Driving Sports

Western Automotive Journalists Gather For "Media Days" At Laguna Seca

The Western Automotive Journalists organization gathered this week in beautiful Monterey, Calif. to test drive the 2008 sports and luxury car field from virtually every automaker doing business in North America. Journalists from up and down the west coast arrived to test the full fleet of 2008 cars on the winding mountain roads of Carmel Valley and at speed on the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Yes, that's the new Nissan GT-R parked next to the NISMO Edition 350Z in the photo to the right. Yes, they're as good as you think they are.

Events such as this serve a number of purposes, including a rare chance for side-by-side tests of comparable cars from different automakers, and also to allow a relaxed atmosphere to talk shop with the manufacturer representatives. But I wouldn't lie to you and tell you it was anything like working - this event is big-time fun.

Block/Gelsomino Take Threepeat at 100 Acre Wood Rally

The plan in the Rally America season is to hold just one true snow rally. Sno*Drift in January leads off the season, and some competitors skip the event in favor of the much more temperate Rally in the 100 Acre Wood held in Missouri a month later. But this year, Mother Nature caught many teams with their long johns down as winter weather again dominated the results at the second round of the 2008 rally racing championship series.

The day before the event, snow, ice, and freezing rain paralyzed the nation’s heartland and kept drivers, co-drivers, and some teams waiting for the St. Louis airport to reopen. Several participants had to make forced drives at the last minute to arrive in time to start the event, but when they did start, the conditions were anything but hospitable, leading to one of the most difficult 100 Acre Wood rallies in recent years.

Racing at the Arctic Circle

Greetings from the Arctic Circle!  For a brief, shining moment, there's Internet access here in Dawson City, Yukon, and so I decided to seize the day and let you know what we've been doing.

What we've been doing is tear-assing through Canada, overwhelming kitchens and bars that normally see about two tourists a week this time of year. And doing a little TSD Rally and Ice Racing on the side.

We spent the first day getting across the border (and only a few of us got strip-searched, as I understand it.) and spent the night in Quesnel, B.C.  Next day we rallied the Blackwater Road - a tight, twisty track through deep snow. We knew we weren't in Kansas any more when we chased a Moose off the road in front of us.

The third day, we crossed into the Yukon - stopping for lunch at a place called "Mamma Z's" (no relation, honest) - absolutely the best Italian Food in Dease Lake, B.C. - and that's no exagerration. We spend the night in White Horse - and the next day was Ice Racing. 

Team Mitsubishi Alcan Ready To Roll on Arctic Adventure

Team Mitsubishi Alcan is prepared to take on the Arctic in the world’s most extreme Time-Speed-Distance Rally competition - the Alcan 5000 Winter Rally.

The Alcan is a two-week, 5000-mile journey from Seattle, Washington to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, and back. The event begins Sunday, February 17 in Seattle, and  ends on February 27 in Jasper, Alberta. Along the way teams will travel over frozen rivers, cross mountain ranges and the Arctic Circle, and experience temperatures as low as -60F. Over 20 teams have entered the event.

Mitsubishi Employee Wins Hot Wheels Design Award

Mitsubishi Motors Employee Gary Ragle Selected as One of Seven Winners in First-Ever Hot Wheels® Designer's Challenge^TM

Toy manufacturer Mattel has announced that Mitsubishi Motors Research and Design of America (MRDA) employee Gary Ragle is among seven designer finalists to be selected in the company's first-ever Hot Wheels® Designer's Challenge^TM. MRDA was among six automotive manufacturers to participate in the challenge, which marked the first time Hot Wheels® has turned outside the company to seek new vehicle designs.

L'Estage/Richard Win Canadian Rally's First Round

Hyundai takes manufacturer's victory in the hunt for the  2008 Canadian Rally Championship

MANIWAKI, Quebec -- Defending Canadian Rally Champion Antoine L’Estage took the first win of the 2008 Canadian Rally Championship Presented by Subaru on Saturday, besting a competitive field of top drivers at the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki, Quebec.

“It’s a very good start, I’m very happy,” said L’Estage at the finish.

It’s the second win of the early season for him and co-driver Nathalie Richard, who also took victory at the U.S. season-opener two weeks ago. L’Estage said it took a push late in the day in his Hyundai Tiburon to secure the victory in icy conditions.

Andrew “ACP” Comrie-Picard and co-driver Marc Goldfarb finished second overall in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.

Mitsubishi Announces 2009 Eclipse, Galant at Chicago Auto Show

Mitsubishi introduced its revised 2009 Eclipse this week. The new car arrives in dealerships this summer. Restyled front and rear bumper fascias distinguish the Eclipse models for 2009, with the GT also now sporting a new large rear spoiler. The GT model also gains standard high intensity discharge (HID) head lamps for 2009, further sharpening front styling while aiding visibility for nighttime driving. Also, Mitsubishi announced an update to the venerable Galant mid-size sedan.

The Japanese automaker is on a roll this year, having already introduced a revised Lancer in early 2007 and the new Lancer Evolution in December.

Mitsubishi introduces proper Lancer Ralliart

After several less-than-thrilling "Ralliart" editions (okay, to be honest, they all sucked), Mitsubishi has finally introduced a proper Lancer bearing its rally division's name at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Expected to take on Subaru's WRX in the mid $20k price range, the all-new Lancer Ralliart is a properly equipped hooligan on wheels: putting down 236Hp through its all-wheel drive system and with more aggressive styling than it's pedestrian cousin, the standard Lancer.

The full-time 4WD driveline features Mitsubishi's Active Center Differential (ACD), which may be a bit fancier than the 50:50 unit available on the 5-speed WRX. The Ralliart tranny employs an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch center differential, pushing torque to the front or rear according to different driving conditions. Mitsubishi's twin-clutch flappy-paddle system will be an option, just like it is on the Lancer's bigger brother.

Read the specs after the jump.

Paul's Wicked EVO

While healing up from an injury, Ultimate Fighter Paul Nelson was looking for a new hobby. That led him to his 2005 Mitsubishi EVO 8. What started as a part-time project is now a full-blown 700hp obsession. Watch the video to see Paul ripping it up at Portland International Raceway and on the streets of Portland.

English Racing built the 2-liter featuring 8.5:1 compression, PT 67mm turbo, 1600cc injectors, AEM engine management, Brian Crower engine bits and a lot more.

Next, Paul is looking to upgrade to a GT42R turbo with a new intercooler and exhaust setup good for 900 wheel hp. That should get him in the high 8s and will make Paul a very happy man.

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Reviewed

For years, Mitsubishi’s Lancer has lived in the shadow of the Subaru Impreza. Mitsubishi has never sold cars in the volume that Subaru has achieved, especially in the performance market where the aptly named Lancer Evolution competes with Subaru’s popular Impreza WRX and STI models.

Yet the Evo is just as good, if not better, than the Impreza. This is the car that beat the Lamborghini Murcielago in a head to head track competition on the iconic British TV show “Top Gear,” and which has won one constructor’s and four driver’s World Rally championships. From the Driving Sports perspective, the Evo has always been more edgy – more of a street-going racecar – than the WRX or even the STI.

So the conjecture and anticipation has been high for the launch of the Evolution X – based on the fourth major redesign of the Lancer platform.

Mitsubishi Sponsors U.S. Alcan 5000 Winter Rally Team

To the question of whether Mitsubishi is supporting rally teams in the United States, the answer is an unqualified Yes. Team Mitsubishi Alcan has been formed to compete in the 2008 Alcan 5000 Winter Rally, which will take place in February. The six team members all reside in or around Portland, Oregon, and intend to challenge the Subaru and BMW factory teams for the win.

The Alcan Rally takes competitors over 5,000 miles from Seattle, Wash. to the village of Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, approximately 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the shore of the Beaufort Sea. The Alcan is a two week torture test for both vehicles and rally teams, and is the toughest and longest competitive road rally in North America.

Mitsubishi Supports Canadian Rally

FlatOverCrest.com is reporting that Mitsubishi is making a big investment in privateer rally teams in Canada. Now, what about the US, Mistu? Any team support lovin' coming this way?

Here's a clip:

Mitsubishi has confirmed today a long-term and lucrative "rally support program" for the Canadian Rally Championship that encourages amateur participation in the sport.  Featuring a travel fund, prize purse, subsidized entry fees, and other incentives, the program is geared towards all levels of privateer Mitsubishi teams from Open Class through Production. The program also includes the same support for the Targa Newfoundland rally, held each September.

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Reviewed

The confetti from the 2007 New Year’s celebrations was barely swept up when Mitsubishi led the Auto industry into Model Year 2008. By St. Patrick’s Day, we’ll probably see the first 2009s, and so it looks like we won’t have to wait very long at all to see what we’ll all be driving in 2050.