I'm a devout Evo fan, always have been. They're so singularly loopy and so unapologetic about it; a genuinely unique driving experience, as special in their own way as 911 or and Elise or a big V12 Lamborghini. But if the Evo X is a different sort of animal, maybe it's time to get yourself an Evo IX and enjoy the last samurai...
There's another advantage to the last 'proper' Evo - not that the razor-sharp reactions, deft balance and superb steering aren't already compelling enough - and that's the amassed knowledge about its heart and soul, the 2-litre turbocharged 4G63 engine. It is massively strong massively tuneable. A word of caution, though: go too far and its characteristic wid powerband and predictable, progressive delivery dissapears.
Mitsubishi UK briefly offered the Evo VIII in FQ-400 tune, with 405bhp. It was awful: terribly laggy and probably slower than a bog-standard car point-to-point. Ever since, I've been suspicious of big-power Evos.
So I approached this Turbo Technics-tweaked Evo IX with caution, despite Turbo Technics' assertion that not only did it have more power than the old FQ400 (410bhp) but that they'd also kept the delivery as near-standard as possible, with power coming in early and building smoothly up to the rev-limiter.
They're right, y'know. Bloody hell this thing is fast, boost from the hybrid from the hybrid turbo already surging the IX forward at 3800rpm and then going into hyperdrive as the revs climb. It's still got that terrific top-end bite too, crisp and urgent and relentless. The engine works the chasis very hard, but the Evo IX feels best when it's howling in oversteer but still driving forwards hard. With 410bhp it's all the easier to get into that magic zone.
At £1620, the Turbo Technics conversion seems like good value. But more than anything else, it's a timely reminder of just how special a Mitsubishi Evo can - and should - be.
iKUS
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