The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution launched in 1992 and was only intended for sale in the Japanese market. It was the high demand for grey imports in Europe and the USA that persuaded Mitsubishi to make them available through their global dealer network, starting with the Evo IV.

In the WRC, the Evo replaced the all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Gallant VR-4, which proved a little too heavy and cumbersome to be competitive on the increasingly tight, winding stages.

There was a Lancer Evolution IX Estate produced for the 2005 model year, but they’re extremely hard to find now. These were a limited run of around 2,900 JDM-only cars. 

The Evo was specifically created to homologate Mitsubishi WRC cars, where regulations stated that at least 2,500 road cars had to be produced. Due to rule changes in 1999, the Evo IV was the last that could be counted as a homologation special.

The famous ‘drifting’ Evo IX in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift wasn’t an Evo IX at all. It was the same Evo VIII used in the previous movie (2 Fast 2 Furious), modified to look like the latest model.

The Evo MiEV was a concept car unveiled in the mid-2000s and the first all-electric Evo. It had a motor on each wheel and produced the equivalent of 380lb/ft of torque. Built to explore if the Evo performance philosophy could survive without a petrol engine, it never went into production.

Early RS-model Evos could be ordered with thinner paint and glass than the normal Lancer. Apart from Ralliart versions, they also came with steel wheels.

There are ten official generations. Aside from the Evo X (which uses a 2-litre 4B11T engine), they all utilise the famous 2-litre, turbocharged 4G63 engine, which, much like the car itself, has evolved significantly over the decades.

With its flared arches and extreme look (compared to previous models), the Evo V is often considered to be the turning point where the Evo evolved into the rally-bred, road-going monster we all know and love.

The fastest Evo ever produced was the 440hp Evo X FQ-440 MR, which could race from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and on to 186mph. Built in 2014, most unusually, this was a UK car and not a JDM model.

In 2016, after nearly 25 years, the Evo went out of production. Mitsubishi cited stricter emissions regulations and (apparently) still doesn’t have any plans for a new model.

The iconic FQ badge found on many of the special editions, according to popular culture, stands for… erm, ‘extremely’ quick. Mitsubishi has never confirmed or denied this.

The Evo VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition is often considered the most performance-focused, rally-bred production model. It was built between 1999 and 2001 to celebrate four consecutive drivers’ championships in the WRC. Around 2,000 were JDM cars, with another 500 being shipped to the UK and Europe.

Mitsubishi utilised aftermarket performance parts for many of the special editions, most notably Bilstein suspension and Brembo brakes.

Until 2005 (with the release of the Evo IX), all JDM cars were limited by a gentleman’s agreement between Japanese car manufacturers to advertise no more than 276hp. In reality, Evos had much more horsepower, in many cases well over the 300hp mark.

The Evo X had the longest production run of them all, being built from 2007 to 2016.