click above image for high-res galleryI've recently had the misfortune of driving a new base-model Mitsubishi Lancer ES and was disappointed to discover that the materials and fit and finish inside have barely improved over the last generation model. The base Lancer is an inexpensive economy car, however, while the Lancer Evolution is its more mature and expensive big brother. How expensive? Well Mitsubishi has announced that it will be pricing the latest iteration of the Lancer Evolution from $34,000, which will get you the GSR model with a five-speed manual. The top-o-da-line Lancer Evo MR that comes equipped with Mitsu's new six-speed dual clutch cog swapper will base at... gulp... $39,000. Inside Line reminds us that the previous Lancer Evo IX started at $28,679, which is a long way away from the new model's base price. Hopefully all that extra cash goes into making the Evo's interior better than the base Lancer's. Keep in mind, this is preliminary pricing, and Mitsubishi says that it hopes to reduce the price of each model by around $1,000 before they go on sale.
Speaking of which, Mitsubishi also announced that the GSR model will be available to purchase next February, while the MR should arrive before the summer. Finally, the EVO has also received its official EPA ratings for fuel economy, which are 16/22 for the GSR and 17/22 for the MR.
[Source: Inside Line]
