Mention the words Lancer Evolution, and to the average Joe, it may convey images of souped-up cars and illegal racing by 'ah bengs'. For the car enthusiast, it is seen as a powerful car with decent performance, and one may bemoan the demise of the 'Evo' as Mitsubishi shifts its production to SUVs instead. However, as with old cars here, older Evos tend to be neglected by most people. To be honest, I did not really think much of them until I saw this 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 3 GSR here!
The Evo is the 'high-performance' variant of the regular Lancer cars that we are more familiar with. It was built in limited numbers initially in order to acquire World Rally Championship homologation (ie to be able to compete in the rally races). Available in 10 different versions, they resemble their 'plebeian' cousins even though they were based on different chassis/platforms. Introduced in 1995, the Evo 3 differed from the previous editions by featuring more aggressive styling, side skirts, a large front bumper to introduce more air into the radiator and a larger spoiler, which was unusual for 'regular' cars at that time. GSR models were equipped with conveniences of a typical street car, such as power windows and a rear wiper.
The Evo 3 is well-known for its debut on Jackie Chan's film Thunderbolt, where it pulled off a series of cool stunts that most people would dream of. Interestingly, Jackie Chan had signed a contract with Mitsubishi, where its vehicles feature almost exclusively in his films. It was powered by the classic 1997 cc 4G63T i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 180 km/h. It was 4310 mm long and weighed 1260 kg.
Production ended in 1996 with 8,998 GSR units made, where it was replaced by the more famous Evo 4. This unit has been in Singapore since the 90s and I believe it is the only one left here. Back then, Evo 3s were not that well-known outside Japan and this was thus parallel-imported. Having changed hands a couple of times, it has been subjected to an overhaul by the current owner, such as the retro 1996 International Swedish Rally livery that sets it apart with its burst of colour. As can be seen, it was previously in Scotia White paint before the livery added a nice classic vibe.
Fortuitously, this car does appear quite often at events, compared to when it was a 'garage queen' that rarely saw daylight. This unit joins an exclusive group of around 10 classic Evos that still exist here, do keep a lookout for them!
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