Today, we had the brief opportunity to drive the all new Evo X MR. While far from a complete test, we were able to try out the yet to be released model, complete with the SST twin clutch transmission on the Cypress, CA highways and side streets. A more complete test will follow as soon as the media vehicles are ready for release, however until then here are each of our impressions:

Charles (CharlesJ)

Approaching the new MR, I was instantly struck by the subtle, but noticeable exterior and interior differences. The BBS wheel package, and subtle exterior trim upgrades set the MR apart giving it a slightly more refined, finished appearance. The chrome accents on the front grille may not appeal to everyone, but are understated enough to not detract from the styling. Looking closer, I notice the MR’s 2 piece front rotor, a definite upgrade of the GSR shedding more unsprung weight. Continuing the theme inside, the alcantra/leather seats and enhanced trim details make a very noted improvement allowing a more upscale feel. I felt this to be a greater difference than that of the previous generation GSR to MR. So far so good. However, much like all of you, the SST transmission consumed all of my questions. On the way to lunch, I left in the Phantom Black (which has a surprising amount of gold flake in it) MR set to “normal” mode and left in full auto. This mode is primarily for gas mileage and smooth driving without performance in mind. You can practically forget you are in an Evo and comfortably cruise along with smooth auto shifting. The response is slightly sluggish in this mode, but purposely so for efficiency. Fantastic for getting from point A to B, but certainly not the most entertaining.

After lunch, we decided to give the transmission a work out to see it’s true colors. Moving into sport mode and sliding to shifter an inch to the left for manual mode, the new MR starts to come to life. Selecting this mode moves the performance and response up a notch and speeds up shift times. Casually scrolling through the gears on the side streets, shifts are quick, crisp, and border on uneventful. Pulling onto the 22, I finally have an opening and clear 4 gears in a hurry before merging. Power and response feel similar to the previous generation, however with a bit less sound, and a tad bit smoother. It should be mentioned that the MR has about an additional 16lbs of sound insulation applied in the lower sections of the car. In full throttle, the new SST is flawless. Consistent perfect quick shifts every time with a true manual feel (minus the third pedal of course). Downshifts are even more entertaining with a quick blip that matches my best ever heal toe. Admittedly, a paddle shift lacks the ultimate involvement of a standard shift, but I was surprised to find just how much I enjoyed this.

Switching over to full auto but left in sport, I find out something I did not previously know. The transmission computer will actually mimic a sports driving condition intuitively up and downshifting for you almost exactly when you would. Brake from speed down into a corner, and it will actually downshift through each gear keeping the revs up so that you are ready to give it the full juice out of the corner. This is unlike a traditional slushbox that waits for you to nail the gas pedal before deciding to downshift into your powerband. Although I personally would never choose to, one could leave it in this mode at the track and get nearly the same results as if they did the shifting themselves.

Almost back to our destination, I had two more things to try out before handing the keys back over. Super sport mode, and a corner. Super Sport mode boosts performance and quickens shifts yet again. Additionally, it is designed to hold the revs above 4500 at all times. With each sportier mode, the shifts are more noticeable, however still as smooth as the best standard transmission shifts. The super sport mode really shows the liveliness of the transmission and engine. Off the line and approaching a corner, it seemed a bit quicker and much more responsive, and then again on the slow down braking to set up for the 90 degree turn. Not knowing fully what to expect and unwilling to damage the MR, I actually ended up going about half the possible speed with better than expected turn in leaving me in the middle of the road rather than tracked out to the side. Needless to say, it made a good impression.

Summary: The new MR remains an Evo, but all new at the same time. It adds a new level of daily livability that can really add to the overall enjoyment of the car while making a brilliant model like the one it replaced seem slightly antiquated. Hard core enthusiasts with heavy modification goals and regular track days may find the GSR a more suitable option, however for a broader range of situations, I was very pleasantly surprised and pleased with this latest MR. Further more, I can’t wait to test this model more extensively and get it out to the track.


Ali (spt)

Charles is usually more technical with his articles then I am so I’ll try not to repeat most of what he said:

First impressions are very important and my first impression of the Evo X MR couldn’t have been any better. The MR is a totally different car then any other Evo I’ve ever driven, which includes the Evo X GSR. The MR carries a more gown up feel with its well-refined interior, suspension, and SST transmission. Now I know most will misinterpret my “grown up” comment as a sign that the MR is water downed, but believe me the MR is far from it.

Let’s start with the interior. As soon as I sat in the car, my first thought was that the guys complaining about the econo like car interior on the previous Evolutions must of struck a cord with Mitsubishi. They really stepped it up with this new interior. It definitely wasn’t at a luxury car level, but I think it was a great effort on their part. The quality of the materials used for the dash, seat, steering wheel, and the rest of the interior is much better then it has ever been. Mainly the alcantra (very different then what we got on the 8 & 9) and fine leather that was used throughout the interior gives the interior the more upper class feel. As for the exterior, the BBS wheels and subtle exterior changes made all the difference in looks between itself and the GSR.

Moving on, I got the chance to drive the MR on the streets to get a feel for its new SST transmission, ride quality, and performance. To be honest I was a little skeptical about the idea of not having a clutch I could manually use. I never publicly expressed my opinion primarily because I’m a firm believer of not knocking something until you experience it for yourself. After experiencing the various modes (Standard, Sport, and Super Sport) on the highway and side roads, I’m glad I held my tongue. Normal mode for me was a little subdued but for those who want to take it easy and save money on gas it’s the perfect setting. Sport mode sparked a little fire giving the car a more edgy feel by holding gears longer and downshifting more aggressively, but it still didn’t feel aggressive enough. In my opinion super sport was the setting of choice. The car felt like it had more power and each shift change had a noticeable neck jerking effect, which was awesome. Going through the gears gave me the closest feeling I would ever get to a F1 car. Not everyone would probably use this mode on the street but for someone like me I think I would have a consistent smile stamped on my face. Now remember the SST transmission won’t ever give you the same feeling as a standard manual, but I do have to say it gets pretty close. One little cool feature I got to experience was the MR’s launch control. It was extremely easy to activate. Switch to the right mode, foot on the brake, rev to 5k, and left off the brake and off you go.

As stupid as it may sounds, I really felt like I was more in control of my driving experience even though a computer was technically more control then I was. But I think being able to switch between automatic and manual mode and then controlling the aggressiveness by switching through each mode is a powerful tool to have.

The extra sound deadening is a bummer if you are looking to save weight but it does do its job keeping noise out of the cabin. The suspension dampened road imperfections very well and held its own in small onramp excursions. If I closed my eyes and didn’t know I was in an Evo, I would have thought we were in an autobahn machine. It felt very stable, solid and precise.

So in the end I would have to give the MR a two thumbs up. Straight out of the box, the MR has a lot to offer; comfort, performance, and style. Simple mods such as brake pads, wheels/tires, and some suspension mods would be the most I would ever do. If you were looking to mod this car, a GSR would be the better choice to go with.