THE last Lancer Evo rally rocket Mitsubishi officially imported Down Under, Evo VI, took two years to eventuate and arrived at a price of nearly $80,000. This time round, the new and much more civilised Euro-spec Evo VIII is on sale here just months after its 2003 Tokyo show debut, at a far more sensibly priced $61,990 – some $18,000 less. That may still be $5000 more than the Lancer Evo’s direct rival in the Subaru Impreza WRX STi - and Evo continues to be limited-edition prospect here - but with the same turbocharged 195kW output (and even more torque at 355Nm), Evo VIII is sure to give STi the competition it deserves.

Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Evo VI sedan
Released: May 2001
Ended: December 2001
Family Tree: LancerAlso a limited-edition import comprising just 100 examples, the last official Lancer Evo sold here (in 2001) was the CE Lancer-based Ralliart Evo VI sedan. At $80,000, the 206kW turbo AWD quickly proved a clever and formidable, if pricier, rival for Subaru's dominant WRX STi rally clone. A Lancer Evo VII has since been launched in Japan.
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