Our biggest fan: Neil Chirico

Love at first drive

Race car driver. Road test editor for Edmunds.com and Motor Trend. Proprietor of not one, but two Mitsubishi fan sites. Proud owner of a 2005 Lancer Evolution MR and more than a few others over the years. Neil Chirico isn't just a car guy. He's a Mitsubishi guy through-and-through. One whose passion for the brand comes through loud and clear when discussing one of his favorite topics: the Lancer Evolution.

"In 2000, I was in Monterey (CA) with Edmunds.com. They had several tuner Eclipses to experience, but they also brought up the Lancer Evolution 6.5 edition. Back then, I had no clue what a Lancer Evolution was. I went out and did my 45 minute street drive. Since I was the test driver for Edmunds, I had quite a bit of experience under my belt. I came back from that 45-minute drive gushing that it was the best car I had ever driven. I have never forgotten that first experience with the Lancer Evolution because it changed the way I think about cars."

"I can tell you that if I were the richest guy in the world and I could have any car in my garage, right next to a couple of those exotics, there would still be a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Because the car is just that good."

Strong words, especially from someone who's been racing since he was sixteen and makes his living on the test track. So what is it about Mitsubishi vehicles that makes them different than anything else on the road today? For Neil Chirico, it comes down to one thing–the experience behind the wheel.

"In some cars, there's so much electronic intervention now. The electronics are not enhancing the driving experience; they're taking away from it. Whereas Mitsubishi's electronic technology, especially in the Lancer Evolution, doesn't take anything away from the driving experience. It's actually enhancing it. I hate to say this, but BMW can learn a thing or two from Mitsubishi about the way they're doing things."

Neil's passion for Mitsubishi doesn't end when he parks his Evolution for the night. As the owner of evolutionforums.com and co-owner of clubralliart.com, he has created online forums where fellow enthusiasts discuss their vehicles, exchange information and share stories. Put simply, "I got involved because of my love of Lancer Evolution," he says about evolutionforums.com. For clubralliart.com, his involvement was born out of a desire to give the Ralliart community a place of their own online. "I just wanted enthusiasts of the car to have their own place to go where they could enjoy the freedom of praising the car at the level it needs to be praised. Because it's a great car in it's own right."

As for the future of Mitsubishi, Neil couldn't be more optimistic. In regards to the soon-to-be-released 2010 Outlander (he got a sneak-peek at MOD 2009), he says "I think it'll be a big hit. It fits in with the current Lancer design which is very, very popular." Of the forthcoming 2010 Lancer Evolution MR Touring, he's equally as positive. "I think it will be a success. (Owners) are going to want the technology, and they're going to want a little more luxury with their performance. I think that'll be a spot-on hit for them."

We couldn't have said any of it better ourselves. Thanks, Neil. We're honored to to have you as one of our biggest fans.