Looking back at the Lancer Evolution.

[Grindle]

I owned 4 of these over the years, my personal favourite of the entire range being my black 2006 XlV 360 model. But for you were they, as many people have said, an ugly souped-up Japanese taxi? A laggy 2 litre 4 cylinder which sounds like a vacuum cleaner which needs it's box emptying? A saloon car but with supercar insurance, road tax, servicing costs and fuel consumption?
Or was it for you a point to point weapon, a car with awesome traction and heroic performance from it's tiny 2 litre lump? Lord knows i have too many cars already but i saw a very good condition Evo 8 400 recently for sale which i wondered about buying. It was up at £22,500. Then i saw an immaculate 2013 BMW M3, with it's sonorous and wonderful 4.0 litre V8 engine and a cabin to die for compared with the Mitsubishi. For £1,500 less. Where are you on this one?

[Grindle]

I've bought the Evo 400 and convinced myself that it's an investment as the previous and only owner really loved the car, only ever used 99 octane, changed the oil every 2,000 miles and serviced it before the recommended miles had happened. I've driven it 300 miles so far and i have to say the lag is pretty awful compared to say an A45 AMG or RS3, cars people own at work. But i'm finding a love for it as a rebel, a hooligan which refuses to behave and as for lag, it basically says ''ave it''! I'm keeping it stock even though i was told you can modify these for more power AND less lag, quite how i don't yet know. Standard hopefully will mean better retained value. Here's to a fun summer but in so many ways a BMW M2 is just so much better if i'm honest. I drove my dad's yesterday and it's a great car.

[Grindle]

The E30 was mentioned. I have to say i drove one recently in fabulous condition and other than rarity what the heck do people see in them? Am i alone on being totally underwhelmed by a car with pretty much the same performance as a Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0? They look like a kit car built by someone who liked his ale rather too much and the engine was a huge disappointment. It just felt so slow and even the sports exhaust did little to make me think i was in an ''M car''. To pay a fortune for one seems crazy other than a pure investment.