To my slightly biased mind, there’s no better example of a manufacturer successfully improving a model through the years than Mitsubishi and its Lancer Evolution. Since its entrance onto the World Rally stage in the very early ’90s, the Evo has captured the hearts and souls of millions of enthusiasts across the globe.

The key to the Evo’s rave reviews was, and has always been, the level to which it focused on raw, hard-edged performance and nothing more. It was as purposeful as a car could be while remaining able to seat four passengers, and right up until the release of the VII, that was how it stayed. It was the ultimate no-frills, stripped-down, neurotic, no-holds-barred machine much more so than anything else on the road, including many a so-called 'supercar’. Mitsubishi certainly made no apologies for that fact, either which many an auto journalist found endearing, all the while missing the point that what they were reviewing was essentially a rally car adapted for the road, with no intention of being more.

The majority of Evo enthusiasts will have little trouble telling you which is their favourite of the 10 versions produced. My personal pick just happens to be the V, and lo and behold, that’s what we’re going to check out here. It is, in my opinion, the quickest, most impressive point-to-point car produced in its era.

ENGINE

In its factory guise the Evo V’s 4G63BT engine is nigh on bulletproof, although it’s been suggested that its cast aluminium pistons were a weak point something that was remedied in the XI. The two-litre DOHC 16-valve mill is not particularly state of the art or groundbreaking in design, but it’s a robust, well-engineered unit capable of taking a lot on the chin. The fundamentals of its design date back to the old single overhead cam Starion and Sigma turbo engines of the early-to-mid eighties, upon which the original 4G63BT engine in the 1987 VR-4 was based.

Although the engine was for the most part similar to that in the Evo IV (the major differentiating factor between this and previous versions of the engine being its rotation in the engine bay by 180 degrees), there were nonetheless several very effective improvements. The turbo was again changed, this time to a new, larger TD05HR, which produced higher boost from the factory. A new, higher volume intercooler core was added, as were 560cc fuel injectors and a flash ROM in the ECU. The timing was also changed, and although the factory power output of the Evo V remained at the JDM limit of 280ps (206kW), the torque had increased from 353Nm to 373Nm, a decent jump of six per cent.

DRIVELINE

The stock 5-speed gearbox, transfer case and diffs in the Evo V have a lot of strength built into them. By the time the Evo V was being manufactured, Mitsubishi had improved the areas of weakness found in the early Evos. Although the early models did have double cones on the synchros on first and second gear, they were still not as strong as what’s found in the V. You can tell the difference when you drive an early Evo as opposed to a V or VI. The engagement of the gears feels a lot more definite and positive, and there’s also generally less whining and clunking.

A four-wheel-drive transmission is never going to be as quiet or smooth as a two-wheel-drive unit, but what’s found in the V is close to perfect in terms of its positive feel. The gates between gears are super-close, and the throw into engagement is as short as you will ever need. If the V you own has been well looked after, you should never really have to change or modify anything to do with the gearbox. All you will ever need to alter is the clutch, and have the flywheel machined.

EXTERIOR

This is really the Evo V’s party piece. The Evo III, with its massive rear spoiler and big, open front dam, stood out as the most aggressive four-door vehicle in the world. The Evo V, however, is on another level. The flared-out front guards, the gaping front bumper, the rear guard extensions, and that awesome adjustable rear spoiler with its aluminium wing give the car an almost grumpy, angry appearance. The sculpted aluminium bonnet with its perfectly shaped vents resembles more the front end of some kind of snarling animal than a car.

Some motoring critics have mocked the appearance of the Evo V, calling it brash, ugly and poorly constructed, especially the rear guard extensions. Usually those journalists prefer European vehicles anyway, so cars like the Evo are too foreign, too distant, for them to really understand what they’re looking at.

I believe what Mitsubishi did in engineering the Evo V was incredible. The amount of design inherent in the car was unheard of for something that cost half the price of even a low-rent BMW, and to be honest I doubt that anyone who owned a V ever cared that the paint was too thin on the door sills, or that the rear guard extensions looked cheap and plasticky. That was never the point. It was all about what the car resembled and the fact that it looked like it was doing 100kph standing still that mattered.

All in all, there really is nothing you could ever do to improve the exterior of the Evo V. Even the standard 17-inch OZ F1 alloys look perfectly matched.

The Evo V was only made during 1998, so beware of people trying to sell you an Evo IV with a cheap replica Evo V bodykit glued on. This is especially tricky because other than the seats, the interior is essentially the same in both cars.

INTERIOR

Jump into the driver’s seat of a V and you won’t spy anything special other than a decent-looking Momo SRS airbag wheel, a leather gear knob with red stitching and, of course, the Recaro SR seats you’ve parked your back end in. Apart from the nifty little climate control system, which works well, the dash is pretty much identical to a bargain basement Lancer.

There are few creature comforts other than power windows and mirrors, and air conditioning. On the RS version, however, you won’t find anything I’ve mentioned at all. Instead, you’ll get cheap vinyl seats that look like they were taken from an L300 van, tacky vinyl door trims, winding windows and no electronics at all. This is, of course, preferable if you want to race the car.

All in all the interior of an Evo V is perfectly comfortable and will handle both a long distance trip and a thrash around the backroads.

The Recaros are excellent seats and provide more than enough lateral support, as well as preventing numb bum on long journeys. The rest of the interior is functional and well laid out and, for the late ’90s, not half bad to look at, either, with quite a high dash arrangement, unlike that of the earlier Evos where you had to look between your knees to see the speedo.

ON THE ROAD

Did I say the exterior was the Evo V’s party piece? I may have been wrong. Driving an Evo V that’s been well looked after is an amazing experience. The level of grip is outstanding, as is the performance, but it’s the responsiveness that impresses most. The accelerator pedal feels as though it’s the trigger of a gun one press and you’re gone. The steering is precise, if a little light, and the damping is perfect for the purpose of the car. The ride will be typically Evo hard, but most people looking to buy an Evo aren’t overly worried about how supple the damping is.

There’s been enough press coverage about the performance of Evos over the years for everyone to know what they’re capable of, but for the record, the average 0-100kph sprint should take fewer than five seconds, and the standing quarter should be over in around 13 to 13.5 seconds, depending on factors like heat and vehicle weight. That’s not really what an Evo’s about, though, because these days there are plenty of cars that are faster in a straight line.

HOW MUCH TO PAY

The Evo V is getting on a bit now, so examples in average condition can be found for as little as $15,000 but don’t expect to get much for your money. Chances are it’ll have 160,000km on the clock, a few dings, and a not-so-fresh engine and gearbox. This is fine if you just want a runaround, but you’ll have to look closer to $20,000 for a good example with around 100,000 on the clock. Our test car for this feature was a rare, completely unmodified example with a certified 114,000km on the yard at Auckland’s Fast 4s & Turbos for $19,995.

MODIFYING GUIDE

If it’s been well looked after, the Evo V’s engine is ripe for the modification. The first mods on the list should be a good-quality mandrel bent exhaust system and properly constructed cold air intake with a top-quality air filter. Those alone will give you a respectable bump in power. If you want to go further, bear in mind that the sky is the limit, and any serious mods should be based around a mechanically sound engine that is, one that doesn’t blow smoke or suffer from knackered big end bearings and so on.

If you want to build a big engine that can deliver the goods, you’ll be kissing goodbye to between $5000 and $10,000, thanks to forged pistons and rods, high-strength head studs, a metal head gasket, new bearings, cylinder head work including new valves and springs, a bore hone, and, of course, a new turbo and intercooler capable of supporting 300kW. If you’re going that far you’ll definitely need a new clutch as well. The results? Saying it’s worth it wouldn’t do them justice. You’d be wearing a perma-smile for the rest of the time you owned the car.

Don’t forget the suspension and brakes, though, because while they were both superb from the factory, it may be time for a rejuvenation with a calliper recondition, new discs and pads, and a new set of coil-overs. Whoops, there’s another $3K!

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V GSR – Specifications

Engine: Mitsubishi 4G63BT 2.0-litre DOHC 16V inline four cylinder, aluminium cylinder head, cast iron block, forged steel crankshaft, forged conrods, cast aluminium pistons, 8.8:1 compression ratio, electronic fuel injection, 560cc injectors, TD05HR-16G turbocharger, front-mounted intercooler
Driveline: 5-speed manual gearbox, LSDs, fulltime four-wheel drive
Suspension: Front/rear — McPherson struts, coil springs, anti roll bars, strut tower bars
Brakes: Front — Brembo 4-pot callipers, 320mm ventilated rotors, Rear — Brembo 2-pot callipers, 300mm ventilated rotors
Exterior: Front bar with large spotlights, oversized intercooler and oil cooler ducts, flared front aluminium fenders, ventilated aluminium bonnet, rear guard extensions, rear bumper lip, rear boot spoiler, adjustable aluminium wing
Interior: Recaro SR front seats, Momo SRS steering wheel, Momo leather gearknob, alloy pedals.
Wheels/Tyres: OZ Racing F1 17×8-inch alloys, 225/45R17 tyres
Performance: Max Power: 280ps (206kW) @ 6000rpm, Max Torque — 373Nm @ 3000rpm

Words: Rob Dawson Photos: Dan Wakelin

This article is from NZ Performance Car issue 148. Click here to check it out.