Description

Model History

The third iteration of the Lancer Evolution, the Evo III (3) was introduced in 1995 to replace the preceding Evo II – continuing the Lancer Evolution’s career in the world of professional rally racing. The Evo III featured a longer wheelbase and wider body, the biggest difference compared to the Evo II being a larger front grille to improve airflow into the radiator, brakes, and intercooler. A larger rear spoiler as well as new rear bumper and side skirt design were added for better downforce. Power once again came from the legendary 4G63 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, mated to a five speed manual and all-wheel drive. It was with the Evo III that Mitsubishi finally found success – with Finnish driver Tommi Mäkinen taking home the WRC Drivers Championship in 1996 behind the wheel of a modified Evo III – leading the way for his consecutive championship wins in succeeding Evolution models and for the Mitsubishi rally team. Aside from its success in WRC, the Evo III has also established a cult following within various car-focused media – being the car of choice of Team Emperor leader Kyoichi Sudo of ‘Initial D’, to being the star car of Jackie Chan’s movie ‘Thunderbolt’.

History File

The example shown here is a 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III, finished in Queens Silver Pearl with a Black interior. It was originally imported from Japan to Hong Kong in 2015, though no auction sheet detailing its condition was retained. It is currently owned by a passionate enthusiast to add to their small, tasteful collection of JDM cars – they bought this car locally in Hong Kong and primarily used it as a weekend car. Current modifications on this Evo III include a HKS exhaust, BC Coilovers, SuperPro front and rear sway bar bushings, aftermarket gear bushings, a GReddy boost controller and K&N air filter. The interior contains an aftermarket touchscreen head unit, an A-Pillar interior boost gauge, and a Ralliart shift knob – both Recaro front seats and the original MOMO racing steering wheel have also been refurbished. It currently rides on a set of white 17” Speedline ‘Corse’ wheels – the owner would like to highlight these are very rare to come by (reportedly worth up to HKD 20,000 secondhand), especially in pristine condition. While no full service history can be provided, the owner has recently had the rear control arm bushings and spark plugs replaced, as well as an oil change completed. The rear quarter panels and rear bumper have been resprayed with matching Silver paint. The owner does report there are some minor patches of patina and rust, but this car does not have any serious corrosion or accident damage. This Evo III has had three previous owners, a current mileage of 153,222km, its M.O.T. was renewed this year and is valid until January 2023, and the current road license makes it legal to drive until 24th January, 2023.

Exterior

The exterior of this Evo III has held up well over the years – with all of the body panels still retaining their Queens Silver Pearl paint finish. The extended front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and specially designed rear spoiler have no imperfections to report of. Both front and rear lights as well as the side markers are free of any surface damage and illuminate without faults. All of the original Mitsubishi badges, as well as the ‘Evo III’ emblem are present with none missing trim pieces. All of the original window trim is present with no blemishes or missing pieces. The roof is free of any damage from sun exposure. Both side mirrors have no damage. Both front and rear doors, the front hood and rear trunk open and shut close without any issues – while the front passenger side door does have some natural patina formed on its hinge, this does not affect it from opening or closing normally and all of the other hinges and latches are free of any serious corrosion. All four Speedline Corse wheels have retained their original White paint finish on their surfaces – with none having suffered any kerb rash or severe scratches. There are some subtle patches of patina visible on the HKS exhaust as well as a black residue on the rear surface section – but these imperfections do not affect the overall function of the exhaust itself.

Interior and Trim

A look inside and a minimalist interior greets the occupants, emphasising this car’s motorsport-focused pedigree. Both Recaro bucket seats up front are fully intact with no wear to report of – the refurbishment they received was top grade and there are in excellent condition with only subtle creases from use. Both rear seats as well are in excellent condition. The leather MOMO steering wheel is in pristine condition with no signs of hard wear on its plastic or leather surfaces. All of the dashboard and side door trim is intact with no significant scratches to report on their surfaces. The air conditioning control panel, specifically the buttons on the right side do appear slightly worn, but this does not affect the operation of the air conditioning itself – as the panel was replaced, the rest of its buttons are in great condition and none stick when pressed. The centre console has no significant wear to report of. The instrument cluster illuminates normally and all of the gauges are legible. The boost gauge mounted on the driver’s side pillar, as well as the GReddy boost controller on the top of the steering wheel column operate normally to display and monitor the current boost pressure from the turbocharger. The Ralliart gear shift knob is fully intact with no scratches, as is the shift boot and handbrake.

Engine and Running Gear 

Start the engine and the 4G63 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine starts up instantly – with a prominent growl from the exhaust to remind you this was engineered to dominate the rally competition, and a healthy amount of turbo lag before it spools to full boost – characteristic of 90s JDM cars. The engine bay itself does have some natural patches of patina and the hood insulation layer does look a bit worn, though these imperfections are kept to a minimum and do not present any problems to the performance of the engine itself; they can benefit from a refurbishment if desired. The steering has plenty of feedback and remains very responsive for any degree of turns. The brakes provide plenty of stopping power – none of them are experiencing any fade and have plenty of life left. The 5-Speed manual gearbox shifts through all its gears without any issues – the clutch is also easy to engage. The grip offered by the AWD system can easily be felt when this car is pushed through the corners; combined with the BC coilover setup & SuperPro sway bars, this car remains planted and confident that no matter how intense or what terrain this car finds itself on, this rally-bred sedan will easily deal with the conditions on hand with no problems. While much love and attention has been paid to later iterations of the Lancer Evolution, the earliest descendants, like the Evo III are just as deserving of it.  Made ever more noteworthy thanks to cult movies, video games, and anime series about Japanese car culture, this Evo III is a retro Mitsubishi classic that is seeking for its new home – exclusively available at the Car Farm.

Buyer’s Premium:

5% of Winning Bid

(Minimum – HKD8,000.00)

(Maximum – HKD50,000.00)