Mitsubishi has officially taken the wraps off its all-out Evolution X FQ-400. Word broke late last year that Mitsubishi was working on an extreme version of its Lancer Evolution X, with the full view finally coming into focus on Tuesday. Unfortunately for those residing in the U.S., the FQ-400 will be exclusively available in the UK.
The FQ-400 nameplate is no stranger to the Evolution line, building off the Evolution VIII-based FQ-400. The newest FQ-400 is powered by the Evo’s familiar 2.0L turbocharged engine, but, thanks to a revised ECU, upgraded turbo and new exhaust system, the FQ-400 pumps out 403 horsepower and 387 lb-ft of torque.
Although Mitsubishi ’s new twin-clutch SST transmission sounds like a perfect fit for the FQ-400, it simply can’t handle the torque of the upgraded engine. Therefore the hopped up Evo will only be available with a manual transmission, but a standard clutch should make the new FQ-400 more driveable than the last FQ-400 (which used a race clutch).
Those upgrades over the standard Evo translate into a 0-62 time of just 3.8 seconds, clipping the mighty Cadillac CTS -V by a tenth.
To help keep that added speed under control, the FQ-400 will also feature a body kit, larger cooling inlets, six-pot front brake calipers and vents for the rear brakes.
Mitsubishi plans on producing just 100 examples of the FQ-400 – all of which are earmarked for the UK market – with pricing between £49,999. In addition to the FQ-400′s outrageous performance, that price of entry will also land buyers Bluetooth, a CD tuner with 30 gig hard drive and a satellite navigation system.
