Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII MR FQ-400
By the early 2000s, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution’s prowess on the World Rally Championship stage was flagging. The glory days of the late 1990s had faded into the distance, before the brand pulled the plug on its factory effort at the conclusion of the 2005 season.
And on the road, the Evo, in its eighth-iteration, was having a difficult time too. Its evolutionary arc meant that by 2004, it was beginning to feel like a bit of a dinosaur compared with some of its contemporaries, even if it was still a rapid point to point weapon. Mitsubishi’s solution? Push the boat out with a 411PS (302kW) version with a not so insignificant price tag of £47,000. The limited run FQ-400 version of the Evo VIII was a rocketship, but the significant modifications needed to extract what was Ferrari F430 power from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine meant it was hopeless on fuel. In fact, with a 55 litre tank, you’d be very lucky to chalk up more than 250 miles between the pumps.