Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Named Magazine's 2004 'Automobile Of The Year'

CYPRESS, Calif., Dec. 9, 2003 -- An automotive thoroughbred. An enthusiast driver's dream. A street-legal racecar. A rally-racing champion. Affordable and fun. An everyday sedan and a supercar.

Now add another label to Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution: The "2004 Automobile of the Year."

In its January 2004 issue, Automobile Magazine bestows its most prestigious honor to a car that has attracted wide-ranging accolades for superb performance dynamics that deliver a driving thrill similar to exotic sports cars three times the price. In fact, Automobile Magazine notes: The Lancer Evolution is "not just our 2004 Automobile of the Year, but also very likely the automotive icon of the decade."

Developed through years of rally racing, the Lancer Evolution exudes performance for one simple reason: that's what it was built for. The Evolution distributes 271 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels, thanks to its turbocharged four-cylinder engine and all-wheel-drive system. Brembo disc brakes and Sport ABS provide precise control over the lightweight 17-inch wheels, which are wrapped in Yokohama performance tires.

"The Lancer Evolution exemplifies the superior spirit, fun and value of the Mitsubishi Motors brand and its expanding lineup of cars and S.U.V.s,'' said Finbarr O'Neill, co-chairman and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA). "And as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution clearly demonstrates, and the editors of Automobile Magazine confirm, high performance and high value are no longer mutually exclusive."

In awarding the magazine's top honors after evaluating dozens of other cars, Automobile Magazine said the Lancer Evolution "unapologetically, uncompromisingly, unequivocally provides the most performance for the money of any car in the world." The editors further noted that "this is the first time anyone with $30,000 has had access to the high plateau of vehicle dynamics," and that Lancer Evolution "is both a reasonable everyday sedan and a supercar."