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Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV | High Mile Club

Driven and enjoyed for 30 years - now ready for 30 more 

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Nobody can really fail to have noticed the prices now attached to the best rally reps. From Sport Quattro to Subaru, it can almost feel like the sky’s the limit, as younger Gen Xers and the millennials who grew up loving these cars now have a chance to acquire them (we’re still waiting for our opportunity). Particularly when it comes to Evos and Imprezas: if it’s a UK car, low mileage and unmodified, or a special edition, then it looks like a great time to be selling them. 

Which, by association, makes it trickier to be a buyer. These are cars that are all about driver reward, never better than when driven as hard as possible. But if it cost twice the new price to buy, are you really going to be flinging your favourite rally rep at a wet and bumpy B road? This applies doubly to an Evo or Impreza; even bimbling around Bicester Motion in a pair was a rare treat not so long ago. There’s a case to be made for both as must-own enthusiast propositions - they’re that good. So what to do, then, if you want an authentic rally rep experience without a huge outlay? As always with these kinds of scenarios, it calls for thinking a bit differently. If the premium is there for UK-supplied, low-mileage, unmodified Evos and Imprezas, what do we go for? A higher mileage, 400hp import - exactly. 

While the later Evos will always have the additional appeal of being official cars here, there’s plenty about the earlier versions that will be very recognisable: lightweight agility, loads of turbocharged power, and a four-wheel-drive system configured with fun in mind. There’s a reason they’re called Evolutions, after all; each new one saw incremental changes, rather than wholesale reinvention. 

This IV can claim proper rally pedigree, too - it wasn’t just a VI that Tommi won a WRC in. It was just the only one that spawned a special edition. The 1997 championship was won in an Evo that looked an awful lot like this one. Interestingly, this Evo IV was imported to the UK all the way back in 2004, when Mitsubishi still sold new VIIIs. It’s been with the current owner since 2011. 

In that time, the engine has been rebuilt, with Mahle pistons, an Evo IX turbo and a Syvec ECU, for 400hp; there’s a stronger clutch to manage that (and a bigger fuel tank to supply it), plus BC Racing suspension and a roll cage. The oh-so-'90s Recaro seat trim remains unchanged, which is great to see. Probably an untouched one would command more, but there’s a reason why so many of these cars are modified: they’re even more fun with extra power. So enjoy that. 

This is never going to be a concours-grade Evo. Repairs have been undertaken to address the dreaded issue of oxidisation, although as ever it's an ongoing concern with a 30-year-old import showing 170k. Which it scrubs up more than alright for - thank a recent respray for that. With a cambelt change last year as well, everything is set to enjoy this Evo absolutely as intended. The dedicated could lavish some more care on it and make it really special, though we’d imagine the fun behind the wheel might be too much of a distraction. After all, that’s the real reason why we love this type of car, right? 

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See the original advert

[IMI A]

So go on then. A) How much is this worth? B) How much will go for estimate?

[GreatScott2016]

I have a real soft spot for all Evos, although the IV was not one of my favourites. I also just wonder whether the high prices on some of the rally specials is beginning to soften. I continue to see TMEs (£100k+ ) and 22Bs (£300k) etc., up at exorbitant asking prices and they’re not shifting. Lovely things nonetheless

[732NM]

JDM spec cars have always been the better spec and more desirable during this era.

[rossub]

732NM said:

JDM spec cars have always been the better spec and more desirable during this era.

More the case with Imprezas than Evos, but there were the Evo RSs and IX GT I guess.

Why anyone would want a UK supplied Impreza over a JDM one per the article is beyond me. The P1 is the most desirable of the UK models (ignoring the 22B), but even that is bettered by the JDM only STI 5/6.

[rossub]

IMI A said:

So go on then. A) How much is this worth? B) How much will go for estimate?

I’ll have a guess at £10k.

Evo 4 is arguably the least desirable of them all and that mileage is a lot.

[Heaveho]

The smart money goes on the least desirable later models. You get 99% of the experience for a significant saving over the sought after stuff that everyone wants, and they're more reliable than the car in the op. If you're only in it for the driving experience rather than the questionable potential investment possibility, buy a sensibly modified early 8 import, they're a comparative bargain. Nobody seems to actively seek out those models, yet they're spectacular to drive. For what you pay, versus the A and B road rewards, it's hard to think of anything in the same price bracket that's genuinely competitive.

Edited by Heaveho on Monday 19th January 19:22

[Water Fairy]

I'm going to be watching this one closely

Remember this will still only do around 500 yards to the gallon and need servicing every other Tuesday

Absolutely worth it though

[GreatScott2016]

Water Fairy said:

I'm going to be watching this one closely

Remember this will still only do around 500 yards to the gallon and need servicing every other Tuesday

Absolutely worth it though

I remember being shocked by the MPG and servicing intervals when I had the 6s and 8s, oh so worth it though

[Heaveho]

GreatScott2016 said:

Water Fairy said:

I'm going to be watching this one closely

Remember this will still only do around 500 yards to the gallon and need servicing every other Tuesday

Absolutely worth it though

I remember being shocked by the MPG and servicing intervals when I had the 6s and 8s, oh so worth it though

Agreed. The fiscal trauma of day to day costs is more than offset by the overall reliability and fantastic driving experience. That's worth a great deal to me in ownership terms.

[Gary C]

My V was one of my favourite cars.

Just did everything really really well while making you feel special.

Comfortable too.

Drove from Lancaster to Milan and back again after three weeks of blasting around the Alps. Very little on the road at the time could touch it as soon as the roads got difficult.

Had it serviced before the trip, and three weeks later, need another