While the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was never quite the performance car bargain of its Subaru Impreza rival, it still offered giant-killing performance for a price that plenty of enthusiasts could still afford.
Well, it used to anyway, as we’ve seen Evos, and the desirable Tommi Mäkinen Edition (TME) Evo VI in particular jump higher recently than the Finnish ace clearing a crest at the 1000 Lakes rally – and auction platform Collecting Cars has just set another new world record for the model.
A 10,000-mile Mäkinen has just sold for £146,500, beating the car sold by Silverstone Auctions last year by a mere £250, but cementing it as a realistic high-end figure for a low-mileage TME.
Previously, the Silverstone Auctions car had itself smashed the previous record of £100,100, set in May 2021. That car was formerly owned by Mitsubishi UK as part of its heritage fleet, and sold alongside a host of other classic diamond-stars before the company upped sticks and left the UK market.
What separates this Collecting Cars example is its colour: Satellite Silver rather than red, and sold sans Ralliart decals like those of the two previous auction cars. The body kit and Enkei wheels give it away as a Mäkinen, but it suggests collectors aren’t necessarily fussy about choosing the most iconic colour scheme if the car itself makes all the right noises.
Between 2007 and 2021 the car spent its life inside a protective ‘Carcoon’ bubble, and has recently been recommissioned, so should be good to go for the new owner – though given the winning bid, we can’t imagine there are too many gravel trails in the car’s future.
Founder and CEO of Collecting Cars, Edward Lovett, said: “We have set numerous world records since launching the platform in 2019, and this result highlights the power of a competitive auction to achieve a truly astonishing price. The combination of mileage, condition, and rarity meant that bidding soared in the final 30 minutes.”
Along with the rising values of Subaru Impreza 22Bs, collectors are clearly willing to part with large sums to secure Group A homologation icons just as they’re doing with Group B cars from the previous decade – especially if there’s a famous name on the bootlid.
Read more
Record results as collectors snap up Golf GTI, EVO VI and Quattro specials
A love letter to the JDM car scene
Freeze Frame: Burns shines as sparks fly in ‘98 Rally GB
