The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution first arrived in 1992 originally to give Mitsubishi a path into the World Rally Championship's Group A class and the SCCA Pro rally Championship. The debut Evolution's were only for sale in Japan originally and were crafted on the standard Mitsubishi Lancer saloon.
The car was soon a sought after gem and was crossing european borders to enter the import market as a prized grey-market import. Mitsubishi were fast to realize the interest and quickly paved the way for official imports to the UK in 1998.
The very first model had a 5 speed gearbox and a powerful 2.0 litre engine, brought together with a four wheel drive system, this car could bump out 244bhp which was pretty meaty stuff for a saloon. This was the president which was set for future standards for the Evo, and Mitsubishi didn't come off the gas at any point giving us many different and powerful versions of a classic motor car.
The Evo was developed alongside the more sober Lancer Saloon and although the cars weight increased, the handling and the power improved at a steady rate and the car soon became a force to be reckoned with. The Evolution truly did evolve into one of the speed junkies must have rides, maybe a bit dull to look at, but a hair raiser in the right hands.
The Evolution IX hit the roads in 2006 and was the last of the squared edged Evo's off the line before the newer models were drafted. The engine stayed true to the 2.0 litre turbo with 345 bhp and a newer 6 speed sports box to drive things along. The body had a bigger carbon fibre rear wing for better control and the roof was a lighter aluminum design.
This car could shake out top speeds close to 148mph and power from 0-60 in just over 4.2 seconds, which is pushes you firmly into the back of your seat and dries out the inside of your mouth pretty fast, so yes, the Evolution was quick but it was popular for more than just sheer power. The Evo was was very smooth to handle so rally drivers loved it dearly, put bluntly, the Evo was probably one of the best handling sports saloons ever made.
On a point to point race, tackling winding roads and tracks there are very few cars in the same class which could compete with the Evo, largely due to the four wheel drive and low centre of gravity. Bilstien dampers and Super active Yaw control gave the car handling which was second to none, so if you manage to get hold of an Evo, go steady. These cars can move.
Mitsubishi gave a serious hint at what the all new Evolution X may look like when they revealed the Concept X showcar in 2005. The styling had improved with more up to date smooth lines and modern bodystyle, gone were the boxy edges. All this aside, the car was still obviously an Evolution just but a tad sexier. She had evolved once again.
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Richard McCombe writes interesting articles about cars for sale for a popular automotive website. If you want to see good used bmw vehicle deals go to autoweb.
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