It’s December 2004, and you’re watching Top Gear. Richard drives a Ford Mustang, they make fun of the Prius and suddenly a small Japanese sedan appears. It’s the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII FQ-400, and Jeremy Clarkson puts it up against the Lamborghini Murcielago. Your life will never be the same again, but what if we were to tell you there’s a version of the Evo so rare that it can truly be considered exotic?
In Jeremy’s words, the Evo is a “turbocharged, computerized, road-going rally car” which he says is capable of keeping up with the V12 Italian supercar. That being said, most Evos were treated to ugly aftermarket mods in the era of Fast and Furious or NFS video games. But there’s one version that flies under everybody’s radar.
You see, while Audi is known for making fast wagons, Mitsubishi did that too. This Lancer Evo Wagon was only produced for two years, 2006 and 2007, during the Evo IX era. While Mitsbushi’s press release from 2005 stated they would make 2500 wagons, it’s actually been proven the total production number is closer to 2,900.
However, not all of them are desirable. About half, the ones sold in GT and MR trims, had the 6-speed manual gearbox. However, the other ones were in GT-A spec which had a 5-speed automatic. Considering the Pajero Evolution was also automatic, we’re not that critical. However, GT-A wagons also got downgraded to the engine from the previous Evo model (VIII) which didn’t have MIVEC and featured a smaller turbocharger.
The Evo Wagon was designed for the Japanese market, and it’s there that we find one of the best tuning projects ever. This project was put together by Solid&Joker, a brand of the tuning company Varis, and displayed for the first time during last month’s Tokyo Auto Salon. Yes, it flew under our radar at the time, but we had a number of projects that needed our attention.
In any case, the world’s only widebody kit for the Evo Wagon features extensive modifications. the front fender inserts bolt onto the existing bodywork and create a square, retro look, similar to rally cars of the 2000s. They’ve also designed add-ons for the rear doors of the car and extended the butt of the car significantly. Varis also fitted a wing, although you might miss some of these smaller details because of the exposed carbon fiber panels, which include the usual skirts, spoilers, and diffusers, while also adding to the character of the hood.
Inside, we’ve got classy leather-lined Recaro bucket seats, an upholstered dashboard, and a full roll cage. The mods are classy first and sporty second. A manual gearbox is what you want to see in there as well.
