Mitsubishi’s Swansong Rally GOAT Still Hits Just as Hard a Decade Later

You don’t have to be a fan to understand why it was such a sad moment when Mitsubishi discontinued its Lancer Evolution. For almost three decades, the Lancer Evo was Mitsu’s direct answer to Subaru’s WRX STI during one of motorsports’ most pivotal moments.

That would be the Group A series of the World Rally Championship throughout the ’90s and ’00s, and beyond.

It’s a rivalry that resulted in one of automotive history’s greatest. One that’s arguably on par with BMW versus Mercedes-Benz in ’80s German touring car championships. Because of this, the Lancer Evolution undoubtedly has a huge cult following, much like its Subie rival.

All that is to say, we’re drooling over this practically brand-new, 722-mile 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Final Edition on Bring a Trailer.

A celebration of the end of an era

Scooterss via BringATrailer

Mitsubishi said farewell to one of its greatest performance icons of all time back in 2016. Not only did Japanese sports car and rally fans mourn its discontinuation, but car enthusiasts in general also poured one out.

The Lancer Evolution has been and remains a major source of inspiration for aspiring and budding car enthusiasts. It first made its fame on the global stage as a homologation special for the World Rally Championship.

And countless appearances in racing videogames and on the big screen only cemented its reputation. The Lancer Evolution is arguably one of Japan’s greatest automotive contributions (among many others).

Not only is it a motorsports hero, but it has also made speed and performance very accessible for the average person. This is all thanks to the Lancer Evo’s relatively huge bang-for-the-buck formula.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

When new, the Lancer Evo could keep up, if not beat, six-figure exotics at nearly a fraction of the cost. At the end of the day, it was still a Mitsubishi with all-wheel drive.

In other words, you could use it every day and even haul your friends, family and all of their things. Very quickly, at that.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

Of course, because the Lancer Evolution’s relatively affordable price point attracted all sorts of go-fast enthusiasts, many examples were driven hard and put away wet. This is especially true with the used market, as it’s a top choice among the Japanese tuner crew.

That’s why we’re falling head over heels for this OEM-plus-modified, ultra-low-mileage example.

An absolute creampuff of a GOAT icon

2015 Mitsbusishi Lancer Evolution X Final Edition – BringATrailer

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Besides the fact that this Lancer Evo X is a limited-production Final Edition, it’s just one of 1,600 ever made. It was born with rarity.

Furthermore, it’s become virtually impossible to find a Lancer Evolution X in good condition. That’s mainly because the Japanese tuner crowd absolutely jumped on pretty much any opportunity to snag one, new or used.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

But as most seasoned car enthusiasts know, modifying any car is no inexpensive endeavor. Thus, a lot of wannabe Paul Walkers and Dominic Torettos often emptied their bank accounts, went broke and drove an incomplete car that ended up being more trashed than treasure.

So, seeing any Evo X this clean, with this low mileage and with very little modification, is about as perfect as it gets.

Already worth more now than when new

Scooterss via BringATrailer

According to its ownership history, this Evo X Final Edition has changed hands four times, despite its 722-mile odometer. Along the way, it’s picked up a few meaningful upgrades.

These inclde JDM-market Evo X Recaro front seats, a custom Manzo exhaust, an aftermarket short-ram intake, an AMS Performance intercooler and a Tial blow-off valve for the appropriate off-throttle “tsu-tsu-tsu” effect after the turbo spools up.

Scooterss via BringATrailer

As of this article, the bid is hovering at just below $40,000. Which is a lot for any 10-plus-year-old vehicle. It’s also more than what the Final Edition stickered for, which was around $37,995.

So, it’ll be interesting to see how high the auction goes. Regardless, the winner will be the lucky owner of what is among the freshest Evo Xs left in the world.

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