2001 Mitsubishi EVO VI RS Tommi Makinen 'Monte Carlo' Edition

To be offered by iconic Auctioneers on Saturday 24th February at the Race Retro Sale. 

Guide Price: £100,000 - £120,000

Launched at the peak of rally mania, Mitsubishi experienced huge success in Lancer Evolution sales, reportedly selling 6,000 Evolution IVs in the first three days of its launch! The 1996 WRC season brought Mitsubishi its first World Rally Championship drivers’ title, with thanks to a blisteringly quick driver named Tommi Makinen.

In quick succession, the Lancer Evolution VI came to be and, in the latter-half of 1999, Mitsubishi unleashed a special edition to celebrate its favourite driver’s four consecutive WRC drivers’ titles from 1996-1999; the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI 'Tommi Makinen Edition (TME). The Evolution VI was already a technological tour-de-force but the TME came equipped with a more responsive titanium turbocharger, uprated and lowered suspension, quicker steering, an upgraded exhaust, a new ECU, beefed-up transfer case internals, a redesigned front bumper for improved cooling and authentic 17-inch WRC Enkei alloy wheels. The interior featured embossed Recaro seats, a MOMO steering wheel and red stitching. The performance upgrades saw 0-60mph despatched in 4.4 seconds and a maximum top speed of 150mph. Power was rumoured to be north of 300bhp, rather than the 276bhp 'Gentleman’s agreement'.

Offered here is the rarest of all the Tommi Makinen derivatives and often regarded as the last of the true homologation specials. Ralliart UK planned to produce a limited run of twelve cars to celebrate Tommi Makinen’s unprecedented third win on the Monte Carlo Rally but, in fact, only five cars were built, this being Number #5.

The RS Monte Carlo edition started life as a standard competition RS model before the Ralliart Technical Team, headed by WRC Mitsubishi Works principal Toney Cox, applied their extensive knowledge to produce the ultimate Mitsubishi Evo. It was fitted with the renowned Ralliart UK Stage 1 engine performance pack providing stunning acceleration, improved throttle response and overall drivability. The uprated suspension was enhanced with specially developed Eibach springs which, with revised geometry, provided improved handling and the 'Monte Carlo' was equipped with the competition close-ratio gearbox and a Group N rally-specification front helical differential. The interior benefitted from Recaro SR front seats with the rear seats and doors trimmed in a matching fabric.

First registered to Ralliart UK Ltd. on 11th July 2001, Number#5 was subsequently sold to its one and only owner on 17th August 2001 with only 71 miles indicated, and today the odometer reads just 3,497 miles. The history file contains a copy of the original RS Monte Carlo press release from Mitsubishi Motor Sports and Ralliart and the original invoice to our owner. Essentially still factory fresh, Monte Carlo #5 has recently been checked over by a renowned rally preparation business and represents the final opportunity to own a pristine example of what, in our opinion, is the ultimate Evo.