Though it won't want an creation to its many fans, the Lancer Evolution, usually known as just "Evo," is a sports activities sedan that changed into synthetic through Mitsubishi from 1992 till 2016. The Evo changed into closely stimulated through 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 changed into a dream vehicle for more than one generations of gearheads, one way or the other usually dealing with to live withinside the limelight. When it wasn't taking domestic rally trophies, it changed into 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 changed into a forbidden fruit for American drivers. That's due to the fact the Evo changed into in the beginning supposed for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) best. By the late-1990s, international call for have become overwhelming and Mitsubishi acquiesced through exporting a restricted quantity of Evos to the UK and someplace else in Europe.
However, sneaking an Evo into the USA changed into 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 in the end bounce thru the hoops of certifying the Evo for the U.S. marketplace got here after Mitsubishi witnessed the fulfillment that its archenemy Subaru changed into taking part in withinside the American marketplace with their Impreza WRX, an instantaneous competitor to the Evo that changed into additionally primarily based totally on a rally vehicle. So in 2003, the Lancer Evo made its grand arrival withinside the United States, about 12 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) changed into barely detuned and had large bumpers than the Japanese model for stepped forward crash protection. Still, the American Evo controlled to supply 271 horsepower, which changed into best 5 much less than the JDM vehicle. One different quirk specific to the American Evo changed into a 5-pace guide transmission rather than the Japanese-marketplace six-pace.
Even aleven though the 2003 Evo's $28,987 fee tag (about $47,000 in modern-day dollars) changed into extra than double that of the simple Lancer on which it changed into primarily based totally, it changed into nevertheless taken into consideration a relative good deal due to all of the overall performance goodies. How speedy changed into it? Car and Driver ran one from 0 to 60 mph in 5.zero seconds flat, which changed into approximately on par with BMW's M3 that fee 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 through 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 continued competition among the 2 frenemies till 2015, while Mitsubishi discontinued the Lancer Evolution, mentioning elevated hobby in crossovers and SUVs in place of compact overall performance vehicles.
