No more Mitsubishi Evos

Mitsubishi CEO confirms Evo badge won't be seen on any more four-doors; PH pays its respects

By Matt Bird / Friday, 16 October 2015 / Loading comments

Well this is sad news, even if we did see it coming. There won't be another Mitsubishi Evo saloon, ending a series of iconic cars stretching back to 1993. Even worse, if the badge is going to be seen again, it will probably be on an SUV. Yuck.

Best of the best?

According

to Autocar

, Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko has said the company "would like to utilise PHEV technology for high performance" and there are also rumours that Evo could be seen on the back of an ASX by next year...

Enough of that. The 'Evo' moniker has created some fabulous Lancer-derived cars over the years so let's take a moment to remember those. Evos I-V were of course never officially sold in the UK, but Gran Turismo experience educated plenty over here on the car's talents and a few were imported. In the PH classifieds there's a very cool - and presumably extremely rare - Evo I, a set of proper rims and new steering wheel away from standard. Even then it's probably raw and intense in a way that will be quite surprising in 2015. And look how small it is!

For many the VI is the zenith of Evo development, officially imported to the UK and combining the feral nature of the early cars with just the right amount of tech. No doubt its reputation was also helped by the popularity of rallying in the late 90s. There is no more legendary Evo VI than the Tommi Makinen, a car marked as a PH Hero and rapidly increasing in value.

The 90s seem a long time ago now...

The VII arrived in 2001 but was soon succeeded by VIII and then IX. It was during these generations that the wild FQ-MR models were introduced, cementing the reputation of the Evo as the fastest four-door across a B-road. On PH at the moment this

VIII MR RS

is mighty tempting, again another Japanese special that has found its way to the UK. Lighter and harder than the standard Evo, it should be an exhilarating drive. For something slightly saner, this Evo IX

FQ-MR 320

should fit the bill nicely.

The Evo X was never quite as well received as the previous generations, it and the hatchback Impreza never quite providing the thrill in the late 2000s of their 90s predecessors. It was the last model sold in the UK, most recently as a £50K 440hp special. They are available on PH at less than £15K, right up to nearly £40,000 with this FQ-400. We're spoilt for choice basically. The legend may have come to an end, but there will proper Evos around for a little while yet!

[Source:Autocar]