Operation: Tsukuba - 411

The EVO I retained the turbocharged 2.0L 4G63 inline-four and all-wheel drivetrain of its predecessor, the Galant VR-4, but was given a slight bump in power, and weighed over 460 pounds less. A shorter wheel base and improvements in suspension and braking capabilities, along with aerodynamic tuning, made it a multi-surface motorsport success; the EVO I earned podium finishes in five major global rally events in its first year competing, and claimed the Second Place Manufacturers' Championship honor of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) for 1993.

The '92-'93 EVO I appeared in showrooms in two trims: the GSR, with all the amenities of any modern street-going vessel, and the RS, a stripped-down, track-ready version lacking over 150 pounds of creature comforts like power windows and seats, ABS, rear wiper, and alloy wheels. Initial production of the EVO was kept small and limited only to Japan, but other Mitsu cars released throughout the rest of the world shared similarities; the 4G63 and AWD system of the EVO I and Galant VR-4 were included in the Eclipse and Eagle Talon for left-hand-drive markets like ours.

The power and popularity that today's favorite AWD turbo-fours bring to the table can only be accredited to the spirit of competition that drove the EVO to fight for dominance by "evolving" nine times in only 16 years, in an effort to continually remain one step ahead of its rivals. The bar was set so high by the original EVO I, that a limited-production race car created over 15 years ago for only one market, today can be found on the streets of every major industrialized country in the world, driven by average citizens, whooping up on six-figure exotics without squealing a tire.