Mitsubishi celebrates 40 years in UK with Evo festooned with aftermarket bits

Thu, 27 Mar 2014

Mitsubishi has an anniversary to celebrate. It has been selling cars in the UK for the last 40 years, and in recognition it is launching the Lancer Evolution X FQ-440 MR special edition with some real performance upgrades from top aftermarket companies. The models will be limited to 40 units in Frost White and priced at £50,000 each.

The special Evo uses a tweaked ECU to boost power to 440 horsepower and 412 pound-feet of torque with a six-speed, twin-clutch Sports Shift Transmission, and the engine receives a long list of augmentations with an intake, intercooler piping and tubular manifold from Janspeed, plus motorsport-specification, high-flow fuel injectors. To keep up with the acceleration, it gets six-piston front brake calipers and upgraded rear brakes behind 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels. The suspension is lowered by 35 millimeters (1.378 inches) in the front and 30mm (1.181 inches) in the rear with Eibach coil springs.

The interior gets improvements to fit the performance upgrades. Leather-covered Recaro seats are found up front, along with an eight-speaker, Rockford Fosgate audio setup complete with a subwoofer. Navigation is standard with a seven-inch LCD touchscreen. The special edition definitely won't be making it to the US, but it's nice to see Mitsubishi commemorating itself with a performance model. Scroll down to get the full specs in the press release.

MITSUBISHI MOTORS IN THE UK ANNOUNCES SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY LANCER EVOLUTION X

26/03/14 CIRENCESTER – Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is pleased to announce details of the forthcoming Lancer Evolution X FQ-440 MR special edition which is making an historic return to help celebrate the company's 40th Anniversary in the UK.

The Lancer Evolution X has already achieved legendary status thanks to its past rallying successes and this special edition will help push the boundaries even further with more power than ever before.

FQ-440 Specification

Technology:

Bespoke engine ECU re-map developing 440bhp at 6,800rpm and 412 lb.ft at 3,100rpm
HKS turbo
Janspeed exhaust system with a high-flow sports catalytic convertor
6 Speed Twin Clutch Sports Shift Transmission (SST)
Janspeed intake & intercooler piping kit
Janspeed tubular manifold
Motorsport specification high-flow fuel injectors
Alcon front braking system – 6 pot mono-block front calipers with floating disc and bell assembly
Alcon rear caliper with floating disc and bell assembly
Front suspension lowered by 35mm [1]
Rear suspension lowered by 30mm [2]
Eibach coil springs
Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) with full time 4WD system
Keyless Operation System (KOS) with push button start
CAT 1 approved alarm immobiliser
Exterior:

Forged 18" BBS alloy wheels
Bi-xenon headlights with adaptive front-lighting system (AFS)
Front fog lamps

PIAA motorsport silicone windscreen wiper blades
Interior:

Recaro branded leather bucket seats
Rockford Fosgate premium audio with SD card based music server – 8 speakers + subwoofer
Leather sports steering wheel with audio and cruise controls
SD Card based Navigation system with 7-inch LCD touch screen
Airbags – dual front, side, curtain and driver's knee SRS airbags
Bluetooth handsfree system with music streaming
High contrast LCD Display
Climate control
USB terminal
Additional Equipment:

All vehicles will be fitted with a data recorder which is connected through the On-board diagnostic (OBD) system. This will record details such as driving style, performance, vehicle diagnostics, and present location. Details of the data will be available to both CCC and the registered owner of the vehicle. The fitment of, and reporting of data from this device is a condition of the vehicle warranty. A three year subscription to the service is included in the vehicle price.

Colours

Lancer Evolution will only be available in Frost White (W37)

Pricing

QG5 Lancer Evolution X FQ-440 MR will be priced £50,000

Servicing and Warranty

Servicing schedules for the Lancer Evolution X FQ-440 MR will consist of an initial 1,000 mile oil change, with further service intervals at 4,500 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. The FQ-440 is supplied with a comprehensive 3yr or 36,000 mile warranty.

Lance Bradley, Managing Director for Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, said:

"Mitsubishi Motors in the UK are pleased to announce that, as part of our celebrations of being 40 years in the UK, we will be producing 40 special edition Evo Xs. The Lancer Evolution has always been a halo model for Mitsubishi and this special edition is no exception. More powerful than ever before and with a very limited availability, it will be a 'must have' for all die-hard Evolution fans!"

ENDS

[1] Suspension modifications reduce roll and provide increased cornering capability

[2] Suspension modifications reduce roll and provide increased cornering capability

By Chris Bruce