Mitsubishi EVO 10. In fact, Mitsubishi had already whet our appetites with a pair of such tearaways – the Lancer GSR back in 1992, and before that, the one-size-bigger Galant VR4 in 1990.
Clearly, then, Mitsubishi had plenty of time to get things right for the launch of the latest in the Lancer EVO line, the EVO 10 in 2008.
The EVO 10, logically enough, replaced the EVO 9, a car with such giant-killing credentials that it was always going to be a hard act to follow.
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And so it proved, especially with the trend for each new
Lancer model (on which the EVO was substantially based) to be both
bigger and heavier than the previous one. As any fan of four-wheeled
performance will tell you, bigger and heavier is anathema to this type
of pocket-rocket.This was also the time when Mitsubishi was starting to get serious with clutch-less manual transmissions in an attempt to bring its performance product range into line with where the rest of the world seemed to be going.
And that, in itself, posed a marketing question that some would argue diluted the EVO 10 a little.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves; the EVO 10 was, and remains, a mighty performance car with abilities that are – generally speaking – only matched by more exotic, more expensive machinery.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment for lovers of raw performance was that Mitsubishi had moved to make the clutch-less manual version the hero model.
It did that by giving that car a six-speed transmission while removing a ratio, for a total of five, for the conventional manual model (which had six ratios in EVO 9 guise).
Clearly, Mitsubishi was trying to position the car as a more techno-savvy beast, but purists would have liked six gears to go with their clutch pedal.
But the rest of what had made the EVO franchise such a success – blistering acceleration, tenacious grip and an undiluted, raw feel – were still present, so even if it was a bit heftier, the market still accepted the car.
Which means that shopping for one now is a case of finding the right car and paying the asking price, because most owners aren't in the habit of haggling (not that you shouldn't try, of course).
EVO 10 shopping can be a bit more fraught with danger than shopping for other cars, simply because that explosive performance was due to a highly tuned, highly strung driveline.
While Mitsubishi's excellent 10-year/100,000km drivetrain warranty applied to the EVO 10 when it was brand-new (a brave move in itself, some would argue) that doesn't translate to a bonus for buyers of second-hand EVOs.
You see, while the basic five-year warranty applies when the car changes hands, the decade-long driveline warranty does not.
For that reason, it's vital that you gain some knowledge of the car's previous life, because there's a heck of a lot going on inside an EVO 10, with stresses on components that "normal" cars never experience.
The sheer grip of the all-wheel-drive driveline, for instance, places enormous strains on the clutch in manual versions.
So check that the car moves off from rest with no shuddering and that the clutch doesn't slip at higher revs in a high gear (driving up a hill in a 100km/h zone in fifth gear is a good way to test this).
Sometimes first and second gears can be stubborn to engage when the engine is cold, but this seems more of a niggle than a real problem that needs money spent on it. Some owners have tried different gearbox oils to overcome the problem.
Make sure the DSG gearbox picks up gears cleanly and doesn't stutter off the line also. The gearbox should quickly obey the driver's inputs via the paddle shifters, and any car that doesn't is suspect.
Another big issue is a clunking from the front axle when turning hard left or right (or sometimes both). This is possibly the front differential suffering broken or loose bolts. If you catch this while the bolts are still loose, it can be a relatively simple fix, but allowing it to continue will eventually see the differential fail with costly consequences.
The other cause of knocking from the front end could be worn or poorly lubricated top strut mounts.
This is a service item that may have been neglected if the car has had minimal servicing – as opposed to a full Mitsubishi service history – and can cost hundreds to sort out.
As part of the service history check, try to establish what fuel the car has been run on. The EVO really needs 98-octane fuel to run happily, and using cheaper, lower octane fuel can be a false economy.
While you're checking out the front of the car, make sure the CV boots aren't cracked or split. If they are, damage has probably already started to occur within the driveshafts.
The engine seems pretty strong provided it's had that all-important preventative maintenance, and an engine that "ticks" audibly when you start it up is probably suffering from worn hydraulic lash adjusters that have fallen victim to dirty engine oil.
Replacement of the adjusters is the fix, but it also raises questions over how much sludge is residing inside the engine.
Obviously, an engine like this that is blowing any smoke is one to avoid and we'd also be very wary of modified cars.
The EVO's two-litre engine could be tuned to produce amazing power outputs, but every extra kilowatt potentially shortened its life expectancy.
You really need to bear in mind that this is a high-performance car but one that has also (of necessity, and it's one of the things that appeals about the EVO) been built to a price.
A kindly treated one will probably be okay, but an abused, butchered and/or modified example could easily be more trouble than it would ever be worth.
Our rating: 3.5 stars
Nuts and boltsEngine: 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cyl
Transmissions: 6-DSG/5-man
Fuel economy (combined): 10.1 litres per 100km
Safety rating (courtesy of www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au): 5 stars
Likes:
- Explosive power is addictive.
- All-wheel-drive grip a revelation on any surface.
- Huge reputation among the faithful.
- Still a useable car with four doors and five seats.
- Ride is way beyond simply firm. Harsh is more accurate.
- Insurance companies hate cars like this.
- Car thieves love them.
- Could be expensive to run in the longer term.
Competitors:
Subaru WRX – The natural enemy of the Mitsubishi EVO. And, as with the EVO, the WRX got fatter and bigger with every passing generation. Still an amazing thing to drive, though.3.5/5
Nissan 200SX – The last version of the 200SX to be sold here was rear-drive and therefore lacked the grip of some, but handled beautifully and appealed to the purists, who then flogged the things mercilessly.
4/5
Mazda 3 MPS – An unruly chassis tied to a monster engine. The turbocharged MPS was front-wheel-drive and, frankly, a bit underdone. Fun, but you might tire of it quickly.
3/5
What to pay (courtesy of Glass's Guide):
New Now
2008 $64,490 $36,300
2009 $66,190 $40,000
2010 $66,390 $41,900
2011 $66,390 $45,200
2012 $67,390 $50,500
Holden Cruze Sportswagon. 
