Video: 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X First Drive

At last, here’s some video footage of the all-new Lancer Evolution X courtesy of Edmunds Insideline and their colleagues from Motor Trend who were invited by Mitsubishi to get a first taste of the high-performance sedan. Both journalists tend to agree that while the new EVO is a better car overall, it looks like the X has lost part of its hard-core, rally-style persona in Mitsubishi’s quest to broaden its audience.

Personally, I’ve had the chance to drive the last three-generations of the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO (7, 8 & 9) and it was love at first…drive. Yes, they were a pain in the ass for everyday use and the Spartan interior was as inspired as a bic pen, but boy were they addictive! Driving an EVO on a twisty B-mountain road was like entering a time warp; you simply put everything aside to become one with the car. So what if only a few skilled drivers could come close to taking fully advantage of the previous generation’s tremendous capabilities; isn’t that what EVOs are (were?) all about?