Most people know the Mitsubishi Evolution from the movie, "The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift", which was released in 2006. But what most people don't know, is that the Mitsubishi Evolution has been around since 1992, when the Evolution I (1) was first put into production by Mitsubishi. Nowadays, the evolution is known as a relatively inexpensive, top-quality, affordable, fast, import car.
-A Brief Evolution History-
The Mitsubishi Evolution was first produced in 1992 by Mitsubishi. The first model of the Evolution, The Evolution I (1), was initially designed to compete in the 92' World Rally Championship, so it was made to be fast. The design for the Mitsubishi Evolution I (1) was so successful that it evolved into 9 other versions that would be produced within the following years, but the Mitsubishi Evolution wasn't widely recognized until the Evolution VII (7), which turned heads with it's exterior look and its jump in horsepower from all previous models.
-Performance Features-
The Mitsubishi Evolution first featured a Lancer chassis and an improved version of the Galant VR-4 Engine. All versions (1-10) of the Mitsubishi Evolution engines are Turbocharged and Intercooled, so they're all pretty fast. A well known trademark of the Mitsubishi Evolution is it's all-wheel-drive, which gives it great handling in all forms of weather. With each version of the Mitsubishi Lancer came notable improvements to it's speed and handling. The most notable improvements were in the Mitsubishi Evolution IV (4), the Mitsubishi Evolution VII (7), the Mitsubishi Evolution VIII (8), the Mitsubishi Evolution IX (9), and the most recent Mitsubishi Evolution, The Evolution X (10)
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Note: All Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions feature an inline 4-cylinder engine.
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Mitsubishi IV (4) Improvements- The Mitsubishi Evolution's platform was totally changed with the Evolution IV (4). The Evolution IV's engine and transaxle were both rotated 180 degrees to eliminate torque steer and improve weight balance. 2 Large fog lights and extra brace bars were added. This version also included Mitsubishi's Active Yaw Control as a factory option. The Evolution IV (4) came stock with 276Hp. It featured a 5-Speed manual transmission.
Mitsubishi Evolution VII (7) Improvements- The Mitsubishi Evolution VII (7) featured an active center differential and a more effective limited-slip differential. Torque was increased to 284 Ft-Lbf over the previous version which had 275 Ft-Lbf. The Mitsubishi Evolution VII(7) now came with the option of an automatic transmission as well as a 5-Speed manual transmission. The manual transmission system was improved as well. It now included what Mitsubishi called "Fuzzy-Logic", which meant the transmission would adapt to the driver's characteristics and learn the driver's gear-shift timing. The Evolution VII (7) also had a larger Intercooler and improved Turbocharger which further increased it's speed.
Mitsubishi Evolution VIII (8) Improvements- The Mitsubishi Evolution VIII (8) was the first Mitsubishi Evolution to be sold in the United States through a dealership. The Evolution VIII (8) featured a 5-Speed and 6-Speed manual transmission, the automatic transmission was not available for this version. With the Evolution VIII (8) came improved shocks (Bilstein Shocks), Altezza taillights, Super Active Yaw Control, Improved turbocharger and a more efficient Intercooler.
Mitsubishi Evolution IX (9) Improvements- The Mitsubishi Evolution IX (9) was fitted with a new engine, the Infamous 2.0L 4G63 with MIVEC. The new engine boosted the Evolution's Speed-power at the crankshaft, as well as overall power output. The Evolution IX (9) pulls about 225whp, and 250wtq (Wheel-Torque). The Evolution IX (9) was also equipped with some luxury features; A stereo system, power windows and locks, a rear wiper, a rear wing, trunk lining and sound insulation. The Turbocharger and Intercooler were also improved, further increasing speed.
Mitsubishi Evolution X (10) Improvements- The Mitsubishi Evolution X (10) is the newest version of the Mitsubishi Evolution. With the Evolution X (10), came a totally redesigned "Safety Body". The Evolution X (10) was given an improved engine, the Turbocharged 2.0L 4B11T. It's horsepower was also further increased to 300Hp. The transmission changed as well; The new Evolution could be purchased with a 5-Speed manual transmission or a 6-Speed twin-clutch transmission.