History of the Mitsubishi Evo – picture special

The Mitsubishi Evo is to cars what Manny Pacquiao is to pound-for-pound boxing.

Both have a reputation for being hard-hitting, relentless athletes while also possessing nimble footwork and an capability to soak up the penalty. They have always punched well above their respective weights.

In the case of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, it could be argued the ‘homologation’ seed was planted back in 1960, when its air-cooled 493cc Mitsubishi five hundred saloon car claimed a podium lock-out in the one thousand nine hundred sixty two Macau Grand Prix.

With the spectacle itch kittled by that success, Mitsubishi then went on to produce other iconic rally models, such as the Colt F2000, Colt Galant, Lancer EX2000 Turbo and Galant VR-4.

However, it wasn’t until one thousand nine hundred ninety two after the arrival of Group A regulations in the World Rally Championship that Mitsubishi indeed rippled its technical muscle. Due to homologation rules, a minimum of Two,500 production models had to be built per year in order for manufacturers to challenge.

Thus, in October one thousand nine hundred ninety two the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was born and proved an instant success, with all two thousand five hundred models selling out in Japan within three days of the launch. Powered by the Japanese carmaker’s ‘4G63’ Two.0-litre turbocharged engine lifted from the Galant VR-4 and mated to a five-speed gearbox, the engine produced 244bhp at 6000rpm and 228lb ft at 3000rpm – slew enough to modest the 224bhp Ford Escort RS Cosworth of the same year. Zero to 60mph was taken care of in Five.1sec before the Evolution hit its top speed of 143mph.

The Lancer’s Evolution nameplate proved to be adequate, as each development bequeathed a quicker, stronger, nimbler model to coincide with the Roman numeric increase. Just over a year after the very first model was launched came the Evolution II; boasting treating improvements, a wheelbase increase of 10mm and a broader front and rear track to accommodate the larger wheels and tyres. Power was up to 252bhp from the same motor, but the Evolution II was 10kg stronger than its predecessor, however torsional rigidity had enlargened by thirty per cent.

February one thousand nine hundred ninety five spotted the arrival of the Lancer Evolution III. Fresh side skirts and a large rear spoiler were added to reduce lift and give the car a more bullish aura. The ‘4G63’ motor kicked out 270bhp at 6250rpm, with 0-60mph being dispatched in Four.9sec and a top speed of 149mph.

By mid-1996, Mitsubishi’s rallying success began to have a tremendous outcome on Lancer Evolution sales. The one thousand nine hundred ninety six WRC season brought Mitsubishi – together with a blisteringly quick Finn named Tommi Makinen – its very first World Rally Championship drivers’ title. The fiercely competitive Makinen borrowed the phrase ‘maximum attack’ and used it to devastating effect, wrapping the championship up on the final round at Rally Catalunya with a comfy fifth place finish.

In 1997, Mitsubishi pulled the wraps off the Lancer Evolution IV, displaying a entirely fresh platform. Weight was slightly up on the previous model, with the lighter RS weighing 1260kg and the GSR tipping the scales at 1345kg. Mitsubishi’s Active Yaw Control (AYC) made its debut on the Evo as a factory option for the GSR model. It utilised steering, throttle input sensors and G-force sensors to split torque via a computer-controlled differential individually to the rear wheels and enhanced cornering speed. Power was now up to the Japanese ‘gentleman’s agreement’ of 276bhp at 6500rpm. By this point, rallying had captured the imagination of petrolheads all over the world and Mitsubishi sold six thousand Evo IVs in the very first three days of its launch.

Eighteen months later, Mitsubishi’s development team got itchy fingers once more, leading to the fresh Lancer Evolution V being exposed in 1998. The car now looked much more aggressive; with flared arches, a fresh aluminium rear spoiler and a 10mm widened track. Wheel diameter was enlargened from sixteen to 17-inches to guzzle the larger Brembo brakes. The interior also received updated Recaro seats and slightly newer completing. Power was still ‘quoted’ as 276bhp, but the reality was it usually produced fairly a lot more.

Less than six months on from the Evo V, Mitsubishi launched the Lancer Evolution VI, with upgrades primarily focused on engine durability and cooling. It was the very first time that an Evo could be bought officially in the UK, but only a petite number were suggested through a handful of Ralliart dealers. The Japanese manufacturer released a special edition in the latter-half of one thousand nine hundred ninety nine to feast its favourite son’s four consecutive WRC drivers’ titles from 1996-1999 – the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition.

Widely regarded as the finest Lancer to wear the Evolution badge, it came in five colours – crimson, black, blue, white and silver. A crimson/black Tommi Makinen-embossed interior and 17-inch white Enkei wheels ended the package, while spectacle upgrades eyed the 0-60mph sprint obliterated in Four.Four seconds and the car max out at 150mph. Power was rumoured to be over 300bhp, rather than the 276bhp ‘agreement’.

In 2001, under pressure from fresh World Rally Championship regulations, Mitsubishi launched the Evolution VII. Based on the Lancer Cedia platform, it was bulkier and stronger than its predecessor, and while Mitsubishi attempted to compensate with numerous chassis tweaks, the result was a car that was underwhelming compared to previous generations.

In 2003, the Japanese rock hard rekindled some of that magic and ironed out the creases for the Evolution VIII. Mitsubishi UK officially imported the Evo for the very first time through its Ralliart network with an array of editions including FQ260, FQ300, FQ320, FQ340 and FQ400 models – the numbers denoting the power figure. A six-speed manual gearbox was available on the Lancer Evolution for the very first time.

In March 2005, Mitsubishi exposed the Lancer Evolution IX at the Geneva motor demonstrate. Still powered by the trusty ‘4G63’ Two.0-litre turbocharged lump, the Evo IX was primarily available to the UK market in FQ300, FQ320 and FQ340 guises, before an FQ360 version was whipped out to become the successor to the Evo VIII FQ400. While the FQ360 had less power than the FQ400, the newer FQ360 produced more torque – 363lb ft at 3200rpm.

In 2007, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X was launched. The car came in two forms, with the GS being essentially the Japanese GSR with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the GSR SST was available in FQ300 and FQ330 versions which adopted Mitsubishi’s six-speed Twin Clutch Super Sport Transmission (TC SST). The FQ400 was revived, too. Mated to a five-speed gearbox, the 400bhp Evo X could accelerate from 0-62mph in an eye-watering Trio.8sec and on to an electronically-limited 155mph.

Fans of the Evo won’t have long to wait for its come back, as Mitsubishi has confirmed a fresh special edition will go on sale in the UK soon. The special FQ-440 MR comes with its peak power and torque boosted to 440bhp and 412lb ft respectively, as well as a host of other spectacle upgrades. Only forty will be coming to this country, each costing £50,000, and a data logger is fitted as part of its warranty.

Aaron Smith, with extra reporting by Darren Moss

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