When people say “it handles like it’s on rails” they’re likely talking about the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

As the brand’s get-‘em-talking-about-Mitsubishi car, the Lancer Evolution is all about the driving experience. Sure, the top-notch build quality, second nature ergonomics, and five-passenger accommodations are nice features, but they’re all secondary points behind what makes this car rule – the nuts and bolts that make it go fast and keep it planted on terra firma.

As with the Evo RS and VII models, the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR taps 276 turbocharged ponies from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine; full gallop rolls on at 6,500 rpm, and 286 lb.-ft. of torque makes itself available at 3,500 rpm. Exclusive to the Evo MR model is a six-speed manual transmission.

Claiming that this powertrain is competent is a colossal understatement. Raising the tach needle and riding the clutch a bit eliminates turbo lag, which is noticeable up to about 3,500 rpm. Of course, burning up the clutch is never a good thing, unless, as is the case with the Evo MR, it helps to reach triple digit velocities even faster. Once spooled, the turbo delivers power quickly, but it also plateaus quickly – this is not the type of car where the driver can leave it in third gear and just keep building power. Instead, it’s lots of power – clean, tight shift to higher gear – more power unleashed – relatively short throw to next gear – sweet!! more power – all the way up through sixth gear. However, be aware that the last cog in the tranny can be hard to find, especially when speed-shifting, and drivers may often find themselves mistakenly downshifting into fourth rather than up to sixth. In any case, choreographing this dance with a tight gearbox, a light clutch, and an unrelenting engine goes on until the driver either runs out of road or the speedo reaches about 150-160 mph.

Making top-speed runs is not the way to extract the most thrills out of the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR. Twisty roads with room for bursts of speed and requiring a constant grip of the aluminum shift knob are where smiles are measured in feet, not miles. There is no play with the Momo steering wheel – the slightest movement of the wheel, say in reaction to a sneeze, takes the Evo MR off the straight and narrow – it’s that exact. The rack and pinion steering setup is well weighted, providing consistent feedback and resistance at all speeds. The one downside is the large turning radius.

While that might be a problem in cul-de-sacs, that turning circle isn’t an issue on curvy back roads. And that’s where the Evo MR exhibits almost no body roll, and proves capable of taking sharp corners at very high speeds. This car sticks, and actually requires some effort to make the tail end break free. To test the rally car nature of the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR, we took some high-velocity runs on the dusty dirt roads of California’s desert country, only to discover handling capability that suffers little, despite the lack of pavement. Thankfully, the four-wheel antilock braking system is very responsive, with only a short distance between the first touch of the pedal and full braking power. Though pedal travel is short, the stoppers are well modulated, so it’s easy to gauge how much pedal pressure is required.

Given all of the focus on handling and power, both drivers and passengers will likely be surprised by the Evo MR’s inviting interior. While stiff, the Evo MR’s ride is fairly comfortable, improved by supportive, sharply bolstered Recaro seats up front and a soft bench in back. After several hundred miles of mixed driving, none of our drivers reported any pains, aches, or discomfort. Also surprising was the acceptable interior noise level. True, there is lots of tire noise and a fair amount of wind noise, but we’ve heard worse, and even after miles of test car abuse, the Evo MR was free of squeaks and rattles. Since the Evo MR is based on the mainstream Mitsubishi Lancer compact sedan, visibility is good. However, while the large rear wing allows the driver to see a car in the rearview mirror, it makes it hard to tell if it’s a Crown Vic with a red and blue light bar on top. For the driver of the 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR, that’s must know information.