But there is no need to be dissapointed because they have done an amazing job. First of all, the car looks better. The headlights and taillights have been smoked dark and the split grille, which was always a bit too Pontiac for our taste, has been replaced with one large opening like Mitsubishi had on the Evo VII.

Underneath the front bumper are larger, reshaped openings that more tightly surround the huge front-mounted intercooler and two small circular air scoops, which direct air to the intake plumbing to cool the intake charge. The cars we sampled were also equipped with a front air dam extension that will be packaged in the accessories catalog with a Gurney Flap for the trailing edge of the rear spoiler.

Hiroshi Fujii, the platform manager for the Evo in Mitsubishi’s research and development department, tells us the air dam extension enhances front downforce by expanding a lower pressure area under the car, and the Gurney Flap improves rear downforce. The result, according to “Dr. Evo,” which is what they call him, is greater high-speed stability, driving linearity, steering response, yaw damping and steering feedback.

We confirmed this on a huge oval track with ridiculously steep banking, where we played Jeff Gordon and Little “E” at over 135 mph and experienced none of that dreaded aero push those boys are always complaining about. At that speed you can actually feel the centrifugal force pulling the blood out of your brain, and most passengers were ready to hurl after just a lap or two. But the IX was so locked in, even when running up next to the guardrail, that it could be driven with one hand.

With some revisions, Dr. Evo and his team of evil engineers squeezed another 10 horsepower and 3 pound-feet of torque from the Evo’s 2.0-liter double-overhead-cam four-cylinder. Total output is up to 286 hp at 6,500 rpm and 289 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Those revisions are a larger turbo, which reduces lag by 5 percent, new spark plugs with longer threads that help cool combustion chamber temperatures, a timing belt now made of rubber and nylon fiber for added strength and durability, a new magnesium center cover and a reshaped oil ring that the good doctor says will reduce oil consumption by 10 percent.

MIVEC, or Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and lift Electronic Control, has also been added to the mix. It’s Mitsubishi’s variable valve timing system, and it has improved the midrange torque of the 4G63 engine. Its 7,000-rpm redline is unchanged. To make use of the engine’s flatter torque curve, the five-speed in the RS and straight IX has been given tighter ratios. The six-speed in the MR is unchanged, as are the suspension, brakes and all-wheel-drive system on all three models.

Sadly, so is the 5,500-rpm rev limiter in first gear, which is active only if the car isn’t moving. Mitsubishi says this is to protect the front pinion shaft in American market cars, which are 100 pounds heavier to meet U.S. crash standards and fitted with stickier tires than European or Japanese market Evos.

Although the engine and transmission mods may improve acceleration times, the real benefits are better around-town drivability and more yank accelerating out of slow second-gear corners. On the proving grounds road course, which included two hairpins, a 110-mph straightaway and a jump, the blue IX felt a bit quicker pulling out of the hairpins than the silver MR.

Only real Evoheads will notice this stuff, but the Momo steering wheel now has dark titanium spokes instead of silver, the seats are covered in suedelike Alcantara with leather side bolsters and the IX and MR, but not the RS, get aluminum pedals and a carbon-fiber-style instrument panel. The Evo was already the greatest performance-car buy on the market, with starting prices of $28,504 for the RS, $31,274 for the straight VIII and $35,274 for the MR. The revised 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX is better and should cost just $500 more across the board. Make ours a black MR with a Gurney Flap.

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The MR designation is an abbreviation for Mitsubishi Racing, and is restricted to the most prominent sports model in Mitsubishi’s line-up. The new models are the second group of MR models released by MMC; the first being the Lancer Evolution VIII MR launched in February 2004. Tax inclusive prices range from 2,856,000yen to 3,622,500yen for Lancer Evolution IX MR (GSR/RS), and from 3,412,500yen to 3,486,000yen for Lancer Evolution Wagon MR (GT/GT-A).

The sedan and station wagon are third-generation compilation models and are designed with a focus on on-road sports driving. They will also be the last models to use the famed 4G63 2L DOHC intercooled turbo engine. The current engine incorporates new improvements to the turbocharger and other areas to enhance response, teamed with Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers used on earlier models to produce a package that includes tuning to lower the ride height.

The Super AYC*1 control system is also tuned to give a sportier feeling, achieving superb handling performance that is particularly faithful to driver input in on-road sports driving. This advances the all-wheel-control (AWC) concept, delivering intuitive steering combined with outstanding stability.

The Lancer Evolution IX MR is available in two grades: the GSR, with a 6-speed manual gearbox designed for excellence in everyday driving as well in sports driving; and the RS, which has a 5-speed manual gearbox and is stripped down for motorsport competition. The Lancer Evolution Wagon MR also has two grades. The GT is equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox enabling the driver to enjoy sports driving to the fullest. The GT-A has a 5-speed automatic gearbox with sports mode to provide flexibility in a wide range of scenarios from easy driving to sport driving.

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Mitsubishi

Those two facts are the maini reason’s behind the company’s decision to begin selling the Lancer in the States first. The debut for the car in the U.S. is slated for early or mid next year, at which time we’ll get a larger Lancer based on the Concept X and its many variants.

The Mitsubishi Lancer was introduced in Japan six years ago. The bulk of sales for the upcoming version of the car will come from the U.S. Mitsubishi expects to sell about 50,000 Lancers here next year, which would account for the largest portion of the vehicle’s global sales.

Why the US before Japan? Japanese consumers are shifting away from the Lancer, which is considered a midsize car in the home market, in favor of 660cc minicars. Minicars now account for nearly one-third of Japan’s new vehicle sales, which is one reason why the Lancer will hit American shores first. Another reason: Mitsubishi’s star is fading fast in North America.

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The Graphite Grey exterior color depicted above looks good to us, but if that’s not your fancy, Mitsubishi will be happy to make you one in Apex Silver or Tarmac Black instead. Wth that, we bid a fond farewell to the Evo IX.

Inside the Special Edition trim level, supportive, red-stitched RECARO® seats accentuate the interior while the exterior receives a new front airdam extension that adds style while reducing front end lift. A lightweight aluminum roof panel, also found on the Lancer Evolution RS and MR, helps control body roll by lowering the vehicle’s center of gravity. The feather weight 17″ forged BBS® alloy wheels, now in a new “Diamond Black” finish, add style while reducing unsprung weight to improve suspension performance. The SE trim level also includes high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights with halogen fog lamps giving the vehicle a distinctive look. The available exterior color choices for the Lancer Evolution SE are Apex Silver, Graphite Gray and Tarmac Black.

True to the Lancer Evolution’s heritage, the SE is powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder DOHC intercooled-turbocharged engine with Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing and Electronic Control (MIVEC) that is mated to a rugged 5-speed transmission.

The 2006 Lancer Evolution SE offers special features at a competitive price to make this legendary performance vehicle even more thrilling. The new SE trim level represents the final enhancement to a Lancer Evolution body style that has been on sale in the U.S. market since 2003.

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The Spyder offers all the pleasures of open-air motoring with few of the displeasures. The top, especially, is a quality structure. It’s finished inside, with all the struts, pivots and bows hidden behind sound-deadening fabric. With it up, the interior feels and sounds much like the coupe, although perhaps a little claustrophobic. With it down, the steeply raked windshield pushes most of the air up and over the open cockpit, allowing almost-normal conversation; hats are just as essential for avoiding sunburn as for controlling wind-blown tresses.

Despite weighing about 200 pounds more than the coupe, due to bracing added in the conversion to a convertible, the Spyder gives up only one mile per gallon to the coupe in fuel economy in all but the top-level V6 with automatic, and that drops only two mpg and only in the highway estimate. It’s available in both four-cylinder or V6 engines, each available with manual or automatic.

In pricing, the ‘07 Spyder actually costs less than its predecessor. The base GS model lists at $355 below the ‘05, the GT more than $2000 below the top ‘05 model, and both with more content.

The 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder is a fun car. If, that is, you accept it for what it is: a sporty, top-down tourer. But it’s not a sports car, in the truest sense of the term. Accept that, and you can’t go wrong. Measured fun per dollar, the Eclipse Spyder is well worth a look for anyone shopping for a sporty convertible.

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The 2006 EVO comes equipped with a turbocharged and intercooled inline-four engine that produces 286 horsepower. A full-time all-wheel-drive system with an electronic active center differential and a helical limited slip differential. A perfectly tuned suspension, with availability of unique components designed especially for this car by Bilstein. Huge Brembo brakes. Razor-sharp steering. A zero-to-60 mph acceleration time of less than five seconds.

What does all this add up to? One of the most amazing sport sedans to hit these shores in quite some time. Add to that a price tag of about $30,000 and you’ve got a good reason to increase your insurance coverage, because you’re going to be driving hard and fast. No, it’s not the most subtle vehicle, it doesn’t wear a traditional sports car body, and the vast majority of people won’t recognize it, but for those in the know, the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo is one of the most desirable performance cars on the planet.

MSRP on the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (EVO) is $31,399. Expect descent gas mileage with an EPA rating of 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

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The GS model will have 2.4 ltr inline 4-cylinder engine with a power output of 162 hp and will have five-speed manual or four speed automatic transmission. The GT model will have 3.8-liter V6 engine with 263 hp and six-speed manual or five-speed automatic with manual control.

MSPR varies from approx $19,500 to $25,000 depending on options. The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse went on sale in the summer of 2005.

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