2005 Mitsubishi Evolution MR | Retro Review

MotorWeek is made possible by Lucas Oil Auto Value and bumper to bumper and tirerack.com and the sport compact car segment Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution is one of the absolute top dogs with 276 horsepower sophisticated all-wheel drive and Hyper aggressive styling it has a must-have for many serious motorheads but Mitsubishi knows that performance fans are never really satisfied so the evolution keeps evolving and the result is the 2005 Evolution MR Edition is this the ultimate Evo foreign it's certainly the most complex which should give the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR serious appeal with the techmad sport compact crowd the most tantalizing features are Mr specific but the Mrs Evolution 8 and rs stablemates both get the latest power upgrades too the 2-liter dual overhead cam four-cylinder now spits out 276 horsepower and 286 pound-feet of torque that's five horses and a healthy 13 pound feed more than the 2004 engine while the RS and evo 8 get by with five cogs in the gearbox the mrr features a new close ratio six-speed manual the extra power is then channeled through a full-time all-wheel drive system that trades in the old viscous unit for a new multi-plate Active Center differential that augments the limited slip differential in the front the further exploit the Mrs power Mitsubishi Engineers equipped the McPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension with Bilstein monotube dampers and bolted on lighter 17-inch BBS forged alloy wheels the Mrs ready to rumble body is also lighter thanks to an aluminum roof and door beams that also help lower the car's center of gravity for enhanced stability the roof's trailing Edge wears Vortex generators which smooth out the airflow to the Evo's large rear wing all this together makes the Mr capable of a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds and a quarter mile run of 13.3 seconds at 103 miles per hour that's about a half second quicker than the last evolution 8 that we tested heading down the main Strait of Georgia's Roebling Road Raceway the Mr delivered a smooth launch requiring fewer revs and less clutch slip than the Evo 8. the six-speed gearbox is also much more positive with the shifter requiring less effort on both up and down shifts in the turn turns the engine also spins up fast and smooth and thanks to the front diff pulls hard through quarter exits fast Corner entries reveal very mild front push with the 13 to 1 ratio rack and pinion steering delivering plenty of feel and allowing very precise Direction changes the Mrs chassis feels light but like the evo 8 still very predictable inspiring tremendous confidence in fast quarters and giving it a very tossable feel in the slower bins the sticky 235 45 series Yokohama tires delivered tons of lateral grip even in low temperatures and body roll is almost non-existent braking is by the same Brembo four-wheel disc and four piston front calipers as the Evo 8. like the Mrs other systems they deliver high levels of feedback and plenty of power when we could finally pry our drivers off the track we found the Evolution MR to also be a superb street car the engine splatter Power Band makes it easier to drive in traffic requiring less time dancing on the clutch and shifter ride quality is less harsh than on the EVO 8 thanks to the added Bilstein struts and shocks the Mr is easily comfortable enough for everyday use and with up to 50 percent of the torque available at the rear wheels the Mr is also all weather capable the Mrs interior is not so much comfortable as capable efficient and sporty Mr specific features include an optional package with aluminum and carbon fiber trim for the brake handle aluminum shifter and Sport pedals and a satellite gauge cluster in the center stack that includes turbo boost bolts and oil pressure the Mr standard Recaro sport seats provide plenty of support and hold you tight in hard corners but are definitely shaped for Slimmer bodies they face a standard Momo steering wheel large clear gauges idiot proof climate controls and either a standard 1 140 watt CD stereo or optional 315 watt seven speaker Infinity system more practical features include a rear cabin with adult size dimensions and while the rear seat back is fixed the trunk has a reasonable 10.2 cubic feet of cargo space all of which makes the Evolution MR a pretty appealing machine for drivers who want serious performance but like most of us can't afford separate cars for work and play Still You must park with at least 35 274 dollars to make the Lancer Evolution MR your one and only at our car's Mr trim package and the tab is thirty six thousand seventy four dollars figure that the Mr has four thousand dollars more than an evolution 8 and a hefty seventy five hundred dollars more than the evolution RS however if you can swing the payments the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR is one very sweet and hot ride one that has evolved to meet the demands of today's pickiest performance fans and become Mitsubishi's ultimate Evo at least until next year [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: MotorWeek

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Keywords: MotorWeek, MW, car, truck, suv, cuv, crossover, auto, automobile, vehicle, motor trend, review, drive, first drive, video

Id: Zis8UwfHXww

Length: 6min 17sec (377 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 10 2023