The fastest and most powerful production version of the Lancer Evolution X to date, the FQ-400, has been officially introduced by Mitsubishi's British arm. Set to on sale in the UK in June, the new FQ-400 comes with a retuned 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 403bhp at 6,500 rpm and 525Nm or 387lb/ft of torque at 3,500 rpm sending the sports sedan from standstill to 62mph (100km/h) in a mere 3.8 seconds before reaching an electronically limited top speed of 155mph or 250km/h.
The power increase from the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged MIVEC engine's 293bhp was achieved through a series of upgrades that include among other things, high-flow fuel injectors, a new turbocharger featuring low-friction bearings, a high temperature turbine and strengthened thrust, an enhanced intercooler, a new exhaust system and the remapping of the Engine Control Unit (ECU).
To ensure that all that power finds its way on the road, Mitsubishi tweaked the EVO X's chassis. Changes include a wider track and lowered suspension featuring Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers plus new lightweight 18-inch, nine spoke alloy wheels fitted with Toyo Proxes R1R tires. Furthermore, the FQ-400 is equipped with a revised braking system that uses aerospace grade aluminum alloys and floating sealed discs grabbed by high performance pads.
The standard EVO X's advanced Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) four-wheel-drive system with Active Stability Control and Active Centre Differential, Active Yaw Control and Sport ABS, remains of course unchanged.
The mechanical upgrades are accompanied by a more aggressive styling kit that comprises of a heavily vented bonnet, a new lightweight composite front bumper featuring carbon-fibre elements on its leading edges, a rear wing incorporating a gurney strip and a roof-mounted 'Vortex Generator', composite side skirts, a re-styled rear bumper with a carbon fibre diffuser plus additional lighting and High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights.
Inside, aside from the Recaro bucket sports seats, the range-topping Lancer Evolution X also gains an FQ-400 liveried handbrake handle and carbon fibre gearknob..
The Lancer Evolution FQ-400's price has been set in the UK at £49,999 ($79,400 US or €57,100) with the sport sedan's standard equipment including Bluetooth hands-free telephone connection, a CD-tuner with 30 Gig hard drive, DVD satellite navigation and privacy glass plus remote central locking, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers. We're pretty sure that those interested in the FQ-400 wouldn't have mind at all if Mitsubishi removed most of these convenient features thus lowering the car's price and most importantly, shaving a few pounds off the FQ-400's weight.
