Lancer Evolution X - Just Driven

Concerning the Evo X's handling, Tsuchiya keeps up the praise. He is obviously comfortable lapping in this machine. His line is consistent and smooth. He says he is surprised with the car's overall balance.

"Past Evos always felt like all-wheel-drive cars. However, this new one feels more like a front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR)-like an FR you don't need to countersteer. The balance is amazing. After driving hard, if you look at the tires, you can tell by the wear that all four tires are working equally. The suspension has a nice, easy feel and it's firm enough to keep everything in balance. It still has the razor sharpness, but lacks the unrefined feel of a cheap tuner car."

Tsuchiya finds the Evo X remarkable, surpassing all the others because of its maturity and excellent TS-SST transmission. Strangely, he laments that the gearbox is so impressive: "I feel I lost for the first time to high technology." It's a car where you won't have as much fun drifting, but it's a treat on the track because of its precision and usability.

He adds: "This is the first Evo I've wanted to buy. It's the first two-pedal gearbox that has impressed me. After driving it, I'm too embarrassed to drive [older] Evos because they seem so adolescent. This can go head to head with a BMW M3. I would never have imagined saying that about an Evo before."

By Takezo Okiyama

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