OZ PLUS OR EVO LITE?(News)(2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart plugs gap between rally-bred Evolution and cosmetically correct OZ Rally )

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart plugs gap between

rally-bred Evolution and cosmetically correct OZ Rally

Just saw 2Fast 2Furious and gotta get an Evo? Then hit hard by the Evo's $30,000 sticker? Try one of these-the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

Mitsubishi knows it has to attract the kids and it knows kids love performance. That's why it sells the Evolution. But Mitsubishi also knows the youths have no money-or at least not all of them have enough money to buy Evos. Hence, the $18,000 Lancer Ralliart.

Ralliart is the motorsports arm of Mitsubishi, the name you see on the sides of the WRC cars and SCCA ProRally cars. The Lancer Ralliart sits below the Evo in the Lancer lineup but above the Lancer OZ Rally edition. That puts it in affordable but fun territory.

Consider the power. The Lancer ES, LS and OZ models make do with the normally aspirated sohc 2.0-liter four producing 120 hp and 130 lb-ft of torque, with 15-inch alloys and some cosmetics separating the OZ from the pack. The Ralliart, on the other hand, gets 2.4 liters of displacement; longer, polished intake runners; dual-port exhausts; bigger valves; lighter pistons, rods and crank; a higher compression ratio (9.5:1 vs. 9.0:1) and Mitsubishi's Innovative Valve timing and lift Electronic Control. All that boosts horsepower to 162 at 5750 rpm and torque to 162 at 4000 revs-still well shy of the turbocharged Evo's 271 whopping ponies, but not ...