Mitsubishi LANCER EVOLUTION VIII 260
The
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII 260 Model May Be The Budget Version But It Isnt Lacking In Excitement. Andy Enright Reports
Although Mitsubishi and
Subaru have long been locked in a battle with their respective Evolution and Impreza rally replicas, the conflict hasnt always been waged on equal terms. Ask any car nut and theyll know that the Lancer has always been a slightly more premium product than the Subaru, rarer, more expensive and that little bit more specialist. In an attempt to offset this slight pricing disadvantage, Mitsubishi have unleashed the entry-level Evolution VIII 260 model. With slightly less power than the rest of the Lancer line up, is this a cynical dilution of the brand or a welcome way to get some of the Evo magic for less?
It certainly fares well on price. The Evo VIII 260 opens proceedings at a very reasonable £23,999, weighing in at around £1,000 less than the only marginally more powerful Subaru Impreza STi. Recognisable by its slightly less overt rear spoiler, the Evo VIII 260 uses the same two-litre 16v engine as the rest of the Lancer Evo range, this time tuned to generate 263bhp and 262lb/ft of torque. As you might expect, this makes it rather brisk, and the top speed of 152mph means that you wont get left behind in a cross continent blast to the Nurburgring.
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Most of the Lancer driver aids are featured, including Active Yaw Control, anti lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution, although the sophisticated Active Centre Differential is reserved for the next model in the range, the Evo VIII MR. The five-speed close ratio gearbox has an astonishing precision to its action and the driver wont want for support through corners, the Recaro bucket seats providing ample grip. Six spoke 17-inch alloy wheels are also fitted as standard to the Evolution VIII 260 and the suspension has been tuned to cope with British road conditions. In fact, the only way Evo spotters will identify the 260 is via that smaller rear spoiler.
And if you really wanted to look the part, you could always specify the big wing that the Evo VIII MR FQ models wear.
" If you want instant, no-nonsense zip, the Evo VIII 260 has it in spades"
Although its slightly detuned in comparison to these models, the Evo VIII 260 is still a staggeringly rapid car. Anything that weighs this little and which packs 263bhp is going to be quick and the 260 rattles off the sprint to 60mph in around 5.6 seconds. Whats even more astonishing than the outright go is the grip this car generates.
On a dry surface its virtually impossible to elicit any sort of wheelspin, even under the most savage acceleration, the four-wheel drive system deploying traction superbly and the Active Yaw Control preventing any sort of out of shape tomfoolery. The car just grips and goes. It does, however, have subtleties to its handling repertoire that reward the keen driver. Whereas with an Impreza you tend to drive the nose of the car, the front bias feeling relatively strong in most models, with Evos you always feel as if this is more of a rear-wheel drive car with a little power going up front to help things out.
For the keen driver, this has often made the Mitsubishis slightly more satisfying cars to pedal hard, despite the fact that the engine isnt the most characterful unit thats ever been created. Despite the slightly anodyne induction note, the four-cylinder powerplant pulls well from very low revs, without the heart-stopping bogging that more powerful Impreza models suffer from when pulling away from a T-junction or onto a roundabout. If you want instant, no-nonsense zip, the Evo VIII 260 has it in spades. Whats more, the smaller rear wing can almost make the 260 blend in with everyday traffic.
Specify one in an unobtrusive colour and it certainly wont attract the attention of the boys in blue in the same fashion as a bright yellow FQ-400, something to bear in mind given how easy it is to stray the wrong side of the law in a car with such immediate urge. The Evolution VII 260 is a canny marketing move from
Mitsubishi. In a year when Mitsubishi Motor Sport ushers in a new global sports organisation, a return to motor sport with a full-on assault on the World Rally Championship and the recruitment of Gilles Panizzi, the fastest man on tarmac, to drive the car, it has also managed to spike the guns of its key rival with a model that will have car enthusiasts rubbing their eyes in disbelief when they figure out the value on offer. For over £1,000 less than an Impreza WRX STi, here is a car that feels more exclusive and could well hold onto its residual value longer.
The other advantage in the Evo VIII 260s favour is that although there are many lesser Imprezas, there are no lesser Evo VIIIs, which means that if the 260 is going to be mistaken for anything, its going to be a more expensive car. After hammering around a race track or a closed rally stage, its easy to forget the fact that the Evo VIII 260 can also carry out the duties of a family saloon too, with four seats, four doors and a reasonably sized boot. Although the temptation to glue the family to the seats is never far away, this is a car that, at a pinch, can carry out dual functions, unlike so many other cars with similar performance levels. A car that can be as practical as a Focus yet can embarrass a
Ferrari? Suddenly £23,999 seems entirely reasonable.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII 260 range
PRICES: £23,999 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: tba
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 152mph / 0-60mph 5.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 22mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS, EBD, AYC
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