The 23-year love affair New Zealanders have had with the ‘Mitsi Evo’ ends this November with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition, the last of a series of go-faster sedans that began in 1992 with the Evo 1 and lived through 10 generations.
Only 30 examples will be available in NZ out of 1000 being built for the Japanese domestic market. Mitsubishi Motors NZ marketing chief Daniel Cook said each one was likely to be a collector’s piece.
“Unique upgrades make the Final Edition the most exciting Lancer Evo ever, with the 2.0-litre turbocharged MIVEC engine’s revised mapping lifting power and torque to a massive 230kW and 421Nm,” Cook said.
A five-speed manual gearbox will channel the extra power to all four wheels via the Evo’s S-AWC all-wheel-drive system.
The upgrades include Revised suspension, with high-performance Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers, and the latest Brembo braking technology. Front seats are bucket Recaros with red stitching that is also on the steering wheel and the shift knob.
The Final Edition rides on18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels and features a glossy black roof and commemorative badges inside and out. Paint finishes are Tarmac Black, Titanium, New Silky White and Rose Red.
Cook said the last of the Evo’s does much more than ring down the curtain on a magical chapter of motoring history. “It embodies the essence of all the driving excitement that the word ‘Evo’ calls to mind, with even greater performance and finesse,” he said. The price for the Final Edition will be known nearer its arrival in NZ.