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The end of an era: Mitsubishi Evo takes its final bow

Cult classics come in a lot of forms. Strange but appealing movies, TV shows, even food items are remembered and loved for decades, long beyond what critics originally predicted.

And we can’t talk cult cars without talking about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

When the EVO was initially built in 1993 it was intended only for Japanese markets, but demand for the car grew quickly throughout the rest of the world. Through “grey import” markets, which sound sketchy at best, the car became available in Europe in 1998, and finally made it to the US in 2003.

It’s not a wildly popular car. Non-car folks may have never heard the name. But autocrossers, drifters and those of us who love hot hatches are loyal to the end.

And now, the end is here. After 10 different evolutions, the last EVO ever produced is at auction as we speak. As a goodbye gift, the EVO is going to give back to the communities that made it what it is.

All proceeds from the sale of the final EVO will benefit Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

“Mitsubishi Motors is proud to stand alongside our local Feeding America member food banks to help raise funds and awareness in support of Hunger Action Month,” said Don Swearingen, executive vice president and chief operating officer, MMNA. “Not only did we want to pay homage to Lancer Evolution’s historic U.S. run, but also make a difference in our local community by extending the auction’s reach nationwide. So as we bid farewell to a model that has long been the pulse of Mitsubishi, we stand committed to doing our part to help drive out hunger.”

The EVOX features a turbocharged DOCH 16-valve 4-cylinder engine with 303 horsepower. Not only is this is most powerful mass produced EVO ever made, this particular model is also collectable; Mitsubishi has fitted the US1600 EVO with a numbered plaque inside, so the winning bidder can reflect on their contribution.

For those in the Orange County community, the EVO legend will live on long past this auction.

“Too many people in our community are forced to make hard choices between rent and food, or medicine and food,” Nicole Suydam, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, said. “Mitsubishi’s auction of the final Lancer Evolution will make a big difference in the lives of so many men, women and children who look to us for support every day. We are very grateful for their generosity.”

The auction will be open on eBay through September 15.

Carolyn Briggs

I grew up on the road. As a child, my family took regular trips from Wisconsin to both coasts. That's how I've seen most of this country — through the window of a car. Years later, I still feel that excitement when I toss my bags in the trunk and get behind the wheel. That's how seeing something new always begins. I've scaled mountains, dived with sharks, and stepped to the very edge of the Grand Canyon, all because I spent hours in a car. This site combines my passion for the road with my actual talent — communication and journalism. In college I rose to the position of managing editor for The Badger Herald, the largest independent student newspaper in the country at the time. I spent a year after graduating in social media marketing before moving off the grid to explore the wild beauty of West Virginia.