The string of bright orange cones up ahead signals a fast-approaching uphill right-hander that terminates with a bit of uneven pavement. No paddle shifters needed; a tap of the brakes elicits a throttle-blipped downshift as I turn the wheel and round the corner, tires singing and bobbing, but somehow tracking straight. Up next is a fast left-right-left; the last tricky decreasing radius turn that's been frustrating all morning.
Once again I find myself too fast, out of shape, and on the wrong line, my front tires howling as they understeer toward potential disaster. But in the split second between realization and frantic corrective action, a faint push at the outside rear wheel silences the howl, and we tuck back in line as the corner exit magically appears. Now I'm positive there are ghosts in this machine, computer-driven spirits that whisper quickly and quietly to each other before conjuring up just this sort of electromechanical wizardry.
For the sake of simplicity, the all-new 2008 Lancer Evolution's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system should be regarded as the creation of a divine being, for who among us can question the intent of a devilishly complicated system that utilizes multiple clutches and limited-slip differentials, well over a dozen varied sensors, and four-acronym-driven subsystems: Active Center Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC), Active Stability Control (ASC), and Sport-Antilock Braking System (S-ABS)? I certainly cannot; even after sitting through a detailed Powerpoint presentation, complete with colored animation, I can barely explain how it works.
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