Tag: Mitsubishi

MITSUBISHI EVO VI TME #001 GOES TO AUCTION

Just a few weeks ago, Mitsubishi sold it’s own Evo VI TME from its heritage collection for over £100k, now this week, chassis number #001 of the official 250 UK TME cars goes to auction having covered just 11k miles.

If you were hooked in by the 10km Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 that eventually sold for £359k recently, then this 11k mile Mitsubishi Evo TME #001 will certainly peak your interest as it heads to Silverstone Auctions for its sale at The Classic, Silverstone, this Saturday July 31st.

With a guide price of £115,000-£125,000 plus 12.5% buyers premium, plus VAT, it could top the price paid for the example owned by Mitsubishi, which sold for £100k.

The Mitsubishi Evo VI TME #001 being sent to auction is very special indeed. Not only is it a genuine Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition (CP9A / SNGF2) SCP car (i.e.1 of 212), but it is also an official UK-market example. This means it was officially imported by Mitsubishi-affiliated ‘Ralliart UK’, hence it would have been professionally SVA’d and is supplied with UK service books, a calibrated speedometer, an unleaded-spec fuel restrictor, cold-climate battery and an alternator, plus it is individually numbered with a plaque in the cabin – and not just any number in this case, here it reads #001, making this car the very first UK-market TME – always a special designation amongst enthusiasts and collectors, whatever the car.

Remarkably, this very special car has covered a fully verifiable 11,000 miles from new, supported by MOT and service records. It has had just two owners, the last since 2003. The car was previously lightly modified cosmetically under the bonnet, which has now been put back to standard specification, with the only modification remaining being the stainless-steel exhaust (the original item will accompany the car). The underside has been sympathetically detailed, not restored, with ‘factory’ grey underseal still remaining (this was applied to all UK cars by Ralliart).

The car naturally comes with an accompanying large history file, with many receipts, plus its original and complete book-pack (including service schedule). The car has just had a full cam-belt service (and a full MOT) as part of its recommissioning.

Silverstone Auctions are privileged to offer for sale such a rare and special car, considered by many as the ‘ultimate Mitsubishi’ for the road. Indeed, for modern-classic collectors in America, they can now, as of 2023, legally import and enjoy these cars – what an opportunity! ‘Type UK’ TMEs are hugely coveted and rightly so, and this is car #001 of that short production run; rarely do examples this exceptional appear for sale on the open market, not to be missed.

You can check out more information about this Mitsubishi Evo VI TME #001 via Silverstone Auctions’ website.

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July 26, 2021
MITSUBISHI EVO VI BUYING GUIDE

The Mitsubishi Evo VI was the first official UK Evo and are still the most sought-after versions. But what should potential buyers look out for?

‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.’ This well-known phrase that describes the relationship between a manufacturer’s on-track performance and their forecourt sales couldn’t be more appropriate than when it comes to explaining the automotive niche of rally replicas. With the road cars bearing such close resemblance to those seen tearing through the muddy lanes of a Welsh mountainside or snow-covered Finnish forest, it was only logical that manufacturers would capitalise on their success on the special stages to bolster their sales in the showrooms. And the public has been smitten ever since. Even now, with many of the original manufacturers and models no longer competing in the WRC, the cars that forged their reputations in the heat of rally battle are still seen as performance icons to be revered. And no model better lives up to its rally rep tag than the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI.

Mitsubishi Evo VI History

The first Evo to be officially available in the UK, the Mitsubishi Evo VI was launched in January 1999. 7000 were made in total, with improved aerodynamics over the outgoing car, offering better cooling and less drag, along with engine tweaks to improve response and reliability.

UK cars were imported by Mitsubishi Motors and prepared by Ralliart UK. Most came as GSR-spec, but a cheaper RSX model was also launched to combat the draw of Subaru’s keenly-priced Impreza rival.

Although all Evos are essentially a derivative of the full-blown WRC heroes, the one variant that really nails the rally-rep promise is the Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition (TME). Launched in March 2000 to commemorate the flying Finn’s fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship, the 5000 TME cars were the closest yet to the real thing, available with an optional £700 graphics pack that mimicked the look of the World Rally Car. They also benefitted from a titanium turbocharger and 17in Enkei wheels that shared the same design as the WRC car.

Such was the demand for the Evo platform, that a more potent Evo VI Extreme was released. Prepared by Ralliart UK, the Extreme raised power to 340bhp and 303lb ft of torque and nailed the 0-60 sprint in just 4.0 seconds with 100mph achievable in just 10. But if this still wasn’t enough, the Evo VI RS450 model, again built by Ralliart UK, pushed the envelope even further with 380bhp and 383lb ft of torque slashing a further two-tenths of a second off the 0-60mph time. It also came complete with a rollcage and was the final bow for the VI before the tamer-looking Evo VII was introduced in 2001.

Mitsubishi Evo VI: What to look out for

As all Evos are technically imports, as they are made in Japan and imported into the UK, officially by Colt Cars, or as ‘grey’ imports by a third party import company, it is vital that they are prepared correctly for UK roads. One of the main things you need to check is that it has been undersealed. Japanese cars are not undersealed. They don’t need to be, but in the UK it’s essential that they are undersealed as soon as possible to protect against UK weather and salt that will quickly corrode untreated metal. When it comes to selecting the right car, documentation, receipts and a complete service history is a must, with a vehicle inspection by a specialist highly recommended. Many Evos have been owned by members of the popular Mitsubishi Lancer Register or are known to members, so don’t be afraid to do some research into the car you are looking at before parting with your cash, especially now as prices are at an all-time high and rising!

Engine & Transmission

The Evo’s 4G63 2.0-litre turbo engine is strong, but does require regular servicing (fully synthetic oil needs changing every 4500 miles, AYC fluid even 9000, brake fluid every 18,000 miles and spark plugs and timing belts every 45,000 miles). Look for signs of grey or blue smoke, which could indicate an expensive cylinder or turbo problem. White smoke is normal (condensation) as is some black smoke, especially on de-catted cars or those running a bit rich. A ticking sound from the top of the engine is normal and usually disappears when revved. Manifold heat shields are prone to tarnishing, and you should ensure any tuning has been carried out by an expert.

Standard clutches wear quickly whilst front helical LSD bolt failure can be expensive to correct. Look out for worn gearbox output shaft bearings, and any issues with the Active Yaw Control system, which will be highlighted by groans from the rear when turning or by an illuminated AYC warning light. Replacing an AYC diff pump can cost over £3000.

Chassis

The Evo VI has got cracking handling but strut top mount bushes can wear out producing a knocking noise on turning, as do anti-roll bar bushes and drop links. If adjustable aftermarket coilovers have been fitted ask the owner to show you how adjust them and listen out for low-speed rumbling which could indicate worn wheel bearings.

It’s not surprising that the brakes take a hammering on all Evos, but the Evo VI in particular can frequently suffer warped discs, which can show themselves through brake judder when stopping from speed. While far from a cheap solution, the only permanent cure is to replace the original items with a quality aftermarket kit like those from Brembo, AP Racing, EBC or K Sport.

As well as checking all four alloys for any signs of kerb damage or corrosion, also check the tyre wear pattern carefully – correct geometry alignment is essential, so if there’s uneven wear ask questions. Also, as is prudent on any high performance car, mismatched or budget tyres should also start alarm bells ringing.

Interior & Electrics

The Evo VI has a hardy interior that seems to wear well and stand up to the passing of time. The standard Recaro front seats are a particular highlight as they not only look good, but also hold you in place well when exploiting the Evo’s legendary handling prowess, although you’ll need a new seat base frame if the recline adjustment is slipping, which can be hard to come by and costly. Check that all warning lights go off on startup and ensure all electric windows and mirrors, climate control and any optional sunroof controls work correctly. While you’re in there check the floor if possible for signs that a rollcage may have been fitted, which could indicate heavy track use. Ensure any aftermarket gauges such as those for boost and oil pressure or electronics such as turbo timers or boost controllers are installed correctly and work as they should too, preferably with receipts in the documents of installation and set-up by a specialist.

Servicing & Maintenance

Like any valuable or high performance car, keeping the servicing on point is key to protecting your investment and prolonging the life of the car. With the Evo VI, a basic oil and filter service is required every 4500 miles and costs around £170 from a specialist such as Evotune. Add in an AYC service and that jumps to £265, transmission, differential and gearbox oils push it to nearer £450, while Iridium spark plugs add another £60 on top of that. The cambelt will also need changing every 45,000 miles and costs just under £300. Keeping the underside in good nick is well worth the £400 for a wax oil treatment too, as a full underbody restoration can run to well over £5k if left to corrode. Other than that, replacing the brakes as and when needed with good quality aftermarket alternatives starts at around £490 for a set of front discs and pads.

Style

Evos are extremely prone to rust, especially if they have missed out on getting properly undersealed when they first arrived here in the UK, so make sure that you thoroughly inspect the boot lid, sills, suspension mounts, inner wings, chassis legs and around the fuel tank for signs of the dreaded red rot. Stone chips on the front end are practically unavoidable, especially on older, higher mileage cars. The intercooler mesh can also suffer. So a resprayed front bumper isn’t always a cause for concern, as long as any chips have also been treated to prevent rust first. A more alarming sight would be uneven panel gaps and inconsistencies in the paintwork, which could indicate hidden accident damage that has been poorly repaired. It’s also worth checking in the engine bay and under the boot carpet for signs of repair too. Finally check that the trim is consistent with the model you are buying, Evo Vs and VIs are very similar and a simple bumper and spoiler swap can easily fool anyone who may not be an Evo expert into thinking they are buying the more valuable VI, when it’s actually a V in disguise – an eagle eye on the documentation should help here too.

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July 14, 2021
MODIFIED EVO V: THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

As a member of exclusive Lancer owners’ club, Team Emperor Motorsports, Rowie Landicho has dressed his imported modified Evo V in the most exclusive of Japanese parts, creating a JDM machine that reigns supreme.

Fast Car magazine. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Renz Dimaandal

When it comes to finding inspiration for your project build, there are few better places to look than motorsport. Whether it’s the lurid team liveries or the functional lap-time reducing aero parts, there’s always going to be something you can take from a race car and apply to your own modified ride, albeit often with a watered-down twist. The other great thing about aping a thoroughbred racer is the sheer diversity of classes, series and machines that you can draw from. Right from the Formula 1 elite to grassroots drifters, there’s just something endlessly cool about racing cars. One man who is no stranger to the allure of circuit-shredding-chic is Los Angeles-based JDM fanatic Rowie Landicho.

“For me, it’s always been the Super GT series in Japan that has got my juices flowing,” grins the 28-year-old sales and marketing specialist. “The cars are all based on models you can buy for the street, including JDM legends such as R35 Nissan GT-Rs, Honda NSXs and Toyota Supras, but there’s also true supercar exotica like McLaren F1s, Lamborghini Murcielagos and Ferrari 458 Italias, but with much more extreme engine tuning and wild aero packages.”

And it was by fusing his love of Mitsubishi’s mega-saloon and the unhinged downforce generating bodylines of his favourite Super GT contenders that resulted in his latest eye-popping Lancer build – the wide-arched fifth generation Evo on these pages.

“As a loyal member of the Cali-based Lancer owners’ club Team Emperor Motorsports, I’ve had Evos for a while now, my first being a tenth generation model that I modified extensively with rare Japanese parts,” Rowie explains. “That car was displayed at SEMA and also won the coveted ‘Judges Choice’ award at the Mitsubishi Owners Day event in 2015. It was a cool car, but eventually I decided to move on and start another project.”

Being a diehard Lancer nut, Rowie knew his next steed would come with the iconic Evolution badge, but his initial thought was to step back a couple of models and go for either an eighth or ninth generation car, but then an opportunity arose that he simply couldn’t refuse…

“Back in November 2017 I had the chance to acquire an Evo V,” he recalls with a grin. “I say acquired, because I didn’t actually pay for it – I did a trade with the owner for a bunch of rare ARC Evo X tuning parts and a host of uprated suspension mods that I removed from my old build. He had recently purchased a Final Edition Evo X and just didn’t have the time to work on the V as well, so he was keen to do the deal.”

As you can imagine, for the price of a few parts, the Evo that Rowie ended up with was a far cry from the immaculate street and circuit slayer that it is today.

“It had been sitting in a garage gathering dust and cobwebs for around five years,” he laughs. “In fact, when I first saw the car, it was under a tonne of random garage junk. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a cherished collectable, that’s for sure! But even so, I immediately saw potential in it, so had to snap it up.”

As a Japanese import, the Evo is right hand drive, which for a JDM fan in the US is popular option as it retains the authenticity of the original car as it came from the motherland. However, it does pose a challenge to drive on the street, as the USA is a left hand drive country, so you are effectively driving on the wrong side of the car, although the kudos gained in hardcore JDM circles is often a worthy trade-off. But before Rowie could experience any of the thrills from behind the wheel, he had some serious work to do.

Having not run for more than half a decade, the Mitsubishi had a host of electrical gremlins that needed sorting before Rowie could begin the car’s transformation, so he took the ailing Evo to tuning specialist KT Motoring to diagnose the problems and get the engine firing on all cylinders.

“Once the 4G63 was up and running again it was delivered to Dennis at Denz Mechanical to go full steam ahead with the restoration of the corroded bodywork,” says Rowie. “We started by dropping the now healthy motor and painting the refreshed engine bay in OE Mitsubishi Medium Grey, which was a colour that would later feature throughout the interior and rollcage.”

The ‘cage itself is a Cusco 13-point item with custom Enticed Motorsports pillar gussets and gorgeous Chasing J’s titanium door bars. Combined with the flocked dash, Beatrush rear seat delete and carbon parcel shelf it really adds an authentic motorsport feel to the cabin. The other items that channel the Evo’s inner racecar are the uber rare Ralliart Recaro RS-G bucket seats.

“I’m a sucker for rare and discontinued parts,” laughs Rowie. “My favourite mod is the seats, which I believe is the only set in the US. In fact, if I ever decide to sell the car, I’d definitely remove them and save them for my next Mitsubishi project.”

And while the seats may be the pinnacle of the Evo’s rare parts list, they are by no means the only ones, and are merely the tip of the JDM iceberg…

“I’ve always prided myself on using only the best JDM parts and, throughout the build, I was able to source some of the rarest parts available for the CP9A chassis, such as an ARC titanium strut bar, ARC intake box, ARC oil cap, ARC spark plug cover, ARC heat shield, ARC front-mount intercooler and titanium cat-back exhaust and an ARC shift knob,” Rowie highlights, pointing out the jewels in the Evo’s crown.

But aside from the copious amounts of hard to come by under-bonnet bling, the thing that makes Rowie’s modified Evo V stand out so effectively is the body kit.

“Since I first got the car, I’d always planned to fit it with the Varis ASSO wide body kit,” Rowie remembers. “It’s by far the most aggressive kit available for the V and has similar styling to the Super GT racecars.”

The kit is a limited production item and was sourced as a special order from Japan by Jonny Grunwald at TCP Magic USA and was an essential ingredient in ensuring the Evo was accepted to be part of the exclusive 2019 Toyo Treadpass arena at the 2019 SEMA show.

“Getting accepted to display at SEMA was a real honour, but meant we now had a tight deadline to work to in order to get the car finished and ready of the show,” Rowie says. “So while Dennis got busy with fitting the kit and painting the exterior in OE Lexus Super White, I began installing the ever-growing pile of bolt-on mods that was slowly stacking up in the corner of the workshop.”

As well as the host of rare ARC parts, the engine got a thorough working over with an uprated CTR-X650 Comp turbo, HKS camshafts and cam gears, a set of ID1000 fuel injectors fed by a Walbro fuel pump and a remap for potent E85 fuel. The result is a conservative but super responsive 380bhp and 360lb ft of torque.

To tame this beefier powerplant Rowie wisely opted for a Project Mu big brake kit at the front and uprated Project Mu discs and pads at the rear. Working alongside a set of similarly branded braided hoses they ensure the Evo has ample stopping power for either road or track – something that Rowie is keen to experience in the near future.

“Many of the cars built for SEMA end up being pampered show ponies,” Rowie laughs. “And it would be very easy to follow suit and wrap the Evo in cotton wool now it’s complete, but I’ve built it with driving in mind and I’m itching to try it out on the track.”

Which is why he has forgone the usual show car route of airbags for a more traditional track set-up for the suspension including Fortune Auto 500 Series coilovers, Whiteline anti-roll bars and polyurethane bushes.

“The suspension set up, combined with the functional aero of the bodykit and the huge Voltex wing, should make the Evo a real weapon on track,” Rowie beams. “It’s been a privilege to have another car on show at SEMA, but for me cars are meant to be driven, so that’s exactly what I plan to do.” And who could blame him? If we had an awesome track-tuned Evo, dressed in the finest parts that the Far East has to offer, we’d be doing the same.

Tech Spec: Modified Evo V

Engine:

2.0-litre, 4-cyl, 16v 4G63, Comp Turbo CTR-X650, HKS camshafts and adjustable cam gears, KT motoring E85 tune, custom test pipe, ARC Titanium cat-back exhaust, ARC intake box, ARC front-mount intercooler, ARC blow-off valve, ARC oil cap, ARC spark plug cover, ARC radiator shroud, ARC heat shield, Garage HRS clear cam gear cover, HPS couplers and clamps, Koyorad radiator, custom candy red valve cover

Performance:

380bhp and 360lb ft torque

Suspension:

Fortune Auto 500 series coilovers, Whiteline anti-roll bars and drop links, Whiteline bushing Kit, Whiteline rear control arms, ARC Titanium front strut brace, Mine’s rear strut brace

Brakes:

Project Mu 4-pot forged calipers with Project Mu slotted 355x32mm discs (front), Project Mu Club Racer discs (rear), Project Mu Club Racer pads and Project Mu brake lines

Wheels & tyres:

10.5x18in Volk Racing CE28 Club Racer II Black Edition wheels with 295/30/18 Toyo Proxes R888R tyres, Rays centre caps

Exterior:

Lexus Super White paint, Varis ASSO wide body kit – front bumper, front splitter, front canards, front arches, vents, rear quarter panels; carbon-fibre bonnet, carbon-fibre boot, carbon-fibre rear spats, Voltex Type 4 1600mm wing with custom wing stands, Titanium body kit hardware, Depo headlights wrapped in yellow film, Ganador Super Mirrors, APR carbon-fibre side splitters

Interior:

Mitsubishi OEM medium grey painted interior to match the engine bay, Cusco rollcage with custom Enticed Motorsports pillar gussets and custom Chasing J’s titanium door bars, Ralliart Recaro RS-G bucket seats, custom flocked dash and door panels, custom gauge pod with Defi boost, oil temp, oil pressure, fuel pressure gauges, Beatrush floor bar, dead pedal, map box and partition panel, custom carbon-fibre deck lid, Willans harnesses, ARC columnar shift knob, Pioneer head unit and speakers, Works Bell hub and quick-release adapter, Works Bell leather 330mm steering wheel, Chasing J’s titanium steering wheel hardware, custom red anodized steering wheel hanger, custom carbon-fibre floor plates

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June 16, 2021