Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Buyer's Guide
The Lancer Evolution is the rally homologation saloon that became a UK cult in its own right, helped by official FQ-badged imports. Our two sold results already show the market's direction: £33,750 for a 13,815-mile 2003 Evo VII FQ-300 against £18,500 for a 2010 Evo X FQ-300 SST. The older, more analogue car is worth nearly twice the newer one.
Know your generations
Ten generations, three families. The Evo I to III (mid-nineties) are Japan-only homologation pieces, rare here. The Evo IV to IX (1996–2007) are the classic era on the 4G63 2.0 turbo: the V and VI (a 1999 VI and a VI GSR appear in our active data at £20,000 to £25,000 and £15,000 to £20,000 respectively) made the car's UK name, the Tommi Mäkinen Edition VI sits at the top of collector desire, and the VII, VIII and IX refined the recipe with active centre differentials; our catalogue lists the VIII (2003–2005) and VIII MR, with two MR examples active at £15,000 to £20,000 each. UK-market FQ versions (FQ-300 through FQ-400 by output) were officially imported and are the local currency. The Evo X (2008–2016) switched to the 4B11 engine and offered the SST twin-clutch gearbox, quicker but less loved, as our £18,500 result reflects.
What to pay
Two sales: £33,750 (2003 Evo VII FQ-300, 13,815 miles, May 2026) and £18,500 (2010 Evo X FQ-300 SST, April 2026), median £26,125. Active estimates support a band of £15,000 to £25,000 for good VI and VIII-generation cars, with our £33,750 result showing what exceptional mileage adds. The pattern to price on: 4G63-era cars with low miles and originality lead, the Evo X trails, and a £2,000 to £3,000 estimate on a Lancer Ralliart in our data is a reminder that not everything wearing the family face is an Evolution.
What goes wrong
The 4G63 is strong but not immortal: it demands frequent quality oil, cambelt changes on schedule (with balance-shaft belt attended to), and honest boost levels; big-end failure follows oil neglect or careless tuning, and most surviving cars are modified, so paperwork for the mapping matters as much as for the servicing. The active centre differential's hydraulic pump fails and is a known four-figure fix; check the AYC/ACD lights behave and the system self-tests. Gearboxes on higher-output FQ cars live hard lives, and clutch and transfer-case health need a proper test drive. On the Evo X, the SST twin-clutch needs its specific fluid services and a failed mechatronic unit is the expensive scenario; the manual is the safer buy. Bodily, rear arches and sills rust quietly, and crash repairs are endemic to the breed, so check panel gaps and get underneath. Unmodified cars are now rare enough to command real premiums.
Our view
The Evolution has completed the journey from used performance bargain to collectable, and our results say the 4G63 cars are where the market has settled its affection: an unmodified, low-mileage VI to IX is the one to hold, with £33,750 for our best result showing the trajectory. The Evo X at £18,500 is the value route into the badge and a very fast car, but its SST gearbox and softer image mean it follows, rather than leads, the family's rise. Buy on originality and oil history above all else.
