Launched at the peak of rally mania, Mitsubishi experienced huge success in Lancer Evolution sales, reportedly selling 6,000 Evolution IVs in the first three days of its launch! The 1996 WRC season brought Mitsubishi its first World Rally Championship drivers’ title, with thanks to a blisteringly quick driver named Tommi Makinen.

In quick succession, the Lancer Evolution VI came to be and, in the latter-half of 1999, Mitsubishi unleashed a special edition to celebrate its favourite driver’s four consecutive WRC drivers’ titles from 1996-1999; the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI 'Tommi Makinen Edition (TME). The Evolution VI was already a technological tour-de-force but the TME came equipped with a more responsive titanium turbocharger, uprated and lowered suspension, quicker steering, an upgraded exhaust, a new ECU, beefed-up transfer case internals, a redesigned front bumper for improved cooling and authentic 17-inch WRC Enkei alloy wheels. The interior featured embossed Recaro seats, a MOMO steering wheel and red stitching. The performance upgrades saw 0-60mph despatched in 4.4 seconds and a maximum top speed of 150mph. Power was rumoured to be north of 300bhp, rather than the 276bhp 'Gentleman’s agreement'.

Widely regarded as the finest Lancer to wear the Evolution badge, it was available in five colours, with Passion Red and Canal Blue joining Scotia White, Pyrenean Black and Satellite Silver. Only 250 TMEs (across the five colours) were officially imported into the UK, with 100 examples going to Australia, and the rest sold domestically in the Japanese market. Official figures show that of the UK’s allocation, only 50 examples were in Passion Red.  According to Mitsubishi, it was these Passion Red cars that automatically received the renowned racing decals, known as a 'Special Colour Package' (SCP), meaning that these examples were factory-fitted with black door handles (so as to not break the line of the long profile decal). In the world of Mitsubishi aficionados, the consensus is that there were just 212 official factory SCP examples of the TME produced.

The car presented here is very special indeed. Not only is it a genuine Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition (CP9A/SNGF2) SCP car (i.e. one of 212), but it is also an official UK-market example. This means it was officially imported by Mitsubishi-affiliated Ralliart UK; hence it would have been professionally SVA’d and is supplied with UK service books, a calibrated speedometer, an unleaded-spec fuel restrictor, cold-climate battery and alternator, plus it is individually numbered on a plaque in the cabin (No. 017). The car was originally sold to its first owner through Marshall Mitsubishi of Cambridge and has an impressive service history, which combined with MOT data helps verify the indicated mileage of just 30,085.

Hugely collectable and skyrocketing in both value and rarity, these cars are rightly touted as an appreciating modern-classic, with all the ingredients to be a shrewd investment.  This is arguably the ultimate iteration of all road-going Mitsubishis. A true opportunity to both own and enjoy, safe in the knowledge that interest and demand continues to grow for these original rally homologation icons, with USA import excitedly looming on the horizon.