Mitsubishi Pajero Evo | PH Private Area

What's cooler than a homologation rally car? A homologation rally-raid car, of course...

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 12 February 2026 / Loading comments

Another day, another three-door 4x4 on PistonHeads. But who could resist the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution, a very different proposition to virtually any other three-door 4x4. Any other SUV period, really. And every other Mitsubishi to have ever existed, apart from those also called Evolution. See, like the Lancer, this Evo was built with the sole intention of creating a rally-winning race car. It arrived at a time when the saloon was winning WRC after WRC after WRC, and in 1998 Pajeros that looked like this took all three spots on the Dakar podium. Not just in their T2 class, but overall. With Tommi doing what Tommi did at the same time, it really was a glorious time for Evo-badged Mitsusbishis.

To some extent, the rally raid car was as competitive as it was because so much was invested in the homologated road car. This wasn’t just arches and a spoiler on a JDM Shogun; the Pajero featured a stiffer body than standard, all-new suspension with increased travel, quicker steering and vastly wider tracks. A proper rally raid car for the road, complete with a 280hp V6 and a limited production run. Even now, almost 30 years later, nothing looks quite as wild as a Pajero Evo.

There’s an argument to say that a car like this should be worth as much as the most special Lancer Evos, given Mitsubishi was even more successful at Dakar than the WRC - and this is surely as extreme as any Mitsubishi with roman numerals in the name. But Dakar has never quite had the cachet of world rallying, and as a JDM car it would always have less exposure compared to the Evo.

The upside of that is there are examples of the Pajero like this around, in great condition and with thousands spent in the past couple of years, for half the price of a red Makinen. And we all know what’s going to get more love from passers-by. Oh sure, a Pajero Evo isn’t going to offer quite the adrenaline hit of an Evo, but fun seems absolutely assured.

This one has been in the UK since 2001, too, so there’s 25 years of history you can read - and not just recent import papers. In the past few years, it’s had paint, a replacement engine, new suspension and all the cool Evo bits - decals, mudflaps, badges - renewed. On the OZ wheels, it looks every inch the lean, mean, dune-bashing machine. And should hopefully mean any more big bills are some way off.

This one has an additional claim to fame as a Paj Evo featured in Top Gear. It’s owned by snapper Mark Riccioni, and his time with the car has been documented in the mag during his tenure of almost three years. There aren’t many cars you can say that about (even though he does own a lot of cars). Unsurprisingly, it’s the only one of its kind for sale on PH right now, and wants for little more than continued driving and enjoying. The perfect thing for when the weather doesn’t suit your other Mitsubishi Evo…

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