We recently tested the latest evolution in rides for thrill seekers.  For anyone who loves adrenalin pumping roller coasters or even just wonders what it would be like to ride in one - read on....

Mitsubishi's Evo IX has to be the closest thing to a race car that you can legally drive on the road and we had quite a memorable week.

We picked up the shiny yellow beast and immediately started our road test by heading down to the coastal town of Geelong about an hour west of Victoria's capital, Melbourne.  As it was a pleasant sunny day we thought we'd grab a bite to eat down on the Geelong waterfront first, before taking the Evo for a proper road test along Victoria's renowned Great Ocean Road.

The place was teeming with activity and as we searched for a car park we joined a plethora of "car enthusiasts" parading their favourite toys up and down the esplanade. 

We held our own in the parade - with the biggest picnic table for miles, we turned heads wherever we drove. 

After lunch we went back to the car and found it had turned into a tourist magnet.  There was a little huddle of onlookers wandering around it and some were even taking pics on their mobiles. 

Feeling a bit like Steve McQueen in "Bullitt" we slid into the Recaro seats and buckled up.  For petrol heads like us, just turning the engine on was sublime and the subdued growl augured well for the drive ahead. 

We left the coastal throng behind and headed out to the back of Geelong to an area we knew quite well from our "rally days". Beautiful quiet sealed roads with little or no traffic, stacks of visibilty and a few tight turns and climbs thrown in for good measure.  We stopped on the side of the road to shoot a few pics and to take stock.

The Evo comes with Mitsubishi's enhanced vehicle and passenger security system Diamond TRAC, which uses satellite positioning (GPS) and mobile phone technology (GSM), to pinpoint and track the vehicle's location, and a whole lot more.   So if we got hi-jacked here we could simply hit the emergency button and the car itself would call the ‘Diamond TRAC assistance centre and they would start tracking the car and call emergency services.  The system can be ‘geolocked' each time you stop.  The car's location is then noted by the Diamond TRAC centre and the next time the car moves they will send you an SMS.  If it's you in the car just ignore the message and nothing happens.  If it's not you call in and they'll track the car and alert the authorities. 

It should be standard equipment in this type of vehicle and Mitsubishi have realised that eye catching road rockets like these are going to be targets for thieves and other miscreants (dare we say "road ragers").  It also, importantly, keeps insurance premiums down and indeed without such devices these days many cars like this would be uninsurable. 

The Evo corners like a go-kart.   The supremely comfortable suede Recaro seats grip driver and passenger superbly and movement is minimal under extreme steering and cornering.

Mitsubishi is not short of acronyms when it comes to the Evo's AWD system.  It has a rear differential with Super Active Yaw Control (S‑AYC) to automatically distribute torque between the rear wheels, and an Active Centre Differential (ACD). The ACD is switchable by the driver between three modes:

GRAVEL for 'Wet or sandy road'

SNOW for Snow covered road'

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Ralliart specify Yokohama Advans for the Evo but our test car ran Pirelli PZero Rossos - but was the superb grip we experienced brought about by the Pirellis or the Acronyms?  At the end of the day (or the end of the straight) it doesn't matter how magic your handling setup is, if you've got dodgy rubber.  If we grant that Mitsubishi's drive system is superb then we have also to acknowledge that Pirelli's PZeros are equally awesome. 

Let out on the straight the free wheeling powerful engine has acres of torque and just asks to be pushed to the limit (but we resisted!).  The 2.0 litre MIVEC engine in this Australian release has no less than 355Nm of torque at 3,500rpm and produces 206kW or 276HP at 6,500rpm. Improved turbocharger design and variable valve timing technology, lighter kerb weight and a slipperier profile all go to improving performance, but not at the expense of drivability.  The Evo IX now has a close ratio six speed gearbox and will turn in 0-100kmh times under 6 seconds. 

We looked enviously at the gates of the Ford Proving Ground, as we cruised back around the You Yangs - now we really could have done some testing in there! 

We later cruised down the coast to Lorne and Apollo Bay.  While the scenery of the Great Ocean Road is fantastic, we wouldn't recommend the trip in an Evo.  It was nothing short of frustrating - sort of like trying to hold back a badly trained Pit Bull Terrier on a short leash - you just really want to let it go but can't, what with Sunday drivers and serious speed limits!

The drive back inland however took us (appropriately) along Wild Dog Creek Road.  Some of the gravel stretches along this inland route enabled us to play with the ACD control and experience grip on the gravel not unlike that we'd seen on the bitumen. 

Mitsubishi quote 10.6litres/100km (22mpg - US) but we pushed this up closer to 15litres/100km (15.7mpg - US).  The Evo, not surprisingly, drinks 98 octane unleaded.

Our recommendation:
The Mitsubishi Evo IX - definitely one of the best Baby Boomer Toys out at the moment.  You could have serious fun on the race track or competing in the numerous tarmac events run around the country.  The Evo is geometrically priced at $56,789 (Australian) and there is little else on the market that delivers so much for so little. 

Downside:
Definitely not a car to drive in peak hour traffic and while it now has some creature comforts like climate control and a 6 stacker (but no cruise control), it's still essentially a hard riding race car.  Also if you're a shrinking violet, the lairy rear wing, bright coloured brake callipers etc. attract teenage fans by the score (and a number of older people who should know better).