Thursday 30th June 2022

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo II RS | Spotted

If ever there was an Evo to buy, it's the one that's still stock nearly 30 years on

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We really need another period in rallying like the 1990s to offer up some hot JDM performance cars again. Subaru’s homolgation special, the WRX STI, burbled its way through stages with a righteously brilliant Colin McRae behind the wheel, while Toyota’s Celica GT-Four pushed the boundaries of legality… and lost. But towards the end of the decade nobody could touch Tommi Makinen and his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

Between 1996 and 1999, Makinen swept up the driver’s championship running one of the many, many different variants of the Lancer Evo. What’s more, Mitsubishi’s rally challengers were closely linked to their road car counterparts, with most of Makinen’s titles coming at a time when the rest of the opposition had moved to the less-restrictive WR regulations. To keep itself on top, Mitsubishi released a series of evolutions (geddit?) for homologation. Granted, the rally cars were still heavily modified over their roadgoing counterparts – because an airbag ain’t going to cut it if you fly into a tree – but the Evo was about as close as you could get to a rally car for the road. Especially if you went for the Evo II RS that we have here.

It’s a familiar formula with what we see today with the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R and Subaru RA-R, but back in 1994 the idea of a back-to-basics performance car was relatively alien. For starters, the Evo II took the 2.0-litre turbocharged DOHC unit from the Evo I and turned the wick up to 256hp. Next, the wheelbase was extended (perhaps to make it better on tarmac rallies), chassis rigidity was increased by 30% and the five-speed manual gearbox was given a tweak.

But this is no ordinary Evo II. Being an RS, you also get one of the most basic interiors you’ll find on a production car - even by 1994 standards. The Evo II RS ditched the radio and the electric windows were swapped out for manually wound ones. Also, notice the black door handles and mirrors? These are made of a cheap (but light) plastic, rather than the body-colour equivalent on the GSR. You could even option steelies! Though the buyer of this model went of the standard five-spoke OZ rims that came on the GSR.

The Evo II RS was so hardcore that it was bought up by privateer rally teams because it was easier to adapt them to Group A regulations. Plus, like many other JDM monsters from this era, the 2.0-litre DOHC engine could be tuned to high heaven, making finding a tidy example today is difficult to say the least. So when you consider the Evo II RS we have here is completely stock nearly 30 years after it left the factory, you know that it’s been looked after by a true Evo fan.

Then you look at the price. There aren’t many rally icons you can pick up today for £24,995, especially when the Evo II is of the same era as a Lancia Delta HF Integrale and Ford Escort RS Cosworth – both of which can command upwards of £100,000. And with Prodrive getting in on the Subaru restomod game with the half-million pound P25, we doubt it’ll be long before someone has the same idea for a jazzed up Lancer Evo and prices for original examples will only go skywards. Just try to look past the trim materials…

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SPECIFICATION | MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO II RS

Engine: 1,997cc, 4-cly turbocharged
Transmission: 5-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 260@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 288@3,000-7,000rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1994
Recorded miles: 36,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £24,995

See the original advert here

[MyV10BarksAndBites]

A “true” Evo fan would never keep any Evo completely stock!!!… Would be such a waste of in built potential and fun…

Great for the new owner tho…

[Jon_S_Rally]

Not sure that exhaust is "stock"

Also worth noting that a lot of RS cars would have been bought to be turned into Group N rally cars, rather than Group A ones. If you were going Group A, you were probably more likely to go to Ralliart and buy a car from them, as a Group A car was some distance from a road car.

[alex_2015]

MyV10BarksAndBites said:

A “true” Evo fan would never keep any Evo completely stock!!!… Would be such a waste of in built potential and fun…

Great for the new owner tho…

Everyone wants to buy virgin cars but then most will modify/experiment/trash the crap out of them.

[Welshbeef]

alex_2015 said:

Everyone wants to buy virgin cars but then most will modify/experiment/trash the crap out of them.

Buying a car to have to as a garage queen is a shame for the very very vast majority of cars.

If you want it buy it and enjoy it & keep it maintained in tip too condition

[Baldchap]

Why is everyone writing in American English?

It's standard. Stock is what the dealer has on their forecourt, be it standard or modified.

[alex_2015]

Welshbeef said:

Buying a car to have to as a garage queen is a shame for the very very vast majority of cars.

If you want it buy it and enjoy it & keep it maintained in tip too condition

Different people, different reasons, different sense of enjoyment.
Maybe I want to keep that car stock and not trash it. So it could be enjoyed longer and without breaking down.

There is no right or wrong (garage queen or trashing). Problem is the inconsistent approach: same people that modify their cars, then complain that they cannot find clean unmolested cars to buy. Why not buying an already modified one if you enjoy it? Because you know it might have issues?

Once I was looking for a GTR R32. Needless to say that all had a gazillion of hp and all kind of "mods" and "improvements". If car was so fantastic why was it sold in the first place for peanuts?

Edited by alex_2015 on Thursday 30th June 08:59

Edited by alex_2015 on Thursday 30th June 08:59

Edited by alex_2015 on Thursday 30th June 09:00

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

There isn't really such a thing as a 'standard' RS. They were all different as you could spec them almost to GSR levels of kit.

In the most basic spec they were available in, they were terrible. Poor brakes, and taxi cab spec seats with zero support; the assumption being you threw them away anyway.

[don logan]

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

There isn't really such a thing as a 'standard' RS. They were all different as you could spec them almost to GSR levels of kit.

In the most basic spec they were available in, they were terrible. Poor brakes, and taxi cab spec seats with zero support; the assumption being you threw them away anyway.

For example…….

[ArnageWRC]

The early Lancer Evo rally cars had quite a distinctive raspy engine sound; even now I can recall it being flung sideways by Eriksson, Schwarz, and then by Makinen. Saying that, my favourite was III, debuted in Corsica by Andrea Aghini in May 1995.

[loudlashadjuster]

It's not standard though, is it?

That exhaust is definitely aftermarket, and that looks like a set of adjustable coilovers.

Still looks in good condition. Just check for the devil that is rust and it would be a hoot.

I'd still take a GSR though

[anonymous-user]

don logan said:

For example…….

Yeah RS literally meant car with zero unnecessary bits that you can buy for less money and use as a base for a rally car. I love the purposefulness of that, a modern equivalent would cost an arm and a leg and be heaving with kgs of unnecessary tech.

[Firebobby]

Two words. Yes please. I do miss my old V, but as I've stated before, they're from a long gone era.

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

don logan said:

For example…….

Exactly how my VII came interior wise. Only positive is those seats are significantly lighter than the GSR recaros.

[miller63]

How awesome to see an early RS in 'near' OEM condition. Given what other early 90's homologation cars are valued at that is seriously well priced.

I spent ages searching and restoring interior pieces of my Evo 1RS in a quest to return it to near standard condition. Like mentioned earlier, the original seats were horrendous. Swapped for an Evo5 Recaro and makes all the world of difference.

Hope it sells to get used, rather than disappear into a collection.

[Jake899]

My only experience of an Evo II lasted about 15 seconds.
My friend took me out for a joyride in the wet in his in Plymouth in about 2000.
"It's amazing how well they grip even in the wet, watch this" he said.
We escaped hospital but that car was done, as were about three cars parked along the road.
I'd still like one though.

[RumbleOfThunder]

Baldchap said:

Why is everyone writing in American English?

It's standard. Stock is what the dealer has on their forecourt, be it standard or modified.

Unfortunately American motoring youtube has a lot to answer for. "bone stock", "full send", "lets goooooooooo".

[flukey5]

As others have highlighted, the problem with buying a mint, all original old car like this is that now you devalue it by modifying and driving it; paradoxically making it the best and worst example of an Evo II RS you can buy.

[sjabrown]

I would quite like this, have a soft spot for an early Evo. First car I co-drove in on a rally was an Evo II.

[liner33]

Baldchap said:

Why is everyone writing in American English?

It's standard. Stock is what the dealer has on their forecourt, be it standard or modified.

Bog-Standard or Stock is perfectly accepted English

[Evil.soup]

Given the insane cost of low run early Japanese performance cars, this seems like quite a reasonable price in the grand scheme of things. Can't see anyone losing money on it even if they used it for 3 to 4 thousand miles a year of fair weather driving for 2 to 3 years and kept it well maintained. Sure it would sell for as much if not more in a few years time.