New Mitsubishi Evo

[Kia Kaha]

This looks absolutley awesome, shame it costs a S**t load more. But with the power and handeling this thing has it would have to be one of most competitive performance cars out there.

The Mitsubishi FQ-400 Evolution is a Lancer that will out-accelerate exotic super cars.

It has a two-litre engine giving more power than a Falcon XR8 or a Commodore SS. And with a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system for extreme cornering grip.

It's the FQ-400, billed as "the most powerful, accelerative Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X".

It's hitting the roads in Britain this month. There, the home of many motorsport constructors, they have a respected network of car tuners who take fast production cars and make them even quicker.

The Mitsubishi Evo and its rival, the Subaru WRX, each get various versions of hot-up kits from a number of hot shops in Britain.

This Lancer Evo FQ-400 is the product of WRC Developments, with a nod from Mitsubishi's British importer. The model gets its name from the 403hp (300kW of power) produced - an incredible output from the two-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine. And in a road car.

The engine gets motorsport-spec high-flow fuel injectors and a new turbocharger with low-friction bearings and reduced turbo lag. It's fed by an upgraded intercooler. Exhaust gases are sent via a 75mm diameter stainless steel pipe.

Five-hundred hours of development went into remapping its ECU.

The regular Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X on sale in Australia is no slouch: 217kW power at 6500rpm and 366Nm torque at 3500rpm.

The FQ-400 offers 300kW at 6500rpm and a big 525Nm torque at 3500rpm. (A six-litre Commodore SS V8 gives 270kW and the Falcon XR8, 290kW). Mitsubishi and WRC Development say the FQ-400 is good for a zero to 100km/h sprint in 3.8 seconds. It's governed to 250km/h.

It has a wider track than standard and is lowered 30mm, wearing Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers, as well as an upgraded brake system using aerospace-grade aluminium.

The FQ-400 is picked over the normal Evo X by a heavily vented bonnet for engine heat to escape, carbon-fibre elements in the grille edging, composite side skirts, restyled rear bumper with carbon-fibre diffuser, rear wing with Gurney strip and a "vortex generator" on the roof trailing edge.

Inside are Recaro seats, seven airbags (it gets a five-star Euro NCAP rating for occupant protection in a crash), sat-nav and 30GB hard-drive on the sound system.

The FQ-400 sells for a tad over $A100,000 in Britain where the regular Evo X costs from around $60,000 (similar to its Australian price).

[Hiro]

This looks absolutley awesome, shame it costs a S**t load more. But with the power and handeling this thing has it would have to be one of most competitive performance cars out there.

The FQ Evos are UK-spec only, so not even Japan get them...

That, and there's been an FQ400 version ever since the EvoVIII.

[Supercharged TRD]

I've got an AUDM rally red MR....intend to do the 300kW tune

[whitestivo]

i conceed, with 300kw, elgin will lap faster than me

how is the new MR? can you pull improvements from fq for your ride?

whitestivo

[Supercharged TRD]

2 words: bloody awesome

Sticks to the road like it's on rails. The rear diff is real neat - takes some getting used to because it pushes you back into the apex of the curve and feels weird but it virtually eliminates understeer. It's a heavier car than the previous version though, so could do with some increase in power.

[whitestivo]

any easy weight that can be lost out of the mr

1600kg is damn heavy indeed, the trd is nearly lighter

whitestivo

[the_random_hero]

Elgin - will have to talk to you about the tune. I've heard some very mixed results from people who have had it done so far.

[¥uri]

any links to some photos?