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2016 Mitsubishi Evolution Final Edition Review

 

Good points

  • Incredible rally-car grip
  • Intense cornering capabilities
  • Very focussed…

Needs work

  • …but utterly compromised
  • 226kW isn't enough shove
  • Noisy and pretty uncomfortable
2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition - Chasing Cars

We’ve reached the end of the road for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Certainly, this is the last Evo as we know it—the tenacious, snarling rally car for the road. The two-litre, super-boosted petrol Evo will never return. Indeed, any Evo in the future is unlikely to look anything like this. Instead, Mitsubishi are indicating that a future Evo will be an SUV.

Being able to buy a new car that feels like a classic is a rare thing. That’s the case with the Evo, which harks back to the golden age of rallying. It brings the best dynamics of a rally car straight to the road. Insane levels of grip. A turbo four with loads of shove. And a simple, back to basics design missing from the Evo’s modern competitors. If that appeals, this is the last one you’ll be able to buy new.

So, our week with the Evolution Final Edition, as each of this last allotment of 150 cars is branded, was bittersweet. Where the Evo’s archrival, the Subaru WRX STI, pulled itself upmarket into plusher, more comfortable Volkswagen Golf R territory, the Evo will stay true until the last one is sold. The Evo lived and dies as a bloody harsh, utterly compromised, but truly epic sports sedan—and the last true homage to a golden era of motorsports: the 1990s fascination with rally stage racing.

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Key specs (as tested)

Engine
Capacity
2.0L
Cylinders
4
Induction
Single turbocharger
Power
226kW @ 6500rpm
Torque
414Nm @ 3500rpm
Configuration
Conventional
Power to weight ratio
147kW / tonne
Fuel
Fuel type
Petrol
Fuel capacity
55L
Consumption
10.2L / 100km
Average Range
539km
Drivetrain
Transmission
Manual
Drivetrain
Four wheel drive
Engine configuration
In-line
Gears
5
Dimensions
Length
4510mm
Width
1810mm
Height
1480mm
Unoccupied weight
1536kg
Cargo space seats up
323L
Cargo seats down
Seats do not fold

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