Though it won't want an creation to its many fans, the Lancer Evolution, typically known as just "Evo," is a sports activities sedan that become synthetic via way of means of Mitsubishi from 1992 till 2016. The Evo become closely stimulated via way of means of the brand`s lengthy records of rally vehicle racing and featured a 2.zero-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, coupled to an all-wheel pressure system.
The Mitsubishi Evo become a dream vehicle for more than one generations of gearheads, in some way continually handling to live withinside the limelight. When it wasn't taking domestic rally trophies, it become starring in movies such as "2 Fast 2 Furious" and "The Fast and the Furious: Toyko Drift," now no longer to say the "Gran Turismo" collection of video games for Sony Playstation.
But for about a decade, the Evo become a forbidden fruit for American drivers. That's due to the fact the Evo become at the beginning meant for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) most effective. By the late-1990s, global call for have become overwhelming and Mitsubishi acquiesced via way of means of exporting a restricted variety of Evos to the UK and some other place in Europe.
However, sneaking an Evo into america become a entire impossibility due to the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act, which banned the importation of vehicles that did not meet strict federal protection and emissions standards.
Drivers gained the combat among Mitsubishi and Subaru
The motivation to ultimately bounce via the hoops of certifying the Evo for the U.S. marketplace got here after Mitsubishi witnessed the fulfillment that its archenemy Subaru become playing withinside the American marketplace with their Impreza WRX, an immediate competitor to the Evo that become additionally primarily based totally on a rally vehicle. So in 2003, the Lancer Evo made its grand arrival withinside the United States, about twelve months later than Subaru's WRX.
Like maximum imported vehicles certain for the American marketplace, the domesticated model of Mitsubishi's new-for-2003 Evo VIII (eighth-generation) become barely detuned and had large bumpers than the Japanese model for stepped forward crash protection. Still, the American Evo controlled to provide 271 horsepower, which become most effective 5 much less than the JDM vehicle. One different quirk specific to the American Evo become a 5-pace guide transmission as opposed to the Japanese-marketplace six-pace.
Even aleven though the 2003 Evo's $28,987 rate tag (about $47,000 in brand new dollars) become extra than double that of the fundamental Lancer on which it become primarily based totally, it become nonetheless taken into consideration a relative good deal due to all of the overall performance goodies. How rapid become it? Car and Driver ran one from 0 to 60 mph in 5.zero seconds flat, which become approximately on par with BMW's M3 that value a whopping 60% extra than the Evo.
Less than one week after the 2003 Evo hit American shores, Subaru, now no longer inclined to be upstaged via way of means of Mitsubishi, unleashed an STi model of its WRX on the Detroit Auto Show. The STi produced three hundred horsepower, a 29 horsepower benefit over the home Evo. And so went the continuing competition among the 2 frenemies till 2015, whilst Mitsubishi discontinued the Lancer Evolution, bringing up elevated hobby in crossovers and SUVs in preference to compact overall performance vehicles.