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Regarded by many as one of the best Lancer Evolution models ever built, the Evo 9 is a barebones sports sedan that still thrills today.
The Fast and Furious franchise has cast awesome cars over the years. Amidst the Dodge Chargers and Ford Mustangs, there were cool JDM cars, and their appearance helped them gain a cult following. The 2006 film Tokyo Drift featured the Mitsubishi Evolution IX as one of the hero cars alongside icons like the 1967 Ford Mustang and a 2006 Mazda RX-8. The car was tuned to drift and looked like it could drift through tight spaces anywhere in the world.
Mitsubishibuilt the Lancer Evo IX from 2006 to 2007, and with ten generations of Evos to pick from, it isn't the Evo of choice for everyone. But it is still revered by many, especially in the MR SE guise. The car does fail to impress with its bare-knuckle interior, unforgiving highway ride, and lack of upscale creature comfort amenities. But that's not why you buy this kind of car, and it has a lot going to attract admiration from car enthusiasts everywhere. Here's why we love the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.
The Evo IX came with a sophisticated All-Wheel-Drive system. To turn it into the drifting monster in Tokyo Drift, they had to disconnect the front wheels from the drivetrain and turn it into a rear-wheel drive. But if you are not Sean or dreaming of becoming the drift king of your town, the car is better enjoyed in its AWD.
The small 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in stock form generates 286 hp sent to all wheels via a six-speed transverse transmission. The AWD system contributes to the car's quick sprint to 60 mph in the mid-5-seconds.
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Mitsubishi built the first Lancer Evolution in 1993 to continue the legacy of rally icons like the Galant VR-4, Colt, Starion, and Lancer in the world of Rally Competition. The car carried over the effectiveness on rough gravel rallies as showcased by winning four consecutive World Drivers' Champion titles between 1996 and 1999.
Thus, the Evo IX was the ninth iteration of a car with rally winning pedigree. The car is an accomplished champion, having won the 2007, 08, 09, and 2011 British Rally Championship and the WRC Production category in 2008 and 2009.
It is hard to pinpoint the best of the ten generations of the Lancer Evolution. But the Evo IX is one of the few iterations that many gearheads mention among their favorites. In the end, it boils down to sentiment and personal preference.
One of our previous Evo rankings had Evolution VIII taking the top spot, but the IX was fourth. Also, we've scoured the web and found the XI doing well in many independent rankings.
The Evo IX wasn't necessarily a brand-new car when it came out. It was a mechanical and aesthetic facelift from its predecessor. It was more refined and more powerful with a larger revised turbo, MIVEC variable valve timing tech, and coolant passages in the head. But underneath, it shared a lot of components with the proven Evo VIII.
Form the Evo VIII, the IX retained the Blistein shocks, the 6-speed manual transmission, a rooftop vortex generator, and the BBS forged wheels. But Mitsubishi included a 5-speed manual option with closer gear ratios.
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Few performance cars can match the Evo IX in terms of bang for the buck. When new, the car retailed for about $30k before options. The car has proven to hold its value steadily, and today, more than 16 years later, well-used copies in good condition fetch about $30k. Clean ones in good condition can go for up to $45k.
Any generation of the Evo is a classic or a potential collectible, so prices are bound to keep going up slowly. The Evo XI is a good investment and worth buying before the price crosses the $50k threshold.
Lancer Evo cars are subject to some of the wildest tunes in the car world. Many custom Evo IX cars run 350 to 450 hp safely with only a few mods on the stock motor.
Perhaps the most insane Evo IX example is the one going by "Wifey," pushing close to 650 crank hp, or 520 hp reaching all four wheels. It is tuned to run on E85 ethanol fuel. It doesn't lose the stock car's handling characteristics despite the power. It is not only snappy and fast in a straight line; they turned it into an all-out driver's car with a very long list of over 80 modifications.
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A car's reliability depends on how well you take care of it over its lifetime. But that doesn't take away that some cars are less problematic than others off the factory. In addition to being a fast four-door performance car, the Evo IX is relatively reliable.
But if you are buying one today, the car's reliability will depend on the level of mods conducted on the car and how the previous owner drove it. Regardless, the cars are very dependable and shouldn't cause much trouble as long as you take good care of them.
The Evo IX came with the same 2-liter turbocharged 4G63 four-cylinder engine featured in previous generation Evo cars. It was a proven long-running motor introduced in 1980, powering many of Mitsubishi's WRC competing cars. Notable examples include the Galant V4-R, Lancer EX 2000 Turbo, and the first nine Evolution generations.
The turbocharged engine was small, but it could throw a serious punch. 286 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque might not sound much by today's standards, but it was sufficient power to propel the Evo IX into a quick accelerating performance with a 155-mph top speed.
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While the Subaru WRX out-lived the Evo after their exciting battles, the Evo still enjoys a strong following. Six years after the last Evo X left the factory, these cars still draw admiration, partly for being one of the best-handling sedans. The Evo IX has crisp handling from the well-tuned but stiff suspension, premium Brembo brakes, and an active center differential.
If you can overlook the cheap interior, you got a sedan with sharp steering and telepathic handling.
Bryan is a content marketer who works as a staff writer for HotCars.com where he covers a variety of topics, from the first Motorwagen to the latest Electric vehicles. A writer by day and a programmer by night. When he is not writing about cars, catch him tinkering with his old motorcycle.