Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII – The Seventh Deadly Sin
At speed, fondling the controls of the fresh Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII is more joy than being a politician at a Playboy Mansion Fresh Year’s Eve bash. It seems a violent injustice to parade a car with such skull-jarring capabilities on perhindered public highways. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this “Lancer Supreme” is how willing it is to be a elementary sedan and chore chariot. This ground-up reinvention of Mitsubishi’s economy market Lancer treats its handler to a driving practice on par with exotic German hardware. Like a Cuisinart of the Roads, the Evo VII is a multi-faceted asphalt-gobbling instrument that slices, dices, and purees any knit wit who step on its cape.
Piloting the Evo VII along the rolling backroads of Colorado exposes just how a fusion of mechanical, electronic, and molded plastic elements can amount to something much greater than the sum of their parts. The devilish acceleration is a known commodity; it’s still there, gripping the tarmac with a flatter torque curve. Like a Roy Jones Jr. jab to the chin, it’s a nostril-clearing surprise every time the pedal is strike on. Lean on the accelerator and the pressure on your chest feels like a swift, lead boot to the sternum, pushing you down into the supportive Recaros. This sensation starts at about Two,800 rpm and has you screaming “mommy” by the 7K redline. The act comes rapid, like some crazy, warp-driven conveyor belt with little chocolates you can’t seem to shove down your mouth quick enough.
This fresh Lancer’s diminished frontal area and low spandex hood make you feel as tho’ you’re perched out over the front wheels. The engine is unapologetic about its turbo-enhanced howl as it unwinds like a coiled spring, inhaling ample portions of air through the gaping crevices in its nosepiece. As the car gains momentum, the light steering effort, which seemed darty at lower speeds, is now ideally unexpected in its reactions. The five-speed gearbox, with ratios selected for swiftly spinning the motor to the business end of its powerband, is actuated by a slick, shifting activity and the clutch is unexpectedly tame for such a very strung spectacle sedan.
The car’s factory suspension achieves a level of balance that gives the driver supreme confidence. Soon, turns are taken at surreal speed with minimal bod pitch, as the ACD (active center differential) and AYC (active yaw control) work in concert to negate the ill effects of a driver’s ham-fisted selection of the wrong line. The Evo begs you to throw it through single-lane switchbacks on any kind of terrain, all the while gaining momentum in the turns The roads outside of Manitou Springs, Colorado, are carved into hills that afford long fields of unobstructed vision; superb for counting livestock and speeding. Letting the speedometer fall bellow the triple-digit mark would be a disservice of the highest order to this car’s competitive nature.
Inbetween giddy smirks, you can peer down through the steering wheel at the gauges just to confirm that you took that last series of turns at almost one hundred mph (or was that kilometers?) with scarcely a tire chirp. The car just rejects to get out of form on the tarmac. We weren’t looking to get sideways or attempt to suspend the tail out for a dramatic picture (we’re not that good), we were just looking for confirmation that this machine was a bit mortal.
The Evo’s Special Sauce
Take away the mechanical and electronic “special powers” finessed into the Evo and the car is all of a sudden a very mortal Lancer unibody. What is the “special sauce” Mitsubishi added to make the flavor of the Evolution VII so much richer? As the name suggests, the VII is a refinement over the basic layout of the Evolution VI. It adds a few well-chosen improvements to the basic blueprint, infusing it with hardware and technology more geared toward the world rally battlefield than the compact/sedan market. The goals for the Evo VII were to improve on the VI’s treating, providing less understeer with more accurate and tighter response and ultimately higher cornering boundaries. The fresh version accomplishes this mission, creating a fantastic car that builds upon the development of the previous six models.
Most striking is the fresh exterior dress. Gone are the Evo VI’s fat wheel arches, substituted by smart-looking blistered fender aluminum bodywork. A ducted aluminum bondage mask is also part of the car’s careful Jenny Craig treatment toward construction of a rally-inspired, homologation special, ultra-performance sedan. Close attention was given to weight reduction on the fresh Evo to keep it equal to the 1,400 kg mass of the previous Evo VI in spite of increases in dimensions. In addition to the use of lighter aluminum panels, the front and rear door glass thickness has been diminished by ten percent. The power-steering bracket is aluminum instead of steel and the valve cover is cast in ultra-lightweight magnesium to save a few ounces. The excess fat of a stereo and speakers has been omitted on the VII most likely a wise budge as music would just be a distraction from the driving. The lightened figure panels all drape on a revised and reinforced Lancer unibody that is fifty percent more rigid than the platform used for the previous Evo. The VII’s longer 115mm wheelbase and 5mm broader track enhance straight-line stability and cornering. Its front and rear lights are unique to the Evo, suggesting a not-to-be-confused-with-IS 300-looking, 3-lamp cluster in a pod configuration on the car’s hind quarters. The front lamps and restyled fascia flow more sleekly into the figure lines from the nose through to the A-pillar, and into a steeper rear slope at the rear window of the Lancer. The “lumpier” rear roofline hints at the voluminous rear cabin space tucked within this new-generation Lancer, which we suppose is what everyone was clamoring for in their ultra-performance compact sedans in the very first place.
The Evo VII is still powered by the competition-proven 4G63 Two.0L, transversely-mounted, four-cylinder engine. This latest version is treated to an improved turbocharger (with an Inconel compressor wheel on GS-R models, and a titanium alloy wheel on the RS model), a larger auto-sprayed intercooler, and a more efficient oil cooler to help increase the engine’s torque band and longevity. For the Evo VII, the 4G63 also receives hollow camshafts that help reduce valvetrain mass and improve engine response. The fresh intercooler is 20mm thicker and features optimized tank position and fin angles. These details, added to an already proven and durable engine design, create a motor with a flatter torque curve that is more responsive when you hit the gas.
Behind the engine is a beefed-up version of the W5M51 five-speed gearbox which now has higher grade steel in its gear construction to better cope with the VII’s extra torque. The revised gearbox, with extra strengthening ribs on its case, uses a Two.928 Very first gear ratio (Two.785 in VII) for quicker acceleration. A numerically lower Fifth gear (.72) improves highway cruising speed and fuel economy. Aiding clutch feel, the pressure plate and flywheel have been enlarged for more contact surface.
Substituting the viscous coupling center differential on the previous Evo is a fresh electronically-controlled, hydraulically- operated multi-plate clutch unit. The ACD (active center differential) distributes the torque more effectively inbetween the front and rear wheels. In a nutshell, the ACD helps this Evo react more quickly and effectively to switching traction requests and works to optimize tire adhesion in either tarmac, gravel, or snow modes. The fresh electronic unit enhances steering response and traction. Electronics govern the cover tweak pressure placed on the center differential clutch pack to match driver input and vehicle condition. Under hard acceleration, the ACD is in a near locked state, transmitting the most torque to the road surface for traction. As the driver makes rapid steering inputs, the center diff operates virtually as an open differential to improve the steering response while retaining the 4WD stability. One of the VII’s coolest features occurs when the parking brake is engaged the ACD will operate as an open diff for quick side brake turns. In addition to the ACD, the EVO VII still integrates the active yaw control that has proven so successful in previous versions. A computer integrates the functions of the AYC and the ACD so that optimum control and traction are maintained at all times, creating the aura of a car that’s almost idiot-proof to drive and as confidence-inspiring as a beer stein utter of Jim Rafter.
The VII retains its rally-proven MacPherson strut suspension layout, but the steering box has been lowered to achieve greater linearity in toe switches and more responsive steering. Massive Brembo brakes bring things to dramatic stop, but are connected to Mitsubishi’s Electronic brake force distribution (EBD) system that proportions the braking force inbetween the front and rear wheels for maximum control.
Import Cars featured – Customized Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII Import Car – Super Street Magazine
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII – The Seventh Deadly Sin
At speed, fondling the controls of the fresh Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII is more joy than being a politician at a Playboy Mansion Fresh Year’s Eve bash. It seems a fierce injustice to parade a car with such skull-jarring capabilities on perhindered public highways. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this “Lancer Supreme” is how willing it is to be a elementary sedan and chore chariot. This ground-up reinvention of Mitsubishi’s economy market Lancer treats its handler to a driving practice on par with exotic German hardware. Like a Cuisinart of the Roads, the Evo VII is a multi-faceted asphalt-gobbling instrument that slices, dices, and purees any knit wit who step on its cape.
Piloting the Evo VII along the rolling backroads of Colorado exposes just how a fusion of mechanical, electronic, and molded plastic elements can amount to something much greater than the sum of their parts. The devilish acceleration is a known commodity; it’s still there, gripping the tarmac with a flatter torque curve. Like a Roy Jones Jr. jab to the chin, it’s a nostril-clearing surprise every time the pedal is hit on. Lean on the accelerator and the pressure on your chest feels like a swift, lead boot to the sternum, pushing you down into the supportive Recaros. This sensation starts at about Two,800 rpm and has you screaming “mommy” by the 7K redline. The activity comes swift, like some crazy, warp-driven conveyor belt with little chocolates you can’t seem to shove down your mouth swift enough.
This fresh Lancer’s diminished frontal area and low spandex hood make you feel as tho’ you’re perched out over the front wheels. The engine is unapologetic about its turbo-enhanced howl as it unwinds like a coiled spring, inhaling hefty portions of air through the gaping fuckholes in its nosepiece. As the car gains momentum, the light steering effort, which seemed darty at lower speeds, is now flawlessly unexpected in its reactions. The five-speed gearbox, with ratios selected for swiftly spinning the motor to the business end of its powerband, is actuated by a sleek, shifting act and the clutch is unexpectedly tame for such a very strung spectacle sedan.
The car’s factory suspension achieves a level of balance that gives the driver supreme confidence. Soon, turns are taken at surreal speed with minimal assets pitch, as the ACD (active center differential) and AYC (active yaw control) work in concert to negate the ill effects of a driver’s ham-fisted selection of the wrong line. The Evo begs you to throw it through single-lane switchbacks on any kind of terrain, all the while gaining momentum in the turns The roads outside of Manitou Springs, Colorado, are carved into hills that afford long fields of unobstructed vision; superb for counting livestock and speeding. Letting the speedometer fall bellow the triple-digit mark would be a disservice of the highest order to this car’s competitive nature.
Inbetween giddy sneers, you can peer down through the steering wheel at the gauges just to confirm that you took that last series of turns at almost one hundred mph (or was that kilometers?) with slightly a tire chirp. The car just denies to get out of form on the tarmac. We weren’t looking to get sideways or attempt to drape the tail out for a dramatic picture (we’re not that good), we were just looking for confirmation that this machine was a bit mortal.
The Evo’s Special Sauce
Take away the mechanical and electronic “special powers” finessed into the Evo and the car is abruptly a very mortal Lancer unibody. What is the “special sauce” Mitsubishi added to make the flavor of the Evolution VII so much richer? As the name suggests, the VII is a refinement over the basic layout of the Evolution VI. It adds a few well-chosen improvements to the basic blueprint, infusing it with hardware and technology more geared toward the world rally battlefield than the compact/sedan market. The goals for the Evo VII were to improve on the VI’s treating, providing less understeer with more accurate and tighter response and ultimately higher cornering thresholds. The fresh version accomplishes this mission, creating a fantastic car that builds upon the development of the previous six models.
Most striking is the fresh exterior dress. Gone are the Evo VI’s fat wheel arches, substituted by smart-looking blistered fender aluminum bodywork. A ducted aluminum bondage mask is also part of the car’s careful Jenny Craig treatment toward construction of a rally-inspired, homologation special, ultra-performance sedan. Close attention was given to weight reduction on the fresh Evo to keep it equal to the 1,400 kg mass of the previous Evo VI in spite of increases in dimensions. In addition to the use of lighter aluminum panels, the front and rear door glass thickness has been diminished by ten percent. The power-steering bracket is aluminum instead of steel and the valve cover is cast in ultra-lightweight magnesium to save a few ounces. The excess fat of a stereo and speakers has been omitted on the VII most likely a wise stir as music would just be a distraction from the driving. The lightened bod panels all drape on a revised and reinforced Lancer unibody that is fifty percent more rigid than the platform used for the previous Evo. The VII’s longer 115mm wheelbase and 5mm broader track enhance straight-line stability and cornering. Its front and rear lights are unique to the Evo, suggesting a not-to-be-confused-with-IS 300-looking, 3-lamp cluster in a pod configuration on the car’s hind quarters. The front lamps and restyled fascia flow more slickly into the bod lines from the nose through to the A-pillar, and into a steeper rear slope at the rear window of the Lancer. The “lumpier” rear roofline hints at the voluminous rear cabin space tucked within this new-generation Lancer, which we suppose is what everyone was clamoring for in their ultra-performance compact sedans in the very first place.
The Evo VII is still powered by the competition-proven 4G63 Two.0L, transversely-mounted, four-cylinder engine. This latest version is treated to an improved turbocharger (with an Inconel compressor wheel on GS-R models, and a titanium alloy wheel on the RS model), a larger auto-sprayed intercooler, and a more efficient oil cooler to help increase the engine’s torque band and longevity. For the Evo VII, the 4G63 also receives hollow camshafts that help reduce valvetrain mass and improve engine response. The fresh intercooler is 20mm thicker and features optimized tank position and fin angles. These details, added to an already proven and durable engine design, create a motor with a flatter torque curve that is more responsive when you hit the gas.
Behind the engine is a beefed-up version of the W5M51 five-speed gearbox which now has higher grade steel in its gear construction to better cope with the VII’s extra torque. The revised gearbox, with extra strengthening ribs on its case, uses a Two.928 Very first gear ratio (Two.785 in VII) for quicker acceleration. A numerically lower Fifth gear (.72) improves highway cruising speed and fuel economy. Aiding clutch feel, the pressure plate and flywheel have been enlarged for more contact surface.
Substituting the viscous coupling center differential on the previous Evo is a fresh electronically-controlled, hydraulically- operated multi-plate clutch unit. The ACD (active center differential) distributes the torque more effectively inbetween the front and rear wheels. In a nutshell, the ACD helps this Evo react more quickly and effectively to switching traction requests and works to optimize tire adhesion in either tarmac, gravel, or snow modes. The fresh electronic unit enhances steering response and traction. Electronics govern the cover clip pressure placed on the center differential clutch pack to match driver input and vehicle condition. Under hard acceleration, the ACD is in a near locked state, transmitting the most torque to the road surface for traction. As the driver makes rapid steering inputs, the center diff operates virtually as an open differential to improve the steering response while retaining the 4WD stability. One of the VII’s coolest features occurs when the parking brake is engaged the ACD will operate as an open diff for quick side brake turns. In addition to the ACD, the EVO VII still integrates the active yaw control that has proven so successful in previous versions. A computer integrates the functions of the AYC and the ACD so that optimum control and traction are maintained at all times, creating the aura of a car that’s almost idiot-proof to drive and as confidence-inspiring as a beer stein total of Jim Rafter.
The VII retains its rally-proven MacPherson strut suspension layout, but the steering box has been lowered to achieve greater linearity in toe switches and more responsive steering. Massive Brembo brakes bring things to dramatic stop, but are connected to Mitsubishi’s Electronic brake force distribution (EBD) system that proportions the braking force inbetween the front and rear wheels for maximum control.