Upon learning a few years ago that the Mitsubishi Evolution was coming to our shores, one of our editors was so elated he said he felt like "running through the streets of New York City in my underwear, shouting, 'The Evo is coming! The Evo is coming!'" Should you drive Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution, you, too, may get infected with such unbridled enthusiasm.

Like its arch rival, the STi, Mitsubishi's WRC-inspired road burner doesn't exactly blend into the automotive landscape. With its angled headlights, functional hood vent and prominent intercooler visible through the front fascia, the Evolution has plenty of attitude. Of course, like most cars of its type, there is a big wing on the rear deck, though unlike the STi, it's optional — a "low-profile" spoiler is standard. Blistered fenders, clear-lens taillights and six-spoke Enkei alloys fitted with high-performance Yokohama tires round out the Evo's visual statement.

Recaro and Momo are two names that car enthusiasts should recognize, as they are considered by many to be the top purveyors of performance seats and steering wheels, respectively. And in the Evo, they keep their lofty reputations intact. We're not sure about the blue seat inserts in a red car, but there is no question about the driver seat's ability to hold one comfortably in place while probing the considerable limits of the Mitsu's handling. One thing the Recaros could use is a more user-friendly recline function; instead of pulling up a lever and simply leaning back, one must twist a knob that is stiff and awkwardly located. The stout Momo wheel offers a thick rim and a racy look with its real metal spokes. The rest of the cockpit is more econobox than race car; apart from some faux titanium trim, it's generic in style and materials.

Although it displaces a mere two liters, the Evo's turbocharged inline four puts out a robust 271 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. As with the STi, the Evo has a functional water sprayer for the intercooler, just in case things get really heated. Those who have already looked at the "vital stats" will see that the Evo is down of power when compared to the STi, having nearly 30 less horses and nearly 30 less lb-ft than the Subie. In real-world testing, however, the difference vanished. When it came to the 0-to-60-mph dash, the Evolution actually beat the STi by a tenth of second, posting a 5.7-second run to the WRX's 5.8. By the end of the quarter-mile, though, the Mitsu was trailing the Subie by a tenth with a time of 14.2 seconds.

Gearheads may ask, "But don't you have to rev up the Evo a lot more to get to the power?" No, actually, as the Evo feels just as muscle-bound as the STi. Number mongers may also wince when they see that the Evo has "only" a five-speed, as compared to the six cogs of the Subie. Again, numbers don't always paint an accurate picture; the spacing of the Lancer's five gears is spot on, as the Evo required fewer shifts at the track than the STi. And on the street, we appreciated the Evo's more precise shifter that slipped into its gates with military precision. Although the Evolution lacks the STi's driver-adjustable center differential, it really wasn't missed, as the Mitsu's all-wheel-drive system did a great job of effectively channeling the power to the pavement and keeping the car on course.

Like the STi, the Evolution comes with big Brembo brakes sporting four-piston calipers up front. With vented rotors measuring 12.6 inches up front and 11.8 inches in the rear, these binders stopped on the proverbial dime, and gave nine cents change. The Mitsu tied with the Subie by turning in a 110-foot stopping distance from 60 mph. What's more, the Evo's powerful binders were easily modulated and showed no signs of fade whether hammering through the canyons or executing repeated panic stops at the test track.

Although all the power makes the Evo a blast in a straight line, there is more to the Evo's repertoire than just blistering acceleration. On the Streets of Willow racetrack, the Evo was in its element, ripping through the tight, twisty road course in an unflappable manner. More impressive than the Evo's outright power and handling is the car's balanced feel when being pushed hard. A few of our more experienced pilots commented on how perfectly dialed in the Mitsu was, and although both of these cars possess formidable capabilities, under the harsh spotlight of the racetrack, the Evo shone just a little brighter due to its tighter, more composed nature. Not surprisingly, when it came to ride quality on the street, the Mitsu lost out to the Subie. While neither one of these go-karts coddles its passengers, the Evo was even more unyielding, prompting one driver to say, "After driving the Evo, my butt could tell you as much about the streets I regularly travel as the civil engineers who designed them. The texture of the pavement was transmitted, virtually unfiltered, to my backside."

By the time the smell of brake dust had dissipated, we had come to the conclusion that these cars were so closely matched it was almost unfair to have a first and second place. But two factors, slight as they were, put the Evo ahead of the STi — price and the Evo's supremely confident feel behind the wheel.

Second Opinions:

Editor in Chief Karl Brauer says:
The single most amazing thing about the Lancer Evolution is that…well, it's a Lancer Evolution. Anyone who's driven the base model knows that, while it may be a fully capable (and actually quite comfortable) economy car, it doesn't exactly scream performance. In our recent 2003 Economy Sedan Comparison Test, the Lancer finished sixth out of eight competitors largely due to its lack of power.

But the Lancer is to the Lancer Evolution what Bruce Banner is to the Hulk. And like the Hulk, the Evo isn't the most refined or docile creature you'll encounter. But when it comes to anger management, this car offers more smiles than anything you can buy for less than $35,000. The Mitsu's willing engine and catlike reflexes made circulating the Streets of Willow more fun than watching Martha Stewart's stock value plummet. Feedback through the steering wheel is sublime and, when combined with subtle throttle variances, allowed me to place the Lancer exactly where I wanted it.

And, as with the more expensive Subaru, the Lancer offers trick hardware like an intercooler sprayer and manual headlight level adjustments (though it doesn't offer an adjustable center differential or six-speed gearbox).

The Subaru feels like the more serious rally machine in terms of advanced hardware and overall execution, but for pure fun the Evo's the one.

Road Test Coordinator Kelly Stennick says:
After listening to the rest of our staff gush for days about how much fun Mitsubishi's new Evo was to drive, I finally got my turn. I barely made it out of the parking garage before I was accosted by an enthusiastic driver at a stoplight. A mid-40ish man pulled up alongside of me in a New Beetle and said, "I've heard about those cars. They're really fast, aren't they?" As if right on cue, the light changed to green and I hit the gas, waving my answer in the rearview mirror. Wow, this is fun, I thought.

Typically, harsh rides and a lack of amenities and features aren't high on my vehicle wants list, but even spoiled me has to admit that there's something to be said about tooling around town in a car that could blow others' doors off. I especially like the fact that save for the ridiculously sized spoiler, only those looking for the Evolution badge would have any idea of this car's performance capabilities. ("Sleepers" are important when attempting to show off to boys on the freeway.)

Would I buy this car? Absolutely not, but then, I bet 30-something-year-old women with children aren't exactly the target audience. Would my 21-year-old college quarterback brother buy it? Definitely, even if he had to hand over his throwing arm in trade.