Mitsubishi Lancer 2008 News

Making his MarcosMarcos Ambrose had a good weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway in Nascar Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events. He finished ninth in Saturday's Nationwide race and backed it up with 21st in Sunday's Cup event.Ford boss moves onFord Racing boss Ray Price will move on at the end of the V8 Supercar season. He will become service engineering director for Ford Asia-Pacific and Africa. A replacement has yet to be named, so Price will remain until a handover is made. Price has overseen the introduction of the FG Falcon racer and three Bathurst 1000 wins in his time in charge.Seton back in a FordGlenn Seton returned to racing last weekend in a Ford. The longtime Blue Oval racer, and dual V8 Supercar champion, has spent the past two years as an endurance driver for the Holden Racing Team. But he got behind the wheel of his Ford Capri to win the South Australian Historic Touring Car Cup at Mallala. It was Seton's first visit to the track in 10 years, but he won three races to take the honours.Stoner surgery successFormer MotoGP champion Casey Stoner has had successful surgery on his injured wrist. The Australian has troubled by the injury since mid-way through the season, but held off the operation until now to carry out testing on the 2009 Ducati at Valencia last week.Rossi to test FerrariFerrari has confirmed MotoGP star Valentino Rossi will test its Formula One car. The Italian world champion expressed a desire to sample the F1 racer at the season-ending MotoGP race. Ferrari has revealed that Rossi will test before the end of the year, but hasn't revealed where. Rossi and Ferrari have said the test is just for fun.Adelaide changesOrganisers of Adelaide's popular Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar street race have revealed a number of changes for next year's event. New temporary pit facilities will be erected for 2009 and every grandstand will be covered. Section of the track will also be resurfaced.Meidecke's mountainGeorge Meidecke and navigator Daniel Wilson have won this year's Mt Buller Sprint. Meidecke raced his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX to the win in 10 stages up the famous mountain. Former Bathurst 1000 winner Tony Longhurst was second in his Subaru Impreza WRX, just ahead of the Lamborghini Gallardo of Kevin Weeks. 

Twelve years after the Lancer GSR departed the Australian market, Mitsubishi has decided to bring back the small all-wheel drive turbo sedan in the form of the Lancer Ralliart. And this time around not only is there more power and a tricky transmission, but an option of a Sportback body style.Filling the gap between the sporty Lancer VR-X and the all-guns-blazing Lancer Evolution, the Lancer Ralliart features a detuned version of Evolution’s 2.0-litre turbocharged and intercooled MIVEC engine that develops 177kW and 343Nm.It also features as standard, the DC-SST transmission from the Evolution model, with ultra fast paddle shift and a choice of manual or auto modes.The similarities between the new Ralliart Lancer and Subaru’s WRX is remarkable. Both are available in sedan or hatch, both come with all-wheel drive turbocharged drivetrains and both carry the exact same 343Nm.But Mitsubishi hasn’t isolated the Ralliart badge to just the Lancer model, offering up a new concept at the show called the TMR Triton. The Team Mitsubishi Ralliart model is built as a concept vehicle which closely represents a production reality – which is as close to showroom spec as a concept can get.The TMR Triton runs a 3.2-litre common rail turbo diesel engine that offers 12 percent more power over the normal Triton diesel, peaking at 132kW @ 3800rpm. More importantly, torque benefits from a 31 percent improvement, to an impressive 450Nm @ 2000rpm.The TMR Triton concept also features improved suspension and brakes, along with interior and exterior appointments and it’s not alone in the sport Mitsubishi stakes.The Sydney Mitsubishi stand also features a number of sporty models including the updated Colt Ralliart and Colt VRX, Outlander VRX, Pajero Exceed and Pajero X.

The Lancer Sportback has joined the Lancer range, expanding what is the most successful model in the now fully imported range

 The new Aspire model and the existing VRX will be fitted with the bigger 2.4 litre MIVEC four-cylinder engine, generating 125kW at 6000 rpm (up from 113kW) and 226Nm at 4100 rpm (up from 198Nm). Transferring the extra power to the wheels is a standard Continuously Variable Transmission.The VRX will also get an enhanced sound insulation package and premium console.Lancer ES and VR variants have been given only minor upgrades including the sound insulation package for both models and interior and exterior chrome accents for the ES. Additionally, Mitsubishi claims that improvements to the gear ratios on the manual variants should improve fuel economy.Pricing for the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer start at $20,990 for the manual ES and tops out at $33,990 for the Aspire with CVT. 

Gray's On-Line has this week been appointed to manage the sale of the plant and equipment and real estate firm Colliers International is working through the sale of the land and buildings.However, it will be months before anything is finalised as to who will take over the buildings, according to Mitsubishi chief, Rob McEniry.On 70 employees are left, mostly in the stamping plant, making parts to be stockpiled.The last 380 V6 went down the line on March 27, ending an era for the Adelaide-based company.Dealers still hold stock but McEniry expects very few cars to appear in VFACTS official industry figures from next month.Over its three-year lifespan just over 30,000 380s were built, well short of its projected numbers as buyers turned away from big six cylinder cars to more fuel-efficient four cylinders.Today, the brand has rebounded from the 380 meltdown and subsequent closure of its Adelaide plant.Despite fears buyers would desert the brand, Mitsubishi Australia boss, Rob McEniry, says it failed to eventuate.McEniry puts this down to Mitsubishi's strong imported lineup.“We do research on pre-2005 and post-2005 attitudes to our product and it has grown, not retreated,” he says.“We think we'll be pretty well positioned in the hot-spots of the vehicle market as we continue to grow.”Mitsubishi also has a strong dealer base, with two new dealers soon open in Melbourne and potentially another two in Sydney.“In Queensland we have five applicants for one dealer location,” McEniry says.“We're confident that we'll continue to perform reasonably well and importantly we're in a good position to ride the ups and downs.”McEniry is confident the company will exceed its 2007 figure of 65,000 sales this year.Despite a slowing in recent months, he believes the overall market should remain strong for the year.“You have to look at where the shifts are in each segment,” he says.“We're still seeing the large car segment continue down and a lot of the decline is in large cars, not in the smaller vehicles and pickups.“And we're pretty well positioned in those segments now so we actually see some opportunity.”McEniry says the arrival of the Lancer Sportback next month will be beneficial.“We think it will be well positioned in those segments that are actually growing,” he says.The Lancer Sportback is expected to be available in the same specification as the sedan, which means entry ES, mid-range VR and VRX models.A direct injection turbo-diesel is also tipped to join the petrol engines but not for at least 18 months.A Ralliart version is also expected to go head-to-head with the Impreza WRX hatch.The Ralliart models will be powered by a 177kW/343Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mated to Mitsubishi's twin-clutch Sport Shift Transmission.The Lancer sedan has carved a niche for itself and Mitsubishi's four-wheel drives, lead by the Triton and Outlander, are forging ahead. Breakout (should change to Future)Mitsubishi chief, Rob McEniry, still sees a future for a medium-large car in the company's local lineup.“That would be a really nice addition to the portfolio,” he says.Mitsubishi showed off the all-wheel drive 2.2-litre “clean” diesel Concept ZT last year and McEniry is keen that any medium-large car would be as “green” as possible to position it against mid-range Japanese and European imports.How many?2005 - 35482006 - 12,4232007 - 10,9422008 - 3205 YTDTotal - 30,018 approx 

The share market is shot, superannuation is in “negative growth” whatever that means, house prices are dropping alarmingly and interest rates look like falling. Where can you make an honest investment dollar these days? Well, art has some attraction but the numbers involved would make plenty of people tremble in their boots.What about collectable classic cars?We have all heard the stories about the six figure Falcon GTHOs and Monaros not forgetting the European thoroughbred classics, some of which go for multi-million dollar prices.But what if you're just an average punter and want to get in on the action.Take a look at Japanese collectable cars - is the advice coming from those in the know.This is because they have the potential for increased value from a relatively low base. And depending on the car (and luck) you could have a tidy little nest egg in the garage, one that you can take out and actually enjoy at your discretion.Christophe Boribon is the National Auction Manager for Shannons Auctions and he has some firm ideas on what cars are good buying with potential appreciation and those that are dead certainties.Chris' named the Toyota 2000GT as the most collectable classic Japanese car in Australia because of its rarity (only eight imported) and the specification of the car. He says a good one will go for between $2-300,000.Hardly accessible to the average punter.But other cars from most Japanese manufacturers operating here are shaping up well at the auctions and as long term prospects.Mazda's 1960s R100 coupe is worth a look at 10 grand according to Chris' as is the original, glass back RX7.“The RX3 is also good buying at $25-35,000 if you can get a good one and it should appreciate if looked after,” Chris' said.”Then there is the late '90s twin-turbo RX7 and RX7 SP - a locally fettled hotrod that will appreciate because it was a low volume performance car.”“You will pay big dollars for a Mazda Cosmo (up to 100 grand) but the first MX5 is a good proposition for not much money.” He said the SP versions of the later MX5 will be worth more in the long run and even the Japanese turbo model, the SE, should appreciate over time.Toyota has a few potentially collectable models including the late '60s Celica RA23 and TA23 models as well as the rear drive Sprinter 1.6. Celica GT4s should also be good buying if you can find one that hasn't been raced. Honda's most collectable car is the NSX but Chris' says the first S2000 sports cars are worth a look if you can get one that hasn't been thrashed. The tiny S600 and S800 sports cars are good property and even the quad headlight Integra TypeR could appreciate given time.Any Mitsubishi Lancer Evo in reasonable road condition will be worth a punt as a collectable particularly the Evo 6.5 Makinen edition. And if you can get hold of a twin turbo GTO 3000 (non-factory import) it should be a solid investment.Nissan has plenty of collectable cars dating right back to the 1960s. Think Datsun Fairlady sports cars, Datsun 240Z and 260Z coupes and of course the R32 Skyline GTR Godzilla Bathurst winning car - (Australian spec) of which only 100 were imported by the factory. You'll pay about $35,000 for Godzilla these days and it's on the way up for a decent standard one.Subaru has a couple of collectable cars too, the SVX coupe 3.3-litre flat six all-wheel-drive has possibilities and the 22B two door Impreza WRX STi for which you'll pay about $100,000 and going up.Good luck. 

An all-new Lancer sedan will arrive soon from Japan to take up the slack from the loss of the Australian-made Mitsubishi 380.It is not a direct replacement for the mid-sized 380, but Mitsubishi believes the upscale newcomer with a 2.4-litre engine can regain some lost ground.The newcomer will be part of a model rush in the second half of this year. It will include the Lancer Sportback hatch and upgrades for the Pajero and Outlander four-wheel drives.“It's not the new 380, but certainly an opportunity to capture and retain some of our customers who were in that segment,” Mitsubishi Motors Australia managing director Rob McEniry says.“We want to position it as a vehicle to address some of the market we've had, against cars like the Mazda6 and Honda Accord.I'm not suggesting this car falls into exactly the category where we had the 380, but it's an opportunity so our owners and customers don't leak entirely from the brand.”McEniry believes the Lancer Sportback can be a big winner, riding the wave of interest created by the new Lancer Evolution.“In the Lancer sector we're only been selling with the sedan. I'm not suggesting a 100 per cent increase in our numbers, but we will have an opportunity,” he says.“There is a fair bit still to happen for us this year. The products are hitting the sweet spots. We're very humbly moving forward, trying to scratch a few sales here and there.“We're quite excited about the balance of the year. We've got 24 variants of the Lancer, the Sportsback models, Ralliart cars, an upgraded Pajero and an upgraded Outlander.”McEniry says Mitsubishi is showing solid sales growth with its all-imported line-up.He believes the final result for this year will reflect a healthy improvement on recent years.“Our target is to outsell last year, so it would be mid-60,000s. We would be fifth overall with that,” he says. THE FINAL COUNTDOWN FOR MITSUBISHI FACTORYThe Mitsubishi factory in Adelaide is working towards a final shutdown.It will be stamping body panels and manufacturing service parts until the end of the year, with no sign yet of any major deals on the site or its facilities.“We haven't sold anything as well. It's a bit of a boring subject. There was a bit of an expectation it would be done in 24 hours, but the process is quite long,” McEniry says.“We are still making parts in the plant until the end of the year, with sheetmetal and local components. We are continuing the process with KPMG to evaluate interested parties.” 

Car sales were at record levels for the first half of the year, but that isn't expected to last.As Ford and GM Holden struggle with their toughest challenges in more than 25 years, there is no sign of any overall slump in new-car showrooms.The Commodore and Falcon are doing it tough, but small-car sales are booming, compact four-wheel drives are going well and there is a growing trend towards work-and-play pickups by Tuppies - or Tradie Urban Professionals.The Tuppie trend is as obvious as the showroom total for the Toyota HiLux, Australia's No.2 seller in the first six months of the year. It even beat the Commodore, though the baby Corolla did best, to record its first half-year term as overall No.1.Toyota continues to power ahead and has experienced the best results in its history, helping to drive a string of records for the overall motor industry."We're up 9.4 per cent for the year. But we always want to do better and while we're running well ahead we're happy," the head of sales and marketing at Toyota Australia, Dave Buttner, says.The overall figures at the half-time break in this year's showroom battle include record sales figures for June, a record for the year so far and a record performance for a financial year of 1,068,301.But things do not look as bright for the second half of the year, even though all industry analysts are forecasting a full-year total of about 1,060,000."There will be a lot of competitive pressures. Prices are likely to stay where they are," Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Andrew McKellar says."The June figures need to be seen in a broader context. We have come from a situation where the market was growing at about twice the rate of the national economy ... we have seen growth rates fall from 8.9 per cent to 3.5 per cent this year."This is much more in line with growth in the general economy and a much more sustainable position."So there are plenty of winners, but there are losers, too. Nissan and Honda trail last year's half-yearly totals. They have held their places in the top-10 sales chart but clearly need new models to compete with their rivals, as Honda's impressive effort in June - when it cracked 6000 sales for the first time in a month thanks to the new Accord and Accord Euro - prove.But what can we see in the results, beyond the inevitable stuff from Toyota?New vehicles are still up to 30 per cent less expensive to buy today than they were 15 years ago and strong competition, the growth of turbodiesels, improved safety and equipment levels are driving new buyer inquiry.June had a record 106,541 sales, up 1444, or 1.4 per cent, on the same month last year, and a record for any month in Australian motor-vehicle sales history.Toyota is now more than 60,000 ahead of its nearest rival Holden, with a tally of 127,440 sales.Last month it became the first company in Australia to sell more than 25,000 vehicles in a month when it recorded 25,600 sales.As it did in 2007, the Corolla is storming ahead, outselling the fleet favourite, the Holden Commodore, but it is the HiLux that has surprised pundits.In April the HiLux knocked off the Holden Commodore as the country's best-selling vehicle and end-of-financial-year deals helped push its sales to 4530 last month, with a yearly tally of 22,132.Toyota's success has a lot to do with its market clout and penetration in just about all vehicle segments.It has cars from the economical Yaris to the V8 turbodiesel LandCruiser off-roader and its split strategy of the Camry four-cylinder and Aurion V6 seems to be paying off, even if rivals refer to the Aurion as the Camry V6.Other Toyota strengths are its strong marketing, and knowing its buyers.But with rising fuel prices, tightening credit and interest-rate issues, it is not alone in predicting some softening in the run to December.But Toyota is buoyed by a strong order bank for many of its cars, including the HiLux and Corolla, and analysts say the company's pricepoints and reputation will hold up well against outside issues facing the car industry.The Corolla is the company's hottest property. It became Australia's best-selling car in the first half of the year, the first time Corolla, or any Toyota, has topped the country's new-vehicle sales chart at the half-way point of a year.Australian motorists bought 24,415 Corollas in the first six months of this year - an increase of more than 7.3 per cent on the same period last year.Corolla was the best-selling vehicle last month, with 5023 sales, followed by the HiLux, with 4530.The Holden Commodore was third last month, posting 4274 sales for a six-month total of 23,323 cars - 1092 fewer than Corolla.Yaris, 2770, Aurion, 2552, and Camry, 2261, were among the top 10 sellers last month. Prado, 1749, led the SUV market.Toyota's market share so far this year is 23.5 per cent, a slight gain of 1.3 per cent on the same period last year.Holden's overall share is down 2.1 per cent, which will be worrying the bean-counters.Despite having a strong sedan, ute and long-wheelbase line-up, the company's South Korean strategy has some holes in it.Sales of the Viva sedan and wagon are down more than 14 per cent, and the Barina is struggling.Only the Captiva and Epica seem to be working out.The Captiva has found 5633 buyers this year and even the lukewarm Epica has lifted numbers to 1332, up from 1096 for the same time last year.By contrast Ford's Euro small cars like the Focus and Fiesta have performed well, achieving sales of 8561 and 3866 respectively.Even its new mid-sizer, the Mondeo, has snared 2518, with Ford underestimatingd demand for the turbodiesel model.The late arrival of the new FG Falcon meant that June results of 3483 were about what the company expected.Ford's Broadmeadows factory is ramping up production of the G Series sedans after starting with the base XT model and dealers are reporting strong interest and growing orders for the G Series cars.Luxury-car sales, too, with the impending rise in the luxury-car tax, shot up last month.Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz all report strong June sales in a pull-forward of sales before the new tax comes into effect.Mercedes-Benz sold 2054 vehicles, Audi 907 and BMW 2258.The arrival of the new Jaguar XF bolstered Jaguar's June result, with 124 cars sold; and even Land Rover shifted 491 vehicles. REPORT CARDSmall cars GOODCompact 4x4s GOODPick-ups GOODSedans POOR How the makes and models compareTOP 10 MAKES (June)1 Toyota 25,6242 Holden 11,9683 Ford 10,2864 Mazda 75245 Mitsubishi 83366 Nissan 53527 Honda 62178 Hyundai 54479 Subaru 411610 Volkswagen 3305 TOP 10 MAKES (YTD)1 Toyota 127,4402 Holden 67,1233 Ford 54,4694 Mazda 42,4935 Mitsubishi 35,1676 Nissan 30,8007 Honda 30,1688 Hyundai 24,4179 Subaru 20,80610 Volkswagen 16,407 TOP 10 MODELS (June)1 Toyota Corolla 50232 Toyota HiLux 45303 Holden Commodore 42744 Ford Falcon 34825 Mazda3 32866 Toyota Yaris 27707 Mitsubishi Lancer 26678 Honda Civic 26449 Toyota Aurion 255210 Toyota Camry 2261 TOP 10 MODELS (YTD)1 Toyota Corolla 24,4152 Holden Commodore 23,3233 Toyota HiLux 22,1324 Mazda3 17,4585 Ford Falcon 14,7816 Toyota Yaris 13,7047 Toyota Camry 11,7718 Toyota Aurion 11,3879 Honda Civic 10,89710 Mitsubishi Lancer 10,498 who's hotSUZUKIJune was the 19th straight month of cumulative increases for Suzuki, which has cemented a place as one of Australia's fastest-growing brands.A total of 2419 Suzukis were sold last month, making it the best month in the company's history with a 2.2 per cent gain over the previous high-water mark in June last year.Another record result confirms Suzuki is now being considered against the historical volume players in the Australian market, Suzuki Australia general manager Tony Devers says.Like so many others, Suzuki is cashing in on successful new models, including the SX4, though the baby Swift - a former CARSguide Car of the Year - is still the bedrock for the brand. It has also claimed a 21 per cent increase for Grand Vitara, and the tiny Jimny four-wheel drive, which has been relaunched in 2008, is up 35 per cent.Suzuki sold 12,140 vehicles in the first half of the year, an 11.3 per cent increase on last year."With rising petrol prices having a noticeable effect on customer choices, Suzuki is perfectly positioned to offer a range of vehicles offering great fuel economy, superb build quality and terrific value for money," Devers says. MAZDAMazda is well on track for an 80,000-plus year. Better than its most ambitious target.Last month it sold 7524 vehicles, up 8.5 per cent on the same time last year.The Mazda2's tally of 1540 is a record for the nameplate and even the ageing Mazda3 continues to perform well, selling 3284 last month.The Mazda3's year-to-date sales of 17,458 makes it the third best- selling car - not vehicle - in Australia behind the Corolla and Commodore. SUBARUAll-wheel drive continues to be Subaru's trump card.It achieved a record of 4116 vehicles last month, with an overall lift in sales of 6.4 per cent for the year so far.The new-generation Forester was a star performer, with 1668 sold, an increase of 13.2 per cent.Impreza continued its strong start with 1031 sales, up 16.0 per cent. The refreshed Tribeca also performed well, with 161 sales, up 47.5 per cent.Liberty and Outback sales of 788 and 468 respectively contributed to the impressive result. who's notSSANGYONGThis brand is struggling, with sales down 25 per cent this year despite a revamping of its model line-up.A lack of cohesive marketing, low dealer numbers and quirky styling continues to dog the brand. Only 920 have found homes so far this year. SAABWhat can we say?With only two models in the line-up, the 9-3 and 9-5, Saab needs an injection of product right away.It's coming, in the form of a new four-wheel drive and small model but they are some way off.With sales of only 806 so far this year, it makes you wonder why GM Premium Brands bothers with the Swede. RENAULTEven tough sales have improved 2.2 per cent overall this year, the French carmaker's typically arrogant attitude to the Asia-Pacific market is working against it.The new Laguna and Clio sports model give it some hope, but only if the French executives get out of their ivory towers in Paris and come have a look at our market for a better understanding of what it needs to survive and prosper. PEUGEOTThe model changeover from the 307 to the 308 may have upset Peugeot's strong run, but sales are off 17 per cent this year.The 207 is a strong card and once the 308 becomes more widely known for its quality and driving experience we suspect things will pick up.The 407 is in desperate need of some strong marketing. NISSANLook beyond the nameplate and there are some strong individual performers, like the the X-Trail and Navara.But the Tiida still mystifies people, a Pulsar by any other name really. The miniscule Micra is picking up some well-earned praise for its price and packaging, so there is some hope.The Dualis has fallen short of the mark, though, and essentially Nissan still has to climb out from its tag as a four-wheel-drive brand if it wants to improve.Sales have slipped 4.3 per cent this year. LEXUSTreading water a bit with sales up only 0.3 per cent this year, the six-model range is strong on quality but short on driver involvement. The IS and GS are perhaps the exceptions. They are competent, but not engaging cars, and the volume RX series is due for replacement soon. It cannot come soon enough. CITROENAgain, the French! Some perky little performers in the C3 turbodiesel and C4, but it seems Aussie buyers prefer Japanese.Citroen sales are off 13.5 per cent on the same period last year.The Grand Picasso is the only interesting one to watch. ALFA ROMEONothing wrong with the product but others do it better and more aggressively.Alfa importer Ateco Automotive has sold 717 Alfa Romeos this year, down 25 per cent on the same period last year.The arrival of the sexy Mi.To could spur things on for the brand. 

The long wait for the raunchy Evolution X Lancer is going to continue. The first of the pocket powerpacks was expected in showrooms next month, but deliveries will not begin until late July or early August.Mitsubishi Australia is blaming eager customers in other countries, especially Japan and the US.“There has been such a large demand for the vehicle worldwide that our shipments have been delayed,” Mitsubishi spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says.“The car is on sale in Japan and the US. It is just going on sale in Europe and we are behind them in the schedule.”She says the Evo X factory in Japan cannot keep up with demand.It is also struggling to build enough regular Lancers.“It is coming and it will be worth the wait.”Mitsubishi Australia is still planning two Evo X models; the basic car close to $60,000, and the loaded MR model nearer to $70,000.“Including the Ralliart we have three variants. Prices will probably be announced in the next few weeks,” Fletcher says.“We've had a lot of interest and there are deposits on about 100 cars.” 

Over the years it's often been hidden in the shadows of its big brothers, Magna and Verada. This is a shame because it's a very competent car in its own right, it's built to a high standard and is simple to drive, with handling that's better than average for the type. Ride comfort is generally good but rough roads can rattle things about at times, especially in the budget-priced variants. The latest, all-new Lancer was released half-way through 2007 and, as is often the case with new releases, this has renewed interest in the model as a whole. It's been a consistently good seller in recent years, meaning that there are plenty on the used car scene. The older model Lancers are a little smaller than the latest one, which is approaching the original Mitsubishi Magna in size. However, some of the added size is to let it conform to crash safety laws so there isn't as much extra interior space as you might expect. Interior space is good in the front, but can be marginal in the rear if the front seats are adjusted rearwards to suit tall occupants. Rear seat headroom can be tight in the hatches, but is generally fine in the sedans and wagons. Lancer is simple to drive and park and has long been a favourite with those living in the suburbs and inner-city areas. It's OK in the bush and doesn't get knocked around too badly on rough roads, though this isn't the habitat it was aimed at. Handling is better than average for the type, though you wouldn't really call the Lancer a driver's machine. The Lancer MR coupe of 1997 to 2004 has firmer suspension and tauter steering so is an exception to the rule and has gained a reasonable reputation among those in the hot-four scene. There have been many Lancer body types over the years; two-door coupes, three-door hatches, four-door sedans and five-door station wagons. However, not all were on sale at all times. Note that there was an overlap with the station wagon as it didn't always change its design at the same time as the rest of the range. Thus we sometimes saw the old wagons being sold for up to two years alongside the new sedans. Three-door hatches prior to 1996 were called Lancers but the name was changed to Mirage with the introduction of the new model of that year. However, Mirage shares quite a few under-the-skin parts with Lancer and many of the remarks here can be heeded by potential Mirage buyers. Under the bonnet Lancer engines are all four-cylinder units. They had a displacement of 1.5 litres in the early days, a 1.8-litre unit being used in the upmarket versions from 1992 and a 2.0-litre in most models from 2002. The 1.5 engine used a carburettor until 1996 and fuel injection from then onwards. Because the Lancer was approaching the end of its life, August 2005 saw a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine being squeezed under the bonnet to grab sales away from the competition. This big engine has plenty of torque for safe overtaking, yet it doesn't use a lot more fuel than the smaller engines as it's running in a lightly stressed condition almost all of the time. This engine is the one to go for if your budget is up to it. Manual gearboxes are all five-speed units. Automatic transmissions on most older models were three-speed units until 1996, when they moved up to four speeds. The hot Lancer GSR of 1992 to 1996 is a rally-based special with all-wheel-drive and a hot twin-cam, turbo engine. It can cost big money to insure, service and repair, and is best left to the revheads. Lancer GSR models prior to the turbocharged version used a non-turbo 1.6-litre and have far less performance than the later model. The highly specialised, highly priced Lancer Evolution models are even further up the performance scale and are so far removed from the rest of the Lancer range that we'll ignore them here. Spare parts and repair prices are about average for this class and the Australian Mitsubishi dealer network is widespread and works efficiently. The Lancer is relatively easy for the home mechanic to work on, with good under-bonnet space and a conventional layout. Insurance charges are about average for the class, though you are likely to be charged substantially more for the hot GSR. Danger signs If possible, start the engine when it is completely cold. It should fire up within a couple of seconds and idle reasonably smoothly and quietly straight away. Carburettor engines, only fitted until 1996, won't be quite as smooth or tractable when cold as fuel-injected ones, but if one seems too bad call in an expert for advice. If the engine puffs oily smoke from the exhaust under hard acceleration it may be due for an overhaul. Feel for an automatic transmission that is slow to engage gear or is inclined to change up and down unnecessarily. A manual gearbox should be slick and easy to use. If not there could be troubles — fast changes down through the gears will show the problem first. Check for previous body repairs by looking for ripples in the panels, paint that doesn't match correctly from one panel to another, and tiny spots of paint on glass, badges, body trim and so on. Rust is uncommon but check the lower areas of the body and the bottom corners of the doors, tailgate or boot lid as applicable. A Lancer GSR may have had a hard life in the hands of an amateur rally driver. Look for full-harness safety belts, a roll cage, rally instruments and driving lights. Check for under body damage and for panel repairs. Also listen for a noisy turbo and/or one that's slow to respond to the throttle.