2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR: Signs of a Road Trip

The quick and dirty would indicate a 19.7 mpg average over the 954.6-mile round trip, with the best tankful returning 21 mpg while traveling an indicated 80 mph with the aircon on. Pretty sweet fuel economy for the extra-legal pace, but what also discovered was the new exhaust system produced a sound level inside the car was not only tolerable, but all that interior resonant buzzing and scaring bystanders business had gone away. Now it sounds more like a well-tuned inline-four motor cycle rather than a weekend fart-can exhaust project. But here's another interesting side effect. Check out the two tail pipes below...

Remember when Jay wrote about dyno testing the car with left pipe blocked versus right pipe blocked? Well, here's your evidence that the right side is the no-flow side.

What's more is that even at 80 mph in 5th gear, the car now has an incredible ability to absolutely leap to 100 mph just by rolling on the throttle -- handy when the rolling road block in his Toyota Sienna with the cruise-control set to 72-mph moves into the number-one lane to pass the 70-mph big rig about a half-mile ahead. Woooosh, buh-bye.

And I've always held that sport seats, while designed for holding a driver in place for aggressive driving, are exceptionally good for long-haul comfort, too. My bladder screamed "uncle" before my bum did. A credit to the Recaro seats. Funny how each stop was a carefully choreographed fuel-fill and bladder-drain -- not necessarily in that order.

Also, I can't say enough about Jay's choice for new wheel fitment and inclusion of those 3mm spacers. Straight stability is shockingly good (never an Evo trademark), and despite the asymmetrical tread pattern and deep channels of the new Bridgestones, the car never, and I mean never, nibbled on pavement seams, the steering didn't follow camber changes, and there was zero torque steer even at W.O.T. "Hear me when I tell you..." that matching the manufacturer's wheel offset matters.

Besides, the car looks even more sinister with its new shoes, don't you think?

Finally, I have to admit that while I enjoyed this car more than most of the staff before the recent changes (even told Jay NOT to change it), I must admit it is even better now; much better and Jay knows of what he speaks. We benefit from our guy's years at Garret/Honeywell and the countless (free) hours of his own labor he has spent on this car. Thanks, Jay. You da may-an, yo.

Chris Walton, Chief Road Test Editor @ 19,490 miles