The 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution, or Evo, as it's popularly known, draws heavily from the carmaker's Concept X first shown publicly in Tokyo in 2005 and from the more polished Prototype X U.S. fans swooned over in Detroit two years later. Although nominally a member of the Lancer family, the new Evo, the 10th (or X) in the specialty line, stretches the '08 Lancer's styling envelope in some subtle and not so subtle ways. In fact, only the front doors and roof are interchangeable between the two sedans.

The front end borders on brutish, with a deep chin spoiler that does double duty, shoving the onrushing air out of the way to keep the front tires firmly planted while forcing cooling air past a sporty looking mesh through the intercooler and radiator. Shark eye-like headlamps curl around the fenders in a stylistic optical illusion masking the longish front overhang. Functional, NACA-like ducts in the hood, like the chin spoiler, serve dual purposes, vacuuming hot air out of the engine compartment, both cooling the powerplant and reducing front end lift.

Side view shows a mild wedge shape, with a steeply raked windshield, a slowly rising beltline and an almost bustle-like trunk lid topped by an overstated spoiler. Heat extractor vents outline the trailing curve of the front fender blisters that are repeated in the rear fenders. Wheel wells are perfectly circular and nicely filled by the high performance rubber. Matte-black B-pillars (the roof support between the front and rear doors) visually lower the car's height, giving it somewhat of a chopped look. Color-keyed door handles bridging round recesses accommodate bare hands but won't be as friendly to gloves in the colder seasons.

When it comes to the view most other drivers will have of the new Evo, Mitsubishi's reluctance to forsake its street-racer fan base becomes obvious. Most of the pieces are flat panels and arrayed either horizontally or vertically on either side of sharp edges, but the overall effect gives an undeniable aggressiveness to the Evo's back end. Capped by a nearly shoulder-high, oversized rear spoiler and supported by a matte black, below-bumper, racecar-like diffuser panel, the Evo's rear aspect presents the passed-by world with nothing short of a blunt flip-off.

Interior Features

With one notable exception, the Evo interior packaging is as inviting as the exterior is brash. At least as far as creature comforts, that is. However, the telltales so vital to informing a driver as to the state of a car's mechanicals suffer the same shortfalls as the Evo's Lancer kin. This is no surprise, as that Lancer kin served as the source for all but two or three of the Evo's interior elements.

Given that the Evo is a car intended to be driven more than merely steered, the loss from previous iterations of full-time gauges for oil pressure and engine temperature is a serious disconnect. Yes, the data are available, but can be accessed only by clicking through a series of virtual LED gauges centered between the otherwise most impressive, and quite sporty, large analog tachometer and speedometer. Beyond this oversight, however, the instrument panel and center stack, with audio, climate control and, when ordered, very competent navigation system screen and associated user-friendly switches, are well done and generally intuitive. And unlike certain of Mitsubishi's Pacific Rim compatriots, the power outlet for an increasingly essential radar detector is readily accessible at the base of the C-stack and within reach of a standard-length power cord.

The front seats are compromises. They're Recaro buckets specifically engineered to incorporate side airbags to protect the occupant's torso in side impacts. And kudos to Mitsubishi for this, but they lack a height adjustment, which leaves even tallish drivers feeling as if they're sitting in a hole. Granted, and as the Mitsubishi people point out, this lowered seating position adds a modicum protection in a side crash by leaving more of the door between the intruding vehicle and the belted seat occupant, but it sometimes feels as if one must raise one's head to peer over the door sill to count the lug nuts on the 18-wheeler parked in the next lane at the stop light. Otherwise, as is to be expected from one of the great names in seating, and once one maneuvers one's backside around the aggressive side bolsters, they are remarkably accommodating, whether it's a long freeway drive or a rambunctious blast down a winding two-lane.

The steering wheel-pedals-seat proportions feel right. Dropping the right hand from the steering wheel to the shift lever finds it where it should be. The magnesium shifter paddles affixed to the back side of the steering wheel in the MR are equally natural in placement and feel. Mitsubishi has, thankfully, resisted loading up the steering wheel spokes with controls for various and sundry features. After all, not all of us are jet fighter jocks and used to managing the world with a thumb and forefinger. And the Evo's steering wheel-mounted controls are simple to use, too. One problem that even having a height adjustment on the front seats wouldn't solve is the price paid in rear visibility for that high-mount rear spoiler. No matter how much the inside rearview mirror is levered this way or that, the spoiler perfectly masks the roof-top light bar on a following cop car. Beyond this, visibility is good, and checking outside mirror location requires minimal sideways head turning.

Rear seat is a bench, with bolstering only sufficient to delineate the seating positions between the sections. Leg room gives up a half-inch from the Evo IX as do most of the other data points. Save, that is, for rear seat hip room, which gains more than two inches. Cargo room measurement wasn't available at post time, but given the X's other dimensions, expect it to come in right around 11 cubic feet with the up-level stereo's subwoofer mounted against the left rear quarter panel and around 12 cubic feet sans subwoofer.

The Rockford Fosgate stereo sounds great and is quite clear at very high volumes. Bass and treble are crisp, the chuckle in Pink Floyd's "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" is clearly audible and noticeable.

© 2008 NewCarTestDrive.com