Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR

It has taken Mitsubishi 10 years and eight generations of the Evo to temper this extreme machine's road manners, and the new Evo VIII MR (the initials stand for Mitsubishi Racing) proves the etiquette lessons have paid off.

Auto Express was the first British magazine to get behind the wheel to bring you this exclusive verdict on the newcomer. From the outside, the MR is virtually identical to the current Evo VIII, apart from a revised front spoiler and a set of lightweight BBS wheels.

Underneath that butch-looking body, however, the car has been modified to such an extent that it could almost be called the Evo IX! Engineers have given the Mitsubishi more torque, with rev-ised turbine and camshaft geometry increasing it from 392 to 400Nm at 3,500rpm. Maximum power output is 276bhp, which is slightly less than the UK-only FQ-300 and 330 models.

Other changes include fitting an aluminium roof and lighter BBS alloys, which together reduce the car's weight by more than 20kg and lower its centre of gravity. But by far the most significant revision is the use of Bilstein dampers on all four corners. This gives a far more civilised ride, without harming the Evo's legendary handling.

To further improve cornering, Mitsubishi has modified the 4WD system, active differential and yaw control to deliver even better grip. The result is a car that's massively impressive on a race track and, unlike other Evos, is just as much fun to drive to work.