Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Ix Wagon: For Hardcore Family Guys Only

January 9, 2020

It's easy to forget that Mitsubishi was once upon a time brave enough to offer a wagon bodystyle with its iconic Lancer Evolution. These longroof versions were created for the JDM market only and finding one outside the land of the Rising Sun is pretty surprising.

The pictured Evolution IX GT-A is offered for sale in Russia, where it was imported three years ago from Japan, showing 169,000 km (105k miles) on the odometer. It’s also fitted with a five-speed automatic transmission, an option available only in the wagon at the time.

Related: 10K-Mile Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX MR Should Be On Your Bucket List

The presence of the automatic transmission also means that the engine comes from the previous Evolution VII, a non-MIVEC 4G63 2.0-liter engine with a smaller turbocharger, tuned for better low-end torque. Factory output was rated at 268 HP (272 PS) and 253lb-ft (343 Nm) of torque.

Mitsubishi produced just 2,500 examples of the Lancer Evo IX Wagon, with the vast majority of them being GT-A models. These came with a slight weight penalty (around 154 lbs/70 kg), compared to their rarer manual siblings.

This was an attempt to introduce the Evolution legend to a less hardcore audience, with Mitsubishi removing the Super Active Yaw Control system of the four-door Evo and even adding front seats with less aggressive bolstering for easier entry and exit. However, the rest of the car was still an Evo, meaning one of the most capable performance cars on the planet, only now dressed in a more practical wagon body.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX Wagon was one of the most capable wagons on the market at its time, offering near-supercar pace on a winding road and the practicality every family was looking for. It’s also one of the coolest cars ever created, in case you ask us.