2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X

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2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X Buzz Hub

Shuffling through the throng at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, a photographer struggling for a clean shot of the Prototype X concept car was heard to mumble, "It's a looker." It was an opinion shared by the throng, and unlike some concept cars, the sexy Prototype X wasn't a tease. The production version of the 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X, which will hit dealers in the first quarter of 2008, is its virtual twin.

Compared to the upcoming version of its lifelong rival, the 2009 Subaru WRX STI, the Evo X has the looks contest won in spades. We shouldn't be so surprised. Neither should Subaru. Mitsubishi showed its hand way back at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Show with the Concept-X.

Mitsubishi calls its hot sedan the Evolution because it's been evolving for some 26 years with technology applied from World Rally Championship participation. This one, dubbed the Evolution X (pronounced "10"), is the tenth evolution of the road-going rally car, and it's a departure from previous iterations. While it still packs a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive, for the first time the car will get a dual clutch six-speed, which means paddle shifters and no third pedal. A traditional six-speed manual will also be available.

The performance of the 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X should still be inspiring. We caught the Evo X on video during testing at the Streets of Willow road course in Southern California alongside BMW's $60,000 M3. We've also captured spy video of an Evo X prototype testing on Germany's demanding 13-mile Nürburgring.

With so much media attention, the 2008 Evo X has been generating a lot of buzz on forums around the world. Its sleek and flowing body, which we've seen in countless spy photos, could have been penned in Ingolstadt, yet is still able to convey some of the dirt-bred aggression these cars are noted for. And for the first time two body styles will be offered: sedan and a new Sportback, which Mitsubishi will unveil at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September as the Concept Sportback.

As long as the car retains the mind-blowing performance capability that previous Evolutions have delivered for the past 26 years, it won't matter much to enthusiasts if the Evolution X caters to a broader demographic. And an exclusive drive of an earlier Evolution fitted with bits of Evolution X revealed more electronic driving aids than you might find in an M1A1 Abrams tank. Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) technology, which features an Active Center Differential (ACD) and Active Stability Control (ASC), was present, but the prototype we drove had the same great steering feel as the Evolution IX.

In addition, the North American market will finally see the much-lusted-after Active Yaw Control (AYC) that has been available in the rest of the world since 1996. On top of that, active suspension, active braking control and active steering work to enhance response. An above-average zoo monkey will be able to make this car change direction politician-fast.

And it's that performance, along with its newfound style, that will make the 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X a phenomenon when it hits the street in a few short months.

2008 MITSUBISHI EVOLUTION X