Jason Harper

Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) — Are you absolutely mad for something? Civil War re-enactments perhaps, “Seinfeld” episodes, scrapbooking? When you discourse on that interest, do friends flee? Does your mate bring up the words “trial separation?”

If that obsession is driving, then the latest Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is for you. If the TV character Monk was into cars, the Evo would be his ride.

Shot by Joshua Paul

The turbocharged sedan is faster than Speedy Gonzales with Sylvester around, and just as twitchy, too. The steering wheel transmits the texture of the road to the point of distraction, and the wired four-cylinder engine sounds as if it should lay off those Red Bull-and-espresso lattes.

The price for performance that rivals top-tier sports cars? About $33,000, plus any hope for a smooth, chill ride.

This is the 10th iteration of the Evo, famous in the intense world of rally racing, where it’s often in nose-to-nose competition against the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. To aficionados, this is a rivalry worthy of Manchester United and Arsenal, the Yankees and Red Sox. The STI also got a major update for 2008 (reviewed here last February) and is now a five-door hatchback.

Both have seen greater refinements that purportedly make them more accessible to a wider audience. I just don’t see it. If the Subaru looks like the official auto for half the cast of “Beauty and the Geek,” the Mitsubishi is almost grimly utilitarian. Snub-nosed, thick and short, it reminds me of a .38- caliber bullet. The massive wing on back helps with down force but couldn’t be more conspicuous.

Mountain Roads

Aesthetics are beside the point. The Evo’s purpose has always been about its X-Acto-like ability to slice up winding mountain roads. The all-wheel-drive system is as keen as they come, and every system, including the new active yaw control, is dialed for at-the-edge performance.

I spend a week in the Catskill Mountains with the Evo GSR, the less-costly model equipped with a five-speed manual. Talk about the right tool for the right job: I was guaranteed a good time whether I was on my way to a lonely hike or just making a run to the nearest village for a bag of ice. The Evo is go-go, party-all-the-time, and on hilly roads with lots of elevation changes, I was thrilled to join the conga line.

A new four-cylinder engine — turbocharged, of course — puts 291 horses at your control and an even more impressive 300 pound-feet of torque. That’s better than the previous generation. Yet the new Evo is bigger, heavier and slightly slower, though only the true obsessive would know that by feel.

Under hard acceleration, the tachometer needle readily hits 7,600 revolutions per minute. The renowned AWD system pulls you in and out of curves lickety-split, and you can choose settings for tarmac, gravel and snow.

Don’t Sneeze

But the driver better know what he’s telling the car to do. Steering is so tight that a sneeze could send you off the road, and the wheel continually trembles in your hands, transmitting road feel like a topographic map.

It’s one of those great cars you can partly steer using your feet — put light pressure on the brake pedal as you enter curves and the front end will tuck in perfectly. Driving fanatics will love it.

I adored the uncompromising nature on mountain roads but was less enthralled on the two-hour highway drive back home. To keep weight down, Mitsubishi uses precious little sound deadening, and road and wind noise compete with the racket of the hard-working four cylinders. Brother, is it loud. I was hard pressed to hear my music, even with the 650-watt Rockford Fosgate sound system that comes with the $2,000 “sight, sound and spoiler” package.

Hard-Working Engine

One reason the engine works so hard is there’s no sixth gear: Mitsubishi has saddled the Evo GSR with a five-speed manual designed to handle higher torque loads. This means less shifting when you’re trying to get up to speed, but the engine always sounds like it’s working extremely hard. (The GR model, released after the GSR for a $5,000 premium, has a six-speed, double- clutch automatic transmission.)

The racing-style Recaro seats might be great for some, though at 6 feet and 200 pounds, I felt like I was perched uncomfortably on Santa’s lap. As a four-door, the back seats have room for luggage (or maybe even a passenger or two), which is a good thing because the trunk is tiny.

Still, all that’s beside the point. The Evo is, after all, self-selecting. Obsessives don’t care about anything except the drive.

And, of course, who wins the battle between the Evo and the STI. In my estimation, the Subaru is an all-around easier car to live with. Highway driving didn’t feel like an endurance test, as it can with the Evo.

When it comes to the purity of a winding road, though? Well, who minds a little road noise when the car handles like this?

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR at a Glance

Engine: 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with 291 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.

Transmission: Five-speed manual.

Speed: 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds.

Gas mileage per gallon: 16 city; 22 highway.

Price as tested: $37,679.

Best feature: Precise handling.

Worst feature: Loud.

Target buyer: The road-obsessed driving fanatic.

(Jason H. Harper writes about autos for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)