2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR Review

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Introduction

A rally car for the road, the 2005 Mitsubishi Evo MR offers the heart-pounding, palms-sweating, soil-your-pants sort of driving experience that true enthusiasts relish. Sure, Mitsubishi's pocket rocket can be lauded for its performance, agility, styling, functionality, and affordability. But the essence of the Evo MR can be parsed down to one simple word - fun. If you're willing to accept a few white knuckles and an involuntary utterance of "Oh ----!", this rally-bred baby is for you. If not, that's fine - there's a limited number of Evos, let alone MR models, so it is only fitting that they go to appreciative buyers. For those lucky few who do get a chance to acquire the keys to a new Evo MR, they'll get about as close as possible to a $36,000 street-legal racer. In addition to the 276-horsepower turbocharged engine and grippy AWD found on all Evo models, the $800 MR package offers carbon fiber trim, aluminum pedals, and high-intensity discharge headlights, among other unique goods. The result is one of the hottest cars on the market, and, oddly enough, it's parked outside that Mitsubishi dealer you carelessly pass everyday.

Overview

Mitsubishi's Evolution is a nearly perfect performance car, so it is easy to dismiss some interior materials that are of questionable quality and stock tires that have the lifespan of a housefly. Those are minor quibbles for such a capable car - be content that the engine doesn't have to be swapped out after every race and the tires after every 50 laps.

Since significant changes run the risk of doing more harm than good to an existing vehicle, the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR attempts to only add a bit of polish to what is already a shining package. In exchange for $800, the MR package delivers front and rear Bilstein shocks, 17-inch one-piece BBS forged alloy wheels, an aluminum roof panel, foglights, high-intensity discharge headlights, antilock brakes, and aluminum trim on the foot pedals and shift knob. That knob controls a six-speed manual transmission, unique to the Evo MR. Also exclusive to the MR is a carbon fiber brake handle, silver gauge trim, wheel locks, and gauges for volts, oil temp and turbo boost.

Above the rear window is a strip of what looks like small shark fins - termed the Vortex Generator, this feature basically directs air to the massive carbon fiber spoiler situated atop the trunk lid. And for tunes, buyers of the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR will have to be satisfied with the stock 140-watt sound system, for the 315-watt unit is not on the MR's options list, which also lacks a sunroof option. Standard on all 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution models is a new electronic active center differential (E-ACD), designed to improve the Evo's responsiveness to varying road conditions by allowing the driver to select between pavement, snow, and gravel settings. In a further effort to improve the Evolution's performance, the front helical limited slip differential previously available only on the RS has been added to the standard Evo and the MR. The new model year also marks the deletion of the intercooler's water spray feature.