"Riggers, what's an Evo 0?" This was the question asked to me by our very own classified admin guru Rusty-C. "It's a -errrmmm - it's a - I don't know what it is," was my (pretty unhelpful) reply.
There is, of course, technically no such thing as an Evo 0. But the chap selling this 1981 Mitsubishi Lancer 2000 EX turbo is right in a way - because this car was privileged with the very first installation of the 4G63 engine that would be used in Evos I through to IX.
In this guise it gave 168bhp to the rear wheels, which was enough to shove the 1095kg saloon to 60mph in a smidge over 7.0secs and on to 124mph flat out.
And you can see the germs of the greaty Mitsubishi Tarmac warrior dynasty in the beefed-up-everyday-saloon looks. But while the outside screams performance car in a boxy 1980s sort of way, the interior is still rather more minicab than special stage.
Still, it's a fine automotive curiosity, although at £7995 you'd probably have to be a committed fan of fast Japanese metal to pick it over, say, a clean early Ford Escort RS Turbo, up for £5595.
I'm not really a fan of Jap metal, but that is awesome. I would love to take a punt on that, but also I love the Escort linked further down too. Can I gave both?
In this guise it gave 168bhp to the rear wheels, which was enough to shove the 1095kg saloon to 60mph in a smidge over 7.0secs and on to 124mph flat out.
I lusted so badly after one of these after test driving it in 1982!
I can remember a lady having one of these at the place I worked when I started driving. So rapid in the early eighties compared to RS2000, Mantas, Sunbeam Tis, Golf Gtis etc. Love one now but seems about 4 people now own half the UK population of them.
"Still, it's a fine automotive curiosity, although at £7995 you'd probably have to be a committed fan of fast Japanese metal to pick it over, say, a clean early Ford Escort RS Turbo, up for £5595."
Yeah, it's not cheap, but what's the worst fast Escort ever built got to do with it?
one of these is the basis of my "one that got away" story. In 2002 i was scouring the 'part-ex bargains' at the back of a used car lot. There was a lancer turbo in metallic green with beige velour interior for £1695 fsh 83k miles. I passed it up and drove home in a mercedes 190e auto - much more suited to the motorway mile munching i was going to do. But ive always regretted not being a bit braver.
