EVO: THE GATHERING; Evolution Generations

SOLID FOUNDATION Officially on sale to the public on August 1996, the Evo IV showcased what the fifth generation Lancer was capable of. The Evo IV sported a totally new body, it was 20 mm longer and 90 kg heavier. Oddly enough, this car was lower and narrower than the old Evo by 5mm. Unlike the previous Evos though, the IV already had integrated PIAA foglights in the front bumper giving it that rally car look.

Mitsubishi endowed the Evo IV with new hardware to counteract the weight gain and to further enhance the car’s potential down the line. For starters, the same 4G63T engine was tweaked by slightly lowering the compression ratio (9.0 to 8.8:1). This allowed for a new twin scroll turbocharger to be applied, while the cylinder head and block were modified to reduce weight. The Evo IV gained another 10 or so horses with power rated at 280 hp, while torque leaped to 260 lb-ft. The IV’s underpinnings were also improved, with the front end receiving revised geometry settings while the rear was given a new multi-link design. Active Yaw Control System (AYC) was introduced in the IV, which essentially allowed torque to be distributed more to the outside wheel when in a turn, aiding response when cornering. Stopping power was also enhanced with larger ventilated discs (11.6 in. front and 11.2 in. rear).

The Evo IV lacked the visual drama of the latter Evo V and VI models, owing much to the narrower fenders and the smaller wheels. But you knew it possessed the genes for rally success. Tommi Makinen proved this when he held on to the WRC Drivers’ title for 1997, narrowly staving off Colin Mcrae (Subaru) by just one point. Left primarily unmodified, the white Evo IV you see here is pretty much bone stock. During our brief drive with this car, the few mods we noticed were a Pivot start/stop button ignition system and an aftermarket HKS exhaust. The car’s behavior was more refined compared to the older Evos in the NVH department. But the heavy clutch was still there, showing that the older Evos demanded more than just a fat wallet to be driven. Oh, and the engine was noticeably more punchy even from down the rev counter, thanks to the increase in torque. For Evo fans, the IV is a car all can look back upon as the start of something great.