(08:30 May 18, 2004)

Frighteningly Quick: Mitsu’s special Evo isn’t for the faint of heart
By MIKE DUFF

2005 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO VIII FQ-330
ON SALE: Now (in England)
PRICE: $57,300 (est.)
POWERTRAIN: 2.0-liter, 330-hp, 305-lb-ft turbo I4; awd, six-speed manual
0 to 62 MPH: 4.7 seconds (mfr.)

SO THE MITSUBISHI Lancer Evo VIII isn’t extreme enough for you? A bit too comfort-oriented, dynamically compromised and generally soft-edged? No, not the sort of criticism most folks would level at Mitsubishi’s fire-breathing rally replica. But over in England, where hot Mitsubishis and Subarus have long been a national obsession, there is now an Evo aimed squarely at those who need even more: the FQ-330.

As you can probably guess, the “330” stands for the engine’s horsepower rating, comfortably out-cranking even the 280-hp MR spec Evo headed Stateside this fall (AW, April 19). And “FQ”? Let’s just say that, in a break with traditional Brit decorum, it stands for—um—very quick. Which it is. Even cautious figures issued by Mitsubishi in the United Kingdom suggest it hits 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds, and one British auto book has already clipped half a second from that on the test track. This is the four-door sedan with Ferrari 360 pace.



The FQ-330 owes its existence to Britain’s famously broadminded approval rules, allowing a performance pack to be fitted by Mitsubishi U.K. to preregistered cars. It is officially approved though, and comes with full warranty support. The modifications consist of an aggressively programmed supplementary ECU, plus a revised wastegate actuator, which raises peak boost to 21 psi.



Suspension remains stock, the standard Evo’s granite springs, concrete dampers and tireless brakes considered sufficient to deal with the increased power. Other changes are limited to badges, Alcantara sports seats and some slightly more upscale door inserts. Ride quality remains terrible at low speeds, but in open country the chassis smooths out and vindicates the faith placed in it, rewarding endeavor with awesome body control and scalpel-sharp steering. The extra power makes the Lancer more tail-happy on longer and wider corners, as the additional ponies make their presence felt. The only complaint is the snappy on-off quality the new ECU gives the throttle response.

Silly car, silly price tag, too. The list price of £32,000 (about $57,300) looks exorbitant, even in England. But it is filling a hole in the market—an even hotter and even more expensive FQ-340 is about to be launched.