2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR

Updating an automotive icon like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is an unenviable task. After three generations and nine versions—only the last two have been sold in the U.S.—the ultimate interpretation of a rally-car-for-the-street theme is difficult to improve on, but it’s also getting a bit old. To use the obvious pun, how can the Evolution evolve? The answer is here in the form of the 10th-version, fourth-generation car, known as the Evolution X in Japan. In the U.S. it will simply be called the Lancer Evolution, but for the sake of clarity, we’ll use the Roman numeral that signifies all things extreme in referring to the car.

The Evo X is less communicative, larger, heavier, and slower compared with the previous Evo. It's the inevitable trade-off that occurs when a car strives for more refinement. The steering, for one, no longer has that high-tension-wire responsiveness that made the old car such fun. If you're an Evo fan boy, you can stop reading right now.

The Evo X drives like nothing else in the world. You simply point the car where you want to go, and the various elements of the all-wheel-drive system sort out how to make it happen.

As always, the Evolution is based on the standard Lancer sedan, and it still has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. But it’s an all-new powerplant, designated 4B11. Design changes from the old 4G63 include an aluminum block rather than cast iron, a timing chain instead of a belt, and variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust camshafts. The power figures of 295 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque are bumps of 9 and 11, respectively, and the new engine is lighter by 27.5 pounds.

The body is lighter, too, thanks to the aluminum roof, hood, front quarter-panels, and front and rear bumper beams. The new suspension uses aluminum as well. But the weight saving is more than offset by the new car's stiffer structure and 1.6-inch-wider body.

The Evo is due here early next year and will come as the base GSR and the uplevel MR. The base price for the GSR should hover around $30,000; the MR will be at least $5000 more. The GSR comes with a new five-speed manual transmission, and the MR has Mitsubishi's new dual-clutch sequential transmission, dubbed Twin Clutch-SST (Sportronic shift transmission). The MR gets Bilstein shocks, lightweight Enkei wheels (each 2.1 pounds lighter), two-piece brake rotors (each 2.9 pounds lighter), chrome exterior trim, and optional navigation and leather seats.

The dual-clutch model won't be quicker off the line than the manual car because the launch control doesn't use all the available power in the interest of safeguarding the driveline. But don't judge the MR strictly by its straight-line numbers—the Evo X is much faster along a curving road than the old car. Contemplate the staggering skidpad number of 0.97 g from 245/40R-18 tires while we explain all the abbreviations that make it happen.

They start with S-AWC, or Super-All-Wheel Control. S-AWC consists of ACD (active center differential), AYC (active yaw control), ASC (active stability control), and Sport ABS (anti-lock braking system). The center differential is an electronically controlled multiplate clutch. The normalpower split is 50/50 front to rear, but the system can send up to 80 percent to either end.

At the heart of AYC is a trick rear differential that combines a traditional limited slip with two clutches that correspond to the right and left wheels. The result is that torque can be routed to either side under any conditions. For instance, the right wheel could have a braking force on it while the left wheel still receives power.

Stability control and ABS are nothing new, but the key to S-AWC is that it uses all four systems together to maximize the grip from the wheels and keep the car going where the driver points it. Combine that with the superaggressive S-Sport mode of the Twin Clutch-SST, in which gears are held right up to the redline and downshifts are timed better than if you use the paddle shifters, and the Evo X is the real-world version of a video-game simulator. The way the Evo X goes around corners is nothing short of incredible. You steer into the turn, and well, that's about it. There's no sawing at the wheel and no midcorner correction, unless you intentionally pitch the car into a turn to rotate the back, which the Evo X can still do.

So the Evolution has been forced to grow up, and like most coming-of-age tales, some of its raw purity was lost along the way.

2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

More details have finally emerged on the all-new version of Subaru’s top-spec version of its Impreza hatchback, the WRX STI. Based on the Impreza WRX five-door—yup, in case you hadn’t heard, the STI will be available only as a hatchback—the STI gets distinctly more aggressive body work, including pronounced fender flares, a deeper chin spoiler, and a larger parasol wing over the rear hatch.

Unfortunately, the Tokyo introduction was limited to the Japanese-market model, which has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four, so information on the U.S.-spec version is still cloudy. The U.S. car will continue to have the 2.5-liter boxer four, however, which makes it easier for Subaru to meet U.S. emissions standards.

The 2.0-liter in the Japanese domestic market model delivers increased output, now up to 295 horsepower and 299 pound-feet of torque (SAE), using 16.9 psi of max boost via an IHI turbo. Subaru was not prepared to discuss specifics of the 2.5-liter engine other than to say that power will be “under 310 horsepower” and torque output will be a smidge lower than the 2.0-liter’s, at about 295 pound-feet.

Both engines are essentially the same as their predecessors in terms of bore and stroke, although variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing is new to both. The U.S.-bound STI will continue to have a six-speed manual only, with no change in gearing or final drive.

Subaru has added some sophistication to its all-wheel-drive system, with additional programmability for the center differential, the onset threshold for the stability system, and even the engine management system. The front-to-rear torque split is 41/59 in normal operation but can vary as much as 75 percent to either end under extreme conditions. Both front and rear diffs are limited slip, and stability control should be part of the equation.

The front suspension continues to be struts, but the rear suspension is a new multilink setup. Subaru admits that the suspension tuning is generally softer than that of the current STI, part of an overall effort to make the car’s appeal a little more mainstream and a little less cultlike.

The brakes continue to be the same big Brembos that are employed in the current car, operating behind 18-inch wheels (two styles of which will likely be available), the standard size for the U.S. model. Japanese cars wear Bridgestone tires, but U.S. rubber will be supplied by Dunlop (245/40-18). There are no specifics on the tires beyond that, although they will be performance tires, as distinct from all-season.

Consistent with Subaru’s aim of having the car appeal to a broader market, the new body shell not only is stiffer but also received considerable attention in the area of noise deadening. Interior materials are more upscale, and a nav system is available for the first time. It’s also a generally roomier car than the previous sedan body style, even though overall length has been reduced from 175.8 inches to 173.8. The 103.8-inch wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer, width increases 2.2 inches to 70.7, height is up 1.8 inches to 58.1, and the track—60.2 inches front and rear—is wider.

Making the car more civilized adds up at the curb. Subaru forecasts curb weight of the U.S. STI to be almost 3375 pounds. And increased sophistication will also add up on the window sticker. Expected base price is about $34,500 when the STI goes on sale next April.

2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

Does big become more attractive when it gains a half-step in the 0-to-60-mph dash?

The question is pertinent because reducing that time-to-speed sprint is more than mere visceral gratification. When a vehicle is quicker to 60 mph, you can also expect it to be quicker through the quarter-mile and— of greater importance to most drivers—quicker in passing acceleration from 30 to 50 and 50 to 70. While few full-size SUV drivers will engage in frequent stoplight drags, passing acceleration acquires real meaning when you pop out to pass on a two-lane and another car suddenly rolls from a hidden driveway into the oncoming lane, a.k.a. your lane.

Introducing, the 2008 Mazda CX-9.

Agile for Its Size

Introduced for the 2007 model year, the CX-9 gave Mazda its first-ever entry in the full-size SUV market. Looking like an inflated version of the nifty CX-7, the CX-9 traces its architectural roots to the front-drive Mazda 6 sedan, though the structure has obviously been stretched and strengthened for this far bigger vehicle.

The engineering work yielded a unibody that’s arguably the best in its class for structural rigidity, which in turn yields benefits in terms of ride and handling, two of several areas where the CX-9 gets high marks.

The parent company, of course, claims things like the “Soul of a Sports Car” and “Zoom-Zoom,” the athletic dynamism that allegedly separates each Mazda product from its competitive herd. It’s not untrue to say that the CX-9 is agile, especially when measured by the water buffalo standards of the full-size crossover SUV class.

We should also note that agility expectations in this growing class are escalating steadily, as exemplified by GM’s new crossover trio—the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, and Buick Enclave. And we’d say further that when it comes to fancy footwork, the CX-9 trumps them all, another plus on the active-safety score sheet.

Of course, fancy footwork is a relative term in vehicles that weigh over two tons—4398 pounds in the case of our front-drive test unit (add about 200 pounds for all-wheel-drive models). And getting that much mass to move quickly takes muscle.

More Power, More Performance At introduction, the CX-9 was propelled by a then-new 3.5-liter V-6 supplied by Ford: 263 horsepower, 249 pound-feet of torque, the same engine that has more recently helped to make the Ford Taurus (previously known as the Five Hundred) a much more desirable offering in the full-size sedan market. Hitched to a 4400-pound SUV, though, forward progress becomes a bit more deliberate: our testing of a front-drive ’07 CX-9 revealed a 7.8-second 0-to-60-mph time and a 16.2-second quarter-mile at 88 mph.

Nevertheless, the CX-9’s V-6 has expanded a bit to 3.7 liters for 2008, and that bumps output to 273 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. And this, in conjunction with the CX-9’s outstandingly responsive six-speed automatic transmission, reduces its 0-to-60 time to 7.3 seconds and improves quarter-mile performance to 15.7 seconds at 91 mph.

The other good news here is that the more powerful beast also seems to be no thirstier in the fuel department, although this, like agility, is a relative matter. The ’08 CX-9 carries EPA fuel-economy ratings of 16 mpg city and 22 highway, which are the same marks the ’07 model would get with the 2008 EPA test method. In our hands, the 2007 model yielded a dismal average of 16 mpg. This time around we recorded 19 mpg—not exactly Toyota Prius territory, but a significant improvement.

Of course, there’s more to like here than agility, increased hustle, and a potentially slight uptick in thrift. The CX-9 is tastefully furnished, attractively styled, and quiet at highway speeds, and it has the usual range of options such as a DVD entertainment system, premium audio (Bose), a DVD nav system, leather, and a power sunroof, to name a few.

Safety features include ABS, stability control with roll stability control, traction control, enough airbags to cushion a Mars lander, and a new camera-based blind-spot monitoring system that flashes a warning light in the mirrors when another vehicle is hovering in either of the CX-9’s rear-quarter areas.

Not Many Demerits

Demerits are few. Third-row legroom could be more generous, although it’s better than average by class standards and mitigated by fore-and-aft second-row-seat adjustability. Ride quality can be a little choppy on warty pavement with the 20-inch-wheel option, and like most crossovers based on front-drive platforms, towing capacity is modest: 3500 pounds, and then only if the vehicle is equipped with the optional towing package.

As you’d expect, pricing is similar to that of competing vehicles. The CX-9 is a smidge higher than a Saturn Outlook, model for model, and a bit lower than a GMC Acadia. The base front-drive Sport version starts at $29,995. Our top-of-the-line Grand Touring begins at $33,950. Figure another $1300 if you want all-wheel drive, and be careful with the options packages: The $2500 GT Assist package—DVD nav with voice command and touch screen, a rearview camera, a power liftgate—and a $1760 package that added a power sunroof, an in-dash six-D changer, and a Bose stereo.

Those two packages, plus pearlescent paint ($200) and Sirius satellite radio ($430), added up to a $38,840 front-drive CX-9, which begins to feel pretty expensive.

Specs

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE: $38,840 (base price: $33,950)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 227 cu in, 3726cc

Power (SAE net): 273 bhp @ 6250 rpm

Torque (SAE net): 270 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 113.2 in

Length: 199.8 in

Width: 76.2 in

Height: 68.0 in

Curb weight: 4398 lb

TEST RESULTS:

Zero to 60 mph: 7.3 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 19.2 sec

Zero to 110 mph: 25.1 sec

Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.4 sec

Standing ¼-mile: 15.7 sec @ 91 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 119 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 172 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.79 g
*Stability-control-inhibited.

FUEL ECONOMY:

EPA city/highway driving: 16/22 mpg

2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Alfa Romeo doesn’t resonate on many Americans’ lust radar, largely because the Italian manufacturer has not sold cars here for more than a decade. That’s changing next summer, though, when Alfa Romeo reenters the U.S. market with the $250,000 8C Competizione, with more models promised to follow in 2009.

There is no mistaking that the 8C is an Alfa, as the diagonal hood creases and triangular grille, two key Alfa design elements, give it away. It’s an absolutely striking car to stand beside, and photos do not do it justice. The Alfa’s carbon-fiber body is mated to a much shorter version of the Maserati GranTurismo platform. The 8C’s wheelbase is some 11.7 inches shorter than the GranTurismo's, and the Alfa is 19.7 inches shorter overall.

The Heart of A Ferrari

The 8C’s engine is derived from a Ferrari block that dates back to the one found in the 360 Modena, which is the same block design used in the Maserati GranTurismo and Maserati Quattroporte. In 8C form, the 7500-rpm twin-cam V-8 is good for 444 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, owing to a bump in displacement by a half-liter to 4.7. All the power gets to the ground via a rear-mounted six-speed automated manual transmission coupled to a limited-slip differential.

Suspension Calibration

Engineers were given the task of designing a chassis that was easy enough to be driven every day—not that an 8C will ever be asked to do so—and firm enough to perform well on a track. Although the control arms are borrowed from Maserati, the shocks, the springs, and the anti-roll bars are unique to the 8C and have no adjustments.

While on a ride road at the proving ground, the 8C’s passive suspension absorbed the bumps better than expected. One might think the mélange of a carbon body and steel chassis would produce a head-jarring ride, but the chassis tune was more reminiscent of the well-rounded Corvette's than that of the track-oriented Viper. Surprisingly, the engineers on hand were asking how the 8C compared with the two American bruisers.

Performance Aspects

Besides opening a butterfly valve in the exhaust—similar to the 2008 Corvette, but in the 8C the note also changes at idle, not just at full throttle—sport mode changes three other things. The automated manual shifts quicker, executing gear swaps in 0.2 second instead of 0.4. The other changes are a quickened throttle response and a more lax stability-control program.

If stoplight showdowns are your forte, the 8C will get it done. With an estimated 0-to-60-mph time of 4.2 seconds, the 8C will knock the doors off Mustang GTs all day long. The steering is adequately weighted. Another concern was the pedal placement. The throttle and the double-wide brake pedal are placed too close together, and aiming for the brake but hitting both leaves a “was that a defibrillator?” feeling in your chest.

Nevertheless, this car is at its best squatting down and accelerating out of corners. The seats are placed so far aft—nearly over the rear axle—that even the slightest yaw is easily detectable and the resulting oversteer is easily controlled with the throttle. The 8C just might be the ultimate two-seat GT.

Tipping the scales at 3500 pounds, the 8C is by no means a featherweight. The shocking part is that 47 percent of that weight—some 1645 pounds—is composed of carbon fiber. Besides the body, carbon fiber is used on the dash, center console, seat shells, and a plethora of other interior trim pieces. The 11-pound oh, merda handle on the center console is supposedly machined from a 220-pound solid block of aluminum, leaving nearly enough scrap material to cast a Fiat engine block. The supportive and comfortable sport seats with leather bolsters and elegant leather-and-cotton woven inserts weigh a scant 22 pounds apiece.

Assembly and Availability

Plagued with a reputation of unreliability, Alfa Romeo withdrew from the U.S. market in 1995. Our long-term Milano in the late ’80s seemed to substantiate this reputation when the test concluded with a catastrophic engine failure in a mall parking lot.

As you read this, all 85 8Cs destined for the U.S. are already spoken for. However, Alfa, like Ferrari, does not want its limited-edition car to become a means for instant income, so the company is constantly combing the usual outlets looking for future 8C owners trying to sell their car before they even receive it. Alfa informed there’s no chance of putting an 8C in the press fleet.

The 8Cs will be assembled on the same line as the Quattroporte and GranTurismo at the Maserati factory in Modena, Italy. Maserati dealerships will take on service responsibilities for the 8Cs coming to the States.

Alfa claims it will have other models ready for the U.S. market in 2009 but refuses to confirm which vehicles will be offered in the U.S. The educated guess is that the 159, the Brera, and the Spider, which all share a platform, will cross the pond. Even though this platform, originally co-developed by General Motors and Fiat, has only seen production in Alfa Romeo products, it was always intended for use in the American market and would therefore require few changes.