Thursday 14th August

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI GSR | Spotted

The search for dream-grade Evos is harder than ever, but it's not an impossible endeavour - as example car proves

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When they emerge as low-mileage, low-owner, pretty-much-pristine examples, there are some cars that make more sense than others. The high-maintenance, overly demanding exotic feels like one example; the super luxury saloon that maybe just serves as urban transport for a dignitary seems like another. We’ve all seen our fair share of Micras, Fiestas and Corsas kept by one lady owner from new for runs to the post office and the MOT station. 

But a Mitsubishi Evo? Not a chance. Whether import or UK car, it’s hard to imagine any evolution of Lancer from the original to the tenth being used anything but regularly, and as intended. By the standards of the time, they were relatively affordable - £30k in 2000 is less than £60k now, or Z4 M40i money - and all were supremely good to drive. Some more so than others, sure, but any Evo experience would linger long in the memory. It’s very hard to imagine signing on the dotted line for any of them, new or used, cheap as chips or top drawer, and not embracing everything that Active Yaw Control, the 4G63T and everything else that makes an Evo an Evo has to offer. 

Moreover, well, let’s be frank - none of the ten Evos are cars to take pride of place in a portfolio. None were conventionally pretty cars, based as they were on common-or-garden Japanese saloon cars. They aren’t coachbuilt Italian exotics, or rare groove British GTs. They’re Evos - for driving and for scaring supercars, not really for ogling. 

Yet this one exists. It’s an Evo VI GSR, a car that’s been in the UK since 1999 - imported by Warrender to the Isle of Man - and which boasts not a single modification. The engine bay, the entirely unremarkable (bar the Recaro seats) interior and the unmistakable exterior are exactly as they were 25 years ago. And it’s done fewer than 7,500 miles. 

That’s not a mistake, either - here’s an Evo VI that’s showing 7,234 miles since new. It’s like finding a Dreamcast that’s never been played, a Max Power that’s never been read, or a Bacardi Breezer that’s never been drunk - a staple of the early '00s in a condition you’d simply never expect to find in 2025.  Which makes it hugely intriguing, of course. It’s properly museum grade, without wear, blemish or imperfection. The history features a plethora of receipts, the past MOTs are flawless, and the underside is said to be remarkable. While Fast & Furious homages and 2.2-litre strokers are cool, there’s really little to rival an untouched UK car. 

You’ll pay for the privilege, of course. All the Japanese icons of the time are prized these days and Mitsubishi shows no signs of being even remotely interesting again in 2025. This one is for sale at £65k, or more than twice what might be paid for a higher mileage example. But if only the very best Evo will do, to sit in the collection alongside a 22B, V-Spec R34 and RX-7 Bathurst (and maybe just drive occasionally to satisfy some curiosity), there can’t be very many better in the world. 

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SPECIFICATION | MISTUBISHI EVO VI

Engine: 1,997cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 275@2,750rpm
MPG: 23
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1999
Recorded mileage: 7,234
Price new: £30,995
Yours for: £64,995

See the original advert

[Leftfootwonder]

These made a huge impression on me as a teenager at the time. I remember just being blown away by it. These are my favourite Evo generation by far.

[Motormouth88]

Yes please, and I’m not usually one to get all ‘hot under the collar’ for a chav wagon, shame it’ll likely be stored away and never used from here on out

[Prohibiting]

At this mileage it simply won’t get driven and will just sit in a garage for most of its life.

I’ve been there and done that with a grade 4.5 import, 28,000 mileage version 6 Impreza Type RA STI. Was too scared to drive the damn thing and it therefore really tainted my experience.

If you actually want to drive an Evo 6, get one at the ropey end of the scale, otherwise go into this knowing full well that you’re just going to end up spraying quick detailer on it every fortnight.

[GreatScott2016]

Ah, lovely. Brings back great memories. I recall the first GSR I bought new in 2000 was approx. £33k so adjusting for inflation, the asking price is not unrealistic. I cant help feel though that we’ve reached peak values for these Japanese rally reps. There are a few TMEs with low mileage that just aren’t selling, despite some price reductions and as for low mileage 22Bs, £300k in my humble opinion is completely bonkers. Anyway, while this GSR is lovely, I just couldn’t justify paying the asking price, albeit, this does seen quite reasonable and is a beautiful example so it would make a fabulous addition to someones collection .

[J4CKO]

Prohibiting said:

At this mileage it simply won’t get driven and will just sit in a garage for most of its life.

I’ve been there and done that with a grade 4.5 import, 28,000 mileage version 6 Impreza Type RA STI. Was too scared to drive the damn thing and it therefore really tainted my experience.

If you actually want to drive an Evo 6, get one at the ropey end of the scale, otherwise go into this knowing full well that you’re just going to end up spraying quick detailer on it every fortnight.

Not everyone is terrified of using cars to maintain value, if the cash is so critical maybe dont buy it. We need to remember money is one commodity, time is another, the former is somewhat replaceable, the latter isnt.

Get in it, use it, put some miles on it, make some memories, keep it nice and dont lay awake at night thinking about the residuals, might drop dead, might inherit five million, might all get nuked. It wont last forever anyway, age creeps up on cars, and their time passes.

I doubt even not worry about it anyone would use one every day so would be self limiting, would perhaps get a bit tedious putting fuel in every 180 miles or so and dealing with what is a rally car for the road.

At the end of the day, its a run of the mill Japanese saloon car with more power and 4wd made in fairly large numbers.

[WPA]

Lovely car and shame it has never really been used, is this what they are really worth now

[Unreal]

J4CKO said:

Prohibiting said:

At this mileage it simply won’t get driven and will just sit in a garage for most of its life.

I’ve been there and done that with a grade 4.5 import, 28,000 mileage version 6 Impreza Type RA STI. Was too scared to drive the damn thing and it therefore really tainted my experience.

If you actually want to drive an Evo 6, get one at the ropey end of the scale, otherwise go into this knowing full well that you’re just going to end up spraying quick detailer on it every fortnight.

Not everyone is terrified of using cars to maintain value, if the cash is so critical maybe dont buy it. We need to remember money is one commodity, time is another, the former is somewhat replaceable, the latter isnt.

Get in it, use it, put some miles on it, make some memories, keep it nice and dont lay awake at night thinking about the residuals, might drop dead, might inherit five million, might all get nuked. It wont last forever anyway, age creeps up on cars, and their time passes.

I doubt even not worry about it anyone would use one every day so would be self limiting, would perhaps get a bit tedious putting fuel in every 180 miles or so and dealing with what is a rally car for the road.

At the end of the day, its a run of the mill Japanese saloon car with more power and 4wd made in fairly large numbers.

It's an interesting one. Compared to some contemporaries it's expensive and to others, quite cheap. Unlike some of the prices we see here I can see someone paying that for it It doesn't have to be locked away, just used for special days out. I do that with some of my cars. They are none the worse for it and I don't believe the value is affected. I don't know the market for these but in a world where people are paying that sort of money for nothing special old Fords, seems reasonable. Makes my RX7 look cheap so I'm all for the price. Like with my RX, I'd say the range/mpg is irrelevant for a weekend car.

Completely agree about the yolo sentiment. I have two friends recently diagnosed terminally ill so far this year. Both early sixties with families. All their plans for retirement up in smoke. All those pension contributions for nothing. Not much you can say to them. I'm certainly not going to look back and say I didn't have fun. Both of them were inveterate savers. Fat lot of good it did them and they won't be the last.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Absolutely no modifications. Fantastic. Must be the only properly original Evo in the UK.

[Augustus Windsock]

Not sure if anyone might know but I wonder if this is the example that used to sit on a chaps drive on a village just outside of Chesterfield?
I remember talking to the owner and it had circa 7k on it when I last saw it 4-5 years ago.
A bit of a sword of Damocles one for me, use it and it becomes any other Evo VI, don’t use it and you may as well have bought an original Stephen Wiltshire drawing.

[Unreal]

Augustus Windsock said:

Not sure if anyone might know but I wonder if this is the example that used to sit on a chaps drive on a village just outside of Chesterfield?
I remember talking to the owner and it had circa 7k on it when I last saw it 4-5 years ago.
A bit of a sword of Damocles one for me, use it and it becomes any other Evo VI, don’t use it and you may as well have bought an original Stephen Wiltshire drawing.

I'm not seeing it. What difference is a couple of thousand miles a year on it going to make to its value? In another five years there'll be no discernible deterioration and it'll still be one of the lowest mileage best condition cars of its type on 17K. Of course, a buyer could use it everyday and on rally stages at weekends. That's one of the risks of care in the community.

[don logan]

Augustus Windsock said:

Not sure if anyone might know but I wonder if this is the example that used to sit on a chaps drive on a village just outside of Chesterfield?
I remember talking to the owner and it had circa 7k on it when I last saw it 4-5 years ago.
A bit of a sword of Damocles one for me, use it and it becomes any other Evo VI, don’t use it and you may as well have bought an original Stephen Wiltshire drawing.

I’m in this situation with an EVO

My feeling is that I could probably do 2-3k miles a year and it won’t become just another EVO

MAYBE

[don logan]

Unreal said:

I'm not seeing it. What difference is a couple of thousand miles a year on it going to make to its value? In another five years there'll be no discernible deterioration and it'll still be one of the lowest mileage best condition cars of its type on 17K. Of course, a buyer could use it everyday and on rally stages at weekends. That's one of the risks of care in the community.

I think you are right but it becomes a more difficult decision if something is close to “as new” / unrestored condition

It is ridiculous for sure

[Every day a journey]

Absolutely loved my Dad's old one.

T796 FUG if anyone here knows its whereabouts

[LotusOmega375D]

That ultra low mileage car “collector” (investor?) in Scotland will probably buy it. Although 7k miles is a bit leggy for him!

[RSstuff]

A bit like being married to a teenage Pamela Anderson, and all the time saving her for Tommy Lee.

[Unreal]

don logan said:

Unreal said:

I'm not seeing it. What difference is a couple of thousand miles a year on it going to make to its value? In another five years there'll be no discernible deterioration and it'll still be one of the lowest mileage best condition cars of its type on 17K. Of course, a buyer could use it everyday and on rally stages at weekends. That's one of the risks of care in the community.

I think you are right but it becomes a more difficult decision if something is close to “as new” / unrestored condition

It is ridiculous for sure

My response to that would be that if you're too worried about using it occasionally, then it's the wrong car for you or you put it in storage and forget about it. I posted earlier about people dying. Life is definitely too short to spend time worrying about cars. If someone is preserving a car because they think it will be worth a fortune in a decade, they also need to accept they have no way of knowing whether they'll be around to benefit.

There are museum pieces which have never been on the road and there are claimed 'minters' with 10K on the clock. The latter do not exist except in the mind of the owner. I have never seen a car with more than a few thousand miles on where I cannot find evidence of damage or some sort of wear and tear. It's even more laughable as the minter claim is maintained and the mileage increases. When the flaws are pointed out, the 'mint' becomes 'only what you should expect for the mileage'.

The ad for this car typifies the bks. Unblemished? Museum grade? Have a look at the underbonnet. Did they come with rusty bolts as standard? Was the scratched speedo fascia an optional extra? I'd put big money there will be stone chips and other damage that doesn't show on the photos. It's a very nice car but let's not get carried away.

Edited by Unreal on Thursday 14th August 09:44

[don logan]

Unreal said:

don logan said:

Unreal said:

I'm not seeing it. What difference is a couple of thousand miles a year on it going to make to its value? In another five years there'll be no discernible deterioration and it'll still be one of the lowest mileage best condition cars of its type on 17K. Of course, a buyer could use it everyday and on rally stages at weekends. That's one of the risks of care in the community.

I think you are right but it becomes a more difficult decision if something is close to “as new” / unrestored condition

It is ridiculous for sure

My response to that would be that if you're too worried about using it occasionally, then it's the wrong car for you or you put it in storage and forget about it. I posted earlier about people dying. Life is definitely too short to spend time worrying about cars. If someone is preserving a car because they think it will be worth a fortune in a decade, they also need to accept they have no way of knowing whether they'll be around to benefit.

There are museum pieces which have never been on the road and there are claimed 'minters' with 10K on the clock. The latter do not exist except in the mind of the owner. I have never seen a car with more than a few thousand miles on where I cannot find evidence of damage or some sort of wear and tear. It's even more laughable as the minter claim is maintained and the mileage increases. When the flaws are pointed out, the 'mint' becomes 'only what you should expect for the mileage'.

The ad for this car typifies the bks. Unblemished? Museum grade? Have a look at the underbonnet. Did they come with rusty bolts as standard? Was the scratched speedo fascia and optional extra? I'd put big money there will be stonechips and other damage that doesn't show on the photos. It's a very nice car but let's not get carried away.

I agree with a lot of what you said and yes mine has been in storage for the 8yrs I’ve owned it

I know how ridiculous that is, I know

But I have another modified EVO that’s in very “useable” condition that I’ve owned from new

[Unreal]

don logan said:

I agree with a lot of what you said and yes mine has been in storage for the 8yrs I’ve owned it

I know how ridiculous that is, I know

But I have another modified EVO that’s in very “useable” condition that I’ve owned from new

You're just greedy.

[wolfie28]

Interesting points of view, which I agree with. Adjusting for inflation 30k in 1999 is roughly 58k now so I suppose ok value.

As for me it’s a no on this particular car as I was never keen on that colour or wheels, plus I like modified cars over standard. I know that detracts from the value and some might frown at a modified example but hey we are all different right. I don’t do many miles in mine in all honesty but that’s mainly of the fear of it breaking down though

Probably will be bought by a collector and never see the light of day. Whoever buys it it their choice.

[Prohibiting]

Unreal said:

J4CKO said:

Prohibiting said:

At this mileage it simply won’t get driven and will just sit in a garage for most of its life.

I’ve been there and done that with a grade 4.5 import, 28,000 mileage version 6 Impreza Type RA STI. Was too scared to drive the damn thing and it therefore really tainted my experience.

If you actually want to drive an Evo 6, get one at the ropey end of the scale, otherwise go into this knowing full well that you’re just going to end up spraying quick detailer on it every fortnight.

Not everyone is terrified of using cars to maintain value, if the cash is so critical maybe dont buy it. We need to remember money is one commodity, time is another, the former is somewhat replaceable, the latter isnt.

Get in it, use it, put some miles on it, make some memories, keep it nice and dont lay awake at night thinking about the residuals, might drop dead, might inherit five million, might all get nuked. It wont last forever anyway, age creeps up on cars, and their time passes.

I doubt even not worry about it anyone would use one every day so would be self limiting, would perhaps get a bit tedious putting fuel in every 180 miles or so and dealing with what is a rally car for the road.

At the end of the day, its a run of the mill Japanese saloon car with more power and 4wd made in fairly large numbers.

It's an interesting one. Compared to some contemporaries it's expensive and to others, quite cheap. Unlike some of the prices we see here I can see someone paying that for it It doesn't have to be locked away, just used for special days out. I do that with some of my cars. They are none the worse for it and I don't believe the value is affected. I don't know the market for these but in a world where people are paying that sort of money for nothing special old Fords, seems reasonable. Makes my RX7 look cheap so I'm all for the price. Like with my RX, I'd say the range/mpg is irrelevant for a weekend car.

Completely agree about the yolo sentiment. I have two friends recently diagnosed terminally ill so far this year. Both early sixties with families. All their plans for retirement up in smoke. All those pension contributions for nothing. Not much you can say to them. I'm certainly not going to look back and say I didn't have fun. Both of them were inveterate savers. Fat lot of good it did them and they won't be the last.

Well it’s the reason why I now own an old 50,000 mileage Lotus Elise. I go out and drive the thing with very little care or worry! For me, I’ve learnt these high priced low milers aren’t worth it unless you’re a collector. It’s somewhat very liberating to not worry. So my advice is if you really want to drive it, get one for half the price and just enjoy. You’ll have more fun as you’ll probably take it out more!

Edited by Prohibiting on Thursday 14th August 10:49