Mirage Build Part 2: Mega Road Trip! Coilovers!

Starting off to a throwback to the day I got the Mirage; Feb. 9, 2022 in Orléans (near Ottawa)

They're off the backorder! They're on the car!

It has been a long wait for the coilovers but it's over. But, before this, let's start by discussing why I chose the Mirage again, and what the ultimate goal is.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage I chose to get is the manual transmission equipped "ES" trim level, as that's the only trim level available with the manual transmission. However, it keeps the weight low and the enjoyment high (for the manual transmission).

The main draw of the Mirage is the low cost - environmentally and financially. The main idea of creating a sporty Mitsubishi Mirage is to make a car feel sporty and fun without too much cost, and to prove that it can be sustainable (financially and environmentally) into the future. Taking a car with less than 80 horsepower (74) and making it sporty and fun to drive is a challenge in itself. However, this challenge is proving to be possible. If we set the goal to make it possible to create a rewarding, fun driving experience with a $15,000 car that can be driven to and from work, can get groceries, and can still be pleasurable to drive on mountain roads or on track if you're so inclined, this should be easily possible, right?

Yes, you may think to yourself, as a reader, that there are more fun cars that can be purchased for $15,000, and you would technically be right. Pre-owned cars are a great value. However, it goes against the idea of proving that it can be sustainable - the production of new cars is continuous, therefore the supply of sporty cars, or cars that can be made to be at least somewhat sporty, is rather important for long term sustainability of our passion. Supporting even the most unlikely of "sporty" cars as a way to show that the market still appreciates small, lightweight cars without too many electronic gadgets (at least I've got Bluetooth?) is a good way to show auto manufacturers that the passion for fun-to-drive, satisfying cars still exists. Plus, starting with a car that was never described as sporty or spritely in a single automotive journalist's review of it proves something even more important; that any car can be made to be quite fun.

The St. Lawrence river, as seen from the heights of La Malbaie, from the parking lot of the Hôtel Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

.Before the coilovers had come in, I was invited to a navigational rally (more of a challenge of navigation than a rally) in the Charlevoix countryside of Québec. The event itself ended up being cancelled, after I had already planned out the trip and dedicated myself to going. I knew that I wanted to drive the little Mirage through the steep, sharp inclines of the Québec countryside, where the speed limits are higher, the roads are narrower, and the curves are sharper. There's also a natural beauty to the region, and the roads in general, not to mention the smell of the saltwater and whale spotting that I wanted to attempt to get in, in my life. When I got my Mirage, I remarked about how having a hyper-affordable car like this Mirage would grant me a certain freedom to go wherever, do whatever, and go on longer road trips, whether it be to race tracks or to natural areas that I've wanted to see. During this road trip, I got to see both. For this reason, I nicknamed the Mirage "Saoirse" - an Irish Gaelic name meaning "freedom."

It is beautiful, sign maker. I agree with you.

The thing is, though; the Mirage exceeded my expectations for what I was expecting in terms of handling performance and the way that it handled all of the road trip. The route I took through Québec was breathtakingly stunning, and included the best roads that I had ever driven, not just in a scenic sense, but also in a "sporty, spirited driving" sense. The Mirage and I covered about 4000 km in 4 days (6000 km in 6 days if you count the Ontario portions). Averaging about 10 hours of driving, per day, at an average speed of about 100 km/h, the Mirage never skipped a beat. It was absolutely difficult to overtake slower vehicles on the 4th day, when every single passing zone seemed to be steeply uphill and it was impossible to gain speed, but I never thought that I would find such pleasure in a drive with an average of 5.6L/100 km of fuel efficiency, as on that trip. On some roads just outside of Mont Tremblant, I was getting as low as 9L/100 km while carving an attempt at a racing line (to keep up with the flow of traffic in my slightly underpowered Mirage on roads that I had never seen before) out of the never-ending braking zones as the roads snaked through the most dense, lush forest that the entire Tremblant region had to offer, and on the drive from Saint-Didace Québec to Pont Rouge, I was averaging 4L/100 km. All of this, while the car was rather heavily loaded with camping gear, clothes, supplies, and whatever else I might have needed to bring with. Oil, spares, fluids, etc. were never needed but were a welcome "just-in-case" item list to have with me, as well as first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and whatever else you might need for being up to 300 km. away from the nearest village (as I was when I was in the Réserve faunique des Laurentides) with limited cell signal and moose, bear, rockslides, and avalanche warning signs as your primary concern.

To say that 4 days in the solitary wilderness of the more extreme reaches of Québec was unnerving would be an understatement. Doing that in a car I didn't trust would be something that I would never do.

All told? That was a life-changing experience. The only thing that could have made it better? Coilovers... Which, speaking of...

Godspeed MonoSS coilovers - available in one colour. Worth it anyway.

Upon arriving home, I received my Godspeed MonoSS coilovers. The weekend following the road trip, I had another road trip, this time back up to Calabogie to drive in the season finale double header of Lucky Dog Racing Canada's championship. That was super fun, but it meant that I didn't want to tear apart the Mirage and install coilovers on it as I may have needed the Mirage to drive to Calabogie.

I ended up carpooling with my dad as he wanted to be there for the big day, as well as possibly hit up some of the best cycling trails in Ontario (since he's a mountain biker), so we didn't end up bringing the Mirage after all. All the better, as someone was there to help take care of me when I ended up getting violently ill with an ear infection with complications that were beginning to cause, surprisingly, kidney failure from dehydration and malnutrition and ended up in the hospital, the day after the race. The ear infection had nothing to do with the racing, and the racing had nothing to do with the ear infection. But, it did mean that I lost a good half-month of time from October 1st until October 15th as I recovered. Happy 29th birthday to me!

So, skip forward to about then, when we finally got the coilovers in and, well, they rubbed badly.

Mirages can burn rubber!

But the fitment was undeniable. It was so much better, so much sportier, and so much nicer.

The 16x7" wheels with 195/55R16 tires are just a bit too much for the car at this ride height with this (unknown) offset, (I think it's +42?) but Will from P-Z Tuning rolled the fenders in. That was yesterday. Last night, I got to drive the Mirage and it has already got me saying that the modifications and hassle have been worth it. It's incredibly fun already. I cannot wait for the last two or three things that I want to do to make it even more sporty.

The coilovers woke up the handling; the wallowing, soft, mediocre attempt at preventing body roll is gone. The car is now responsive, nimble, and agile. The added front camber from lowering the car makes outright cornering grip higher, while the suspension is stiff enough to actually change directions when asked. It does feel like a tradeoff, vs stability, but the car is currently and always has been more than stable enough.

If anyone knows of any front and rear sway bars that fit the Mirage, please let me know. I'm definitely going to be in the market. Then, we will put on the 17" wheels that I have already sourced out and we will have a very, very cool Mitsubishi Mirage.