2003 Mitsubishi Evolution 8 MR RS

Highlights

• Super rare classic performance car
• Exceptionally well maintained
• Just 72,925Km from new (verified)
• Extremely thorough service history
• Well-chosen and professionally fitted upgrades

Overview

Evo or Scooby? It’s one of the eternal petrolhead debates, up there with ‘static or air’ and ‘turbo or atmospheric’. Well, as far as we’re concerned, they’re both absolute legends, but we have to say that this particular Evo VIII hits hard. Very, very hard. When the car you’re looking at has a button in the cabin to spray water into the intercooler, but makes do with manual window winders to keep the weight down, you know exactly what you’re dealing with: a proper, old-school turbo nutter.

Let’s start with the obvious, this is a stunningly well presented car. The service and maintenance record is longer than a set of Hellcat elevens, the JDM spec upgrades are numerous and it’s all so clean that there’s not one inch of the thing we wouldn’t be willing to lick. Yes, even underneath.

That may be too much information. Nevertheless, this is an increasingly rare and desirable machine that’s being offered in show-stopping – and, dare we say it, show-winning – condition. Genuinely low mileage, brutally effective performance, limpet-like grip levels, striking 00s styling, and the kind of reputation that makes grown men go weak at the knees. What’s not to love?

We won’t say this is the finest Evo VIII we’ve ever seen. But it’s close. Awfully, awfully close. Do yourself a favour, drool over the pics a bit, imagine the psssssh-psssssh and then hammer that ‘bid’ button. Because you really don’t want to see someone else walk away with this one…

History and documentation

• 2003MY car
• First registered in the UK in January 2016 (Grade 3.5 import)
• The owner believes that only 110 examples of this model were made, with just 19 being the six-speed model, and they believe this is the only one in the UK
• Two previous owners in the UK, current owner since May 2022
• Current mileage is 72,925Km (45,313 miles)
• Current MOT with no advisories expires 21 June 2025
• Original log book, owner’s manuals and Japanese service record
• Extensive and detailed maintenance record with many invoices for work carried out
• Cambelt and water pump changed in May 2022
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear (checked June 2024)

Interior

• Black Alcantara upholstery adorns the Recaro seats, showing in very good order, with no significant wear, no rips and no sagging observed
• Complementing the seats, the floor is finished with black carpeting and genuine Ralliart overmats, which all show in very fine fettle
• The boot space is exceptionally clean, with a black carpet mat
• A rear Ultra Racing strut brace has been fitted
• Air conditioning – a factory option for this model
• Triple pillar pod with boost, air/fuel ratio and oil temperature gauges
• Pioneer radio/CD/DVD system with Bluetooth connectivity and 7-inch flip-out screen
• Sparco suede steering wheel, in excellent condition with no signs of fibre matting
• Titanium gear shifter
• All of the interior trim, switchgear and instrumentation looks to be very well preserved, with no UV damage, notable marking or any damage we could discern
• The vendor tells us that everything in the cabin works as it should, with no faults or issues reported

Exterior

• Smooth white paintwork, which shows a deep gloss
• Other than a very small number of stone chips to the front bumper and splitter, the paint looks to be in superb condition for a 21 year old car
• All of the bodywork looks clean and straight, with no damage or corrosion on show, consistent panel gaps and crisp swage lines
• The paint is well contrasted by the carbon front splitter, side skirts and rear wing, all of which show very well
• Large meshed intakes adorn the front end and the bonnet, allowing that huge turbo to gulp in quite gigantic quantities of air
• The rear bumper has been upgraded to the Evo IX specification (work done in July 2022), and the work looks absolutely seamless
• Ralliart cone side mirrors have been fitted, for the complete rally-special look
• The glass elements and light lenses are all crystal clear and show no evidence of cracks, misting or chipping we could discern
• Underneath, the sills and floor pans look clean and straight, and all the suspension components and running gear looks to be in very fine condition, with no corrosion or issues we could see
• Completing the car’s look are a lovely deep grey set of 10-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels which show a few paint chips but otherwise all look to be in excellent order, with no kerb damage or lacquer peel
• The wheels are shod with a matched set of Yokohama tyres that appear to be in very good order, with good tread levels and no side wall damage

Mechanical

• 1990cc, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine
• Very clean engine bay, with no signs of leaks or other issues we could see
• All-wheel drive, with Super Active Yaw Control
• ABS and power assisted steering
• TD05 turbocharger
• GFB blow-off valve
• Turbo timer
• Miltek decat exhaust system (perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s described as “quite loud”) which means that it’s not road legal as-is; a catted pipe would be needed to secure an MOT pass
• Rear RS differential
• MAC 3-port boost control solenoid
• Mishimoto intercooler and radiator fan
• HKS air intake
• Japspeed alloy radiator (fitted in January 2020)
• Öhlins road/race coilover suspension
• Alcon brake calipers at the front, Brembo calipers at the rear, Alcon J hook discs all round
• New front tie rod ends and new drop links all round
• HEL braided front brake hoses (in transparent red)
• Purple colour coded rocker cover and front strut brace
• Urban camo silicone hose kit
• Kode battery strap
• Uprated 255 fuel pump (supplied, but not fitted)
• The cambelt and water pump were changed in May 2022
• Original factory performance figures: 276bhp and 295lb-ft
• The vendor tells us that the car is running a ‘Stage 1’ tune c.360bhp
• We’re assured by the vendor that there are no mechanical issues or faults, and that the car starts, idles, stops and runs perfectly, with no smoke or misfires, and a smooth gear action

Summary

Who doesn’t love a JDM performance hero that’s been liberally festooned with the very best in Japanese performance bits? Well, if you’re still reading, then you’re certainly on team “big turbos and dump valves, yes please”. And we think this car is a near perfect example of one of the very best cars to ever emerge from the land of the rising sun.

Huge credit has to go to the current and previous owners for their meticulous care and careful modification (though you’d obviously have to reinstall a cat to get it through an MOT). This is a beautifully preserved specimen and wouldn’t be out of place in any collection you care to mention.

And yes, we really would lick it. So there.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Telford, Shropshire.