi who really cares.

@muscle

No, the Evo has 31 hp more than the Cobalt SS (260 hp for the Cobalt, 291 hp for the Evo and it's about the same difference for torque).

I've also seen Top Gears review of the Tesla, but don't remember it. I'll go look it up on youtube in a bit. However, Given it's numbers, the Tesla is hardly as good as people try to make it out to be. Is it amazing for an electric car? Definitely. However, I'd take a regular Lotus Exige S and crank it for a bit more power and watch it spank the Tesla into oblivion.

Since Top Gear was brought up, what about the one where Hammon tries out the F1 car? Or should I say barely makes it around a track.

That's a great example. Those are purpose built cars, huge downforce, high revving, purpose set gearing, everything you need to go as fast as possible on any given track. Things like the ACR Viper, and Z06 Corvette are those basic ideas applied to street cars. And it does make them better on the track. The same can be said about this Evo. With less power, and the AWD system it might be slower on the track (all given a great driver).

All of these cars are going to be excellent on a track no matter what. If you can tame an ACR Viper, you might feel the Evo was letting you down. But if you are a novice I'm sure both would have your heart racing.

I wouldn't really go as far to say that the Z06 is a track car. The ZR1, maybe, the ACR Viper, definitely. I have to say though, that if this FQ ever made it to the US, it certainly wouldn't be $100k, probably closer to $70k. Still, I'd take a lot of other cars over it in that range. And yes a lot of that has to do with the fact that it is unlikely to last more than 4-5 years driven more than once a month.

Just for the record, for those in this discussion who need to return to reality...this car MIGHT run with a Camaro SS. MAYBE. It's not going to touch an LS3 Vette...let alone a Z06, Viper, GT-R or the like. We're talking NOT EVEN CLOSE.

On second thought, i'll even put my money on the Camaro SS for a solid win.

@Kevin

Yea, because this things 3.8 second 0-60 time is SO much slower than the Corvette ZR1's 3.4 second 0-60 time.

But you know, the Camaro SS with it's 4.8 second 0-60 can totally beat this because it's American and the FQ-400 isn't! AMERICA ALWAYS WINS YA'LL!

@Kevin

Well, that's how it will be on the track any way. But how well will they compete on the dirt.

@Kevin: I'd love to hear some racing credentials to back up the smack talk, or at the very least some track time in more than one of the cars you have listed.

I finally got to drive the Camaro SS yesterday, and I have driven all of the other cars you mentioned on a track. I have also driven a highly modified Evo 8 with around 400 whp as well which I'll use as the basis for my comments, as I doubt I'll get to try an FQ400.

There is no way that the Camaro SS will take the FQ400 on a track unless the FQ catastrophically breaks mid lap.

Actually I'm pretty sure the Evo will walk all over the new camaro in pretty much every performance test you'd care to throw at it, and you will need a lot less driver talent to make the car fast.

@Paul

Maybe a constantly-tweeked Evo FQ400 can take some performance wins over the stock Camaro SS under certain conditions, but in the end you still have a yuk (IMO) Evo to look at to keep tuned for the weekend. Evo to run around the track, but I'll take the SS and drive it everywhere else anytime.

I would pick the ACR Viper or the ZR-1 over the FQ400 for all out track times. It'll be close I think. But overall, they're both just better race cars. I think the wing on the Evo only gives around 100lbs of downforce at speed. Not sure though. If what Paul said is true about the ACR Viper's downforce, that is going to give it crazy traction in the corners. It'll win for sure.

I also consider the z06 more of a track oriented car than a ZR-1 also. Just because it has more power does not make it a better car. The fact that it laps tracks at a faster clip than the z06 hurts my opinion though.

@Kevin

You're out of your mind if you think a Camaro SS could beat on an FQ400 much less a regular Evo X. Around a track the Evo would tear on it. It has less weight, better brakes, and better traction on corner exit. Acceleration is close enough that the Camaro would not be able to make up back the time it lost in corners. I consider the AWD system to be better than the one found in the GT-R too.

@sparky: agreed. I have a Camaro SS on order, as I think it's going to end up being a collector's piece.

sweet car. This car was only ever offered to customer in the uk. even the older version. It's a sweet car but when you can have a new GTR for 20 grand cheap from the dealer, it's definately not a great deal

the individual who mentioned 'global warming'... please leave the room :)

no such thing... it's a farse... please don't let the door hit you on the way out.

A very capable car can we all agree on that?

Why even bother posting here when everyone is either:
1) A troll
2) An "elitist" douchebag

Bench Racing = FAIL

It is real funny when all you magazine groupies start comparing tests and comparisons. Cobalts SS faster than an EVO? OMG. Go out to your local Autocross and watch. See any Cobalts? Take an inventory of what cars you see on the road in the winter. See any Z06's? The WRX will dominate in both these environments + rain. Your so called muscle cars are fairweather players at best. What use is that? To get best times in a magazine? That will help you a lot. What a waste of a car. I'd rather own a classic if I can't use it in the rain or snow.

In the UK they aren't that shallow and cars like this are very popular as are the Subaru's, Audi's, Ford Focus and Coopers. They are powerful, super handling versatile vehicles that can be driven anytime. How can you beat that with a Cobalt SS or Dodge Challenger except on the drag strip? Like we drive on those all day every day!!! Never mind, you keep memorizing 1/4 mile times and reviews by amature drivers to get smart about cars. LOL.

Um, RealityJunky, hate to break it to you, but just because you can't/say others can't drive, say a Z06 in the snow, doesn't mean other people can't. There is a video of a ZR1 driving through the Mixing Bowl with the roads covered in snow. There are people who can drive cars and there are people who need the cars to drive for them.

Actual drivers are going the way of the dodo because of traction control this, stability control that, AWD this, computer .2s of a second faster shift that, etc etc. People are becoming lazy because of that, and they think they are the best driver ever. Actual driving is becoming a lost art form. Oh, and I am by far not the best driver on earth, but the cars I have I know like the back of my hand because I drive them as oppose to them driving me.

As for the UK/Europe as a whole vs America, different animals. You have rural areas where a lot of people live and a huge highway system in America. In Europe, its pretty much all city/urban where people live. What a novel idea, different conditions, different vehicles. Said it before and will say it again, there are no sharp, sudden turns on a highway, so your turn this and turn that will do you no good. Likewise, pulling up to a red light and then taking off, your ability to do the slalom a couple of mph faster won't do you any good either.

And yet again, everyone is a different driver, so numbers are the only base with which to compare by. Like Paul has pointed out, his friend can drive his GT-R faster then he can. Then there is also a driver who got a stock Z06 into the 10's for the quarter mile. What a car is capable of and what its driver limit it to are two different things.

im feeling lots of love and camaraderie in this room ...

im feeling lots of love and camaraderie in this room ...

It's not WHAT you drive, it's HOW you drive the car

It's not WHAT you drive, it's HOW you drive the car

i really think strongly that the EVO can beat a ss colbalt some kid thought he was a badass and wanted to race my EVO and that was a big mistake cuz that is a slow ass car and all of you guys who think that a gay ass colbalt is fast im sorry you nee to learn you cars