With the recent release of a 40th Anniversary Lancer Evo X FQ-440 it seemed the ideal time to check out the second-hand Evo marketplace
Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution may have had humble origins, but it has become one of the most envied performance cars of recent times. Mitsubishi's engineers took an uninspiring saloon, added lashings of rally-proven four-wheel drive, turbocharged know-how and created a legendary four-door saloon capable of embarrassing exotica.
Hand-in-hand with its nemesis - Subaru's Impreza STI - the Evo carved out a new motoring genre: the road-going rally replica. But unlike the Scoob, Mitsubishi's no-nonsense Evo has managed to retain a hardcore image.
Lighting fast acceleration and awesome grip are of course its USP, but the practical persona and impressive value for money (when compared to cars offering similar performance) mean you can buy an Evo with your head as well as your heart.
Boasting an impressive rally heritage (cemented by Tommi Makinen's 90s WRC domination) and immense tuning potential, an Evo provides a near-perfect recipe for those seeking affordable performance motoring.
Many feel the ultimate evolution will always be the Evo VI Tommi Makinen produced when Mitsubishi's stranglehold on the WRC was almost total, but earlier incarnations offer a pretty similar drive and much the same tuning potential - for a lot less cash. Whilst some later Evos can be cheaper to buy too, and offer even greater performance.
But what PHers really want to know is which Evos are gaining value? Which version delivers the best all-round ownership package? Which Evo presents the finest base for further tuning? And of course, which incarnation is most likely to become a future classic?
Many thanks to Darin Frow at the Mitsubishi Lancer Register and Simon Norris at Norris Designs for their help with this feature.