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Bidding a fast and furious farewell to the Mitsubishi Evo
The 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition: just 1,600 models are being produced. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, October 6, 2015.One of the quickest, most ferocious and surprisingly practical and forgiving sportscars ever built is racing towards the automotive exit.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is no more. Once 1,600 specially built and individually numbered models have found a home in the US, the company is officially pulling the production plug, globally.
The Lancer Evolution Final Edition will be available in a white, red, blue or grey exterior paint finish and will get a host of not-so-subtle extra details such as a black painted aluminium roof, dark chrome wheels, and black accented bumper and air scoop.
But over its 10 generations, a complete lack of subtlety has always been the car's raison d'être and the reason why petrol heads in Europe and Japan and gearheads in North America love it so.
With its huge rear wing, massive side skirts and vents, this is a car that has the performance to match its outrageous looks; that outguns most European sportscars in a straight line; that can comfortably complete a rally stage thanks to cutting-edge four-wheel drive and stability control systems; and then complete a trip to the closest supermarket.
Alongside the Subaru, the Evo became known as one of the fastest cars in the real world – taking potholes, speed bumps and hairpins without as much as a twitch of the steering wheel.
Under the hood the Final Edition gets a 2-litre four-cylinder engine but it's one that's been sufficiently turbocharged and intercooled to deliver 303hp and, if you're handy with wrenches and management systems, that output's simply the start. The latest special edition on sale in the UK and Japan (already sold out) offers over 400hp from the same powerplant.
Keeping things under control, the special edition model also comes with two-piece Brembo brake rotors and Bilstein shock absorbers all around.
The interior carries a prominently placed plaque with the car's model number alongside other extras such as red-stitched sports seats, and black headliner and sun visors.
"With its incredible combination of power, agility and Super All-Wheel Control, the Lancer Evolution is one of the most well-known sports sedans and is revered by 'gearheads' around the globe," said MMNA executive vice-president, Don Swearingen.
"The Final Edition model pays homage to Evo's remarkable place in automotive history and takes it one step further as the most powerful mass-production Lancer Evolution ever built." – AFP/Relaxnews, October 6, 2015.
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