This particular Lancer Ralliart is most definitely not stock. The factory exhaust was replaced with a larger, more free-breathing HKS exhaust system. They are large and in charge, and when you hit the gas pedal, they sound absolutely fantastic! I'm sure because the owner upgraded the exhaust, this car has more than the standard 235 hp, but it is still a far-cry from the Evo. The transmission on the Ralliart is shared by its big brother, the Lancer Evolution, which has a tire shredding 403 bhp, a full 168 more horsepower than this example.
The owner also swapped out the hood and rear deck lid for lightweight carbon-fiber equivalents, making the car handle better, look great, and increase its fuel economy. (Not by much, but who cares? It's cool!) Now for some reason or another, there are a couple cosmetic mods on the car that i just don't get. The headlights/taillights, for example, were tinted blue to match the paint. I suppose everyone's taste is different, but that just seems a little strange to me. Of course, I would still drive the car the way it is, and I would love every second of it.
One of the reasons I chose to write about this car is because I have this obsession with AWD, 4 cylinder, turbocharged platforms. How can you go wrong with a car that gets double the gas mileage of a Mustang GT, handles better than almost any RWD car, and has almost the same horsepower? In my oh-so-humble opinion, you just can't. Unless of course, you have the extra dough to drop on say, a Cadillac CTS-V, or an Audi A6, then you'd be hard pressed to find a sedan with similar driving capabilities.
One option that comes standard on this car is the excellent paddle shifters coupled with the 6 Speed TC-SST Direct Shift Manual Transmission. Not only do they shift faster than you ever could with a standard stick shift, but you can use the shifting knob to do the same thing! My point being that if you aren't really into the flappy-paddle shifter, you can always revert to the equally effective "tiptronic" method to suit whatever your driving style may be. The SST also has separate suspension options as well. You can change the settings to drive through almost any weather conditions, including pavement, gravel, and snow.
That being said, I think if I were to steal any car for the coming Z-Day, (Zombie Apocalypse, for those of you who aren't quite as nerdy as myself) this would absolutely be in my top 3 choices. If you want to check this awesome ride out for yourself, it's still here to test drive and buy! Come down to 3035 El Camino Real, Santa Clara 95051. Have a great day!
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