I have a few favourite sports cars -- Porsche 911, Nissan GT-R and BMW M3. And Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution MR is right up

Playtime for the Evo X MR! (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

there at the top of the list. A sedan as a sports car? Absolutely. It just has to be there. With all due respect, until the majority of sports car makers can build a coupe or roadster that can handle anywhere near as well as the Evo, it deserves to be classified as a sports car.

First and foremost, I don’t like the Evo X or its predecessors for their interiors. No, the Lancer, while a great looking car with some impressive features and superb road manners even in base trim, won’t make you forget your Mazda3 or VW Jetta when stepping inside. Hard plastic surfaces and mediocre switchgear aside, the MR’s Premium Package, standard for 2010, means the 710-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system is as earth shattering as the car’s performance! That audio system is accessible via a seven-inch touch-screen that also interfaces with hard drive audio storage, SIRIUS satellite radio, the navigation system, and Bluetooth connectivity, much of which can be controlled with the redundant steering wheel spoke-mounted switchgear.

The now standard Premium Package also adds full-leather seating, the front seats still made by Recaro and beyond brilliant, as well as Phantom Black and silver interior accents, rain-sensing wipers, sound-insulated windshield glass, automatic xenon headlamps, proximity sensing keyless remote, power sunroof, and more, to other items already standard on the GSR, such as automatic climate control, leather-wrapped tilt sport steering wheel, full-colour multi-information display, variable intermittent wipers, power windows, cruise control, aluminum pedals, flat wiper blades, fog lamps, colour-keyed door handles and mirrors, Brembo brakes, tire pressure monitoring system,

The super-size spoiler has to be added on from the dealer this year. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

and driver's knee airbag that joins front, side-thorax and full curtain-type airbags. The Ralliart-type spoiler that comes standard on the GSR has been deleted on the MR as the top-tier model’s more mature clientele would rather not have drive a car with such a boy-racer look, but your dealer will be happy to tack it back on for a price.

All Evo Xs get solar UV control front door glass, better windshield washer functionality, a new short-pole antenna to clean up the exterior styling, a larger side air dam design, high-contrast meter design with full-colour LCD multi-information display, chrome accents on the automatic air conditioning dials, and an odour decomposing headliner. I should probably also mention that the base 2010 Evo X

The Evo X's general layout and design is very good. (Photo: Mitsubishi)

can be had with the GSR handling package, which adds Bilstein shock absorbers, Eibach springs, 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels, Brembo two-piece front rotors, and the larger rear wing spoiler that is no longer available on the MR.

Even in base trim, however, the Evo X is beyond anything you’ve probably ever driven when it comes to sheer performance. Yes, a mighty claim for sure, especially about a compact four-door with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder under the scooped and ducted hood. That diminutive four is turbocharged and intercooled, mind you, resulting in a hair-raising 291 horsepower and goose-bump stimulating 300 lb-ft of torque for spine-tingling acceleration despite the MR’s substantial 1,630-kilo (3,594-lb) mass.

The power is most

Leather-wrapped steering wheel and magnesium paddles make for a brilliant combination. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

noticeable when already rolling, and even more exhilarating when coming out of a tight corner at full throttle. You don’t have to have a firm grip on the wheel, and it’s probably better that you don’t, leaving your hands and arms relaxed for better reaction and balanced at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions, ready for full control of the wheel and prepared to shift the magnesium paddles immediately, or alternatively blow the interval and lose momentum.

The paddles are the best in the industry, with years of rally-bred experience gone into their design. They connect through to what I believe is the most advanced dual-clutch automated manual in the business, Mitsubishi’s Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) that can also swap gears via the console-mounted shifter. If you want the best performance, mind you, leave it in Drive, set it to Sport mode if on the road or

Set the dual-clutch MR transmission for regular, Sport or Super-Sport modes and hang on! (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

S-Sport (engaged by putting the transmission into Park and pressing the switch for three seconds) if at a track via the console-mounted switch, then a quick look to see that the all-wheel drive system's steering spoke-mounted S-AWC toggle is set to its default “Tarmac” position, and let it calculate and actuate ideal shift points on its own. Unless your last name is Andretti you’re probably not as good at shifting gears as this transmission, so you might as well concede and enjoy the brilliant electronic mind that comes standard with every MR.

Previously I had the MR on the track, and while it shifts at high levels of intelligence during jaunts down public roads,

Tarmac? Gravel? Snow? Pick your flavour! (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

it’s MENSA-level on a good road course. I played with it around one of my favourite tracks, Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, and it reacted like I’ve always suspected previous-generation F1 cars must have felt like, back when the transmissions were preprogrammed with automated shift-points to maximize speed and minimize fuel consumption.

I’m guessing most Evo MR buyers aren’t too worried about fuel economy, but this day and age there’s more to reducing fuel usage than merely saving a few bucks. It’s all about a car’s environmental footprint and treading lightly on Mother Nature, so to that end Mitsubishi’s iconic flagship is a relative Greenpeace banner carrier compared to other vehicles with anything near its performance credentials, achieving an

Two of the best seats in autodom. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

estimated 12.7 L/100km in the city and 8.9 on the highway as per the rather optimistic Canadian rating system.

Also unlike other supercars, the Evo has the ability to tread lightly off-pavement, or alternatively rip a gravel road to shreds via its standard Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system, easily as smart as the car’s transmission and more advanced than most others of its kind. For starters, it splits torque up to 50:50 between the front and rear wheels, using an electronically-controlled hydraulic multi-plate clutch, while its Active Centre Differential (ACD) will momentarily disconnect when the car goes around extremely tight curves, eliminating tire chatter between inside and outside Yokohama 245/40R18s which rotate at different speeds in such situations, of course.

Perfectly practical too! (Photo: Mitsubishi)

Its rear differential gets Super Active Yaw Control (S-AYC) that joins performance-tweaked active stability control for near foolproof grip no matter the road or trail surface. The aforementioned S-AWC toggle can also be switched from Tarmac to Gravel or Snow. Sport Brembo brakes with performance-enhanced ABS round out the Evo X’s dynamic goodness, all balanced with near perfect weight distribution.

While the Lancer Evolution X MR’s performance is near flawless, it’s not a perfect car by any means. I’ve already mentioned that its interior is hardly inspirational, which is a real shame as I’m certain its capability on the road would have many BMW 3 Series owners otherwise changing camps, and trunk space is minimal at 195 litres (6.9 cubic feet). Why so small compared to the regular Lancer? Mitsubishi

A wee little bit of heaven... the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR is absolutely brilliant! (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

relocated the battery and washer fluid reservoir to the rear for better weight distribution, not to mention reduced accident repair costs if battery acid were to come in contact with engine components, but the standard audio system subwoofer is another culprit. Last year’s MR was better from a livability standpoint as the top-tier audio system wasn’t standard. Also bad for practicality, in order to maximize overall body rigidity and fit in the battery and washer fluid container Mitsubishi deleted the regular Lancer’s 60/40-split seatback pass-through.

All the same, put the Evo beside almost any car capable of holding its own against it on the road or track and its four-door serviceability and general overall comfort will outshine its opponent. This is a track car that you can live with everyday, intimidating to weekend competitors yet ideal for shuttling the kids from school to music lessons and baseball practice, which will make you the coolest dad or mom in existence, all for a mere $51,798; the base GSR sells for $41,998.

But of course, what matters more to me than looking cool in front of my kids is getting the best driving experience for my money, and to that end Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution X MR is right up there at the top of my short list.

Interior

Exterior

Mechanical

Safety

Dimensions

Misc

(PP) Premium Paint Charge

(J005) Standard Gloss Paint

(P5) Handling Package