Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI TME

Evo VI TME at a glance

The TME is part of our Mitsubishi catalogue. The whole Lancer line, from the 1973 saloon to the last Evo, is covered in our Mitsubishi Lancer history, and the later cars in our Lancer Evolution IX and X guide.

Why Mitsubishi built a Mäkinen edition

Tommi Mäkinen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title four seasons in a row, from 1996 to 1999. His cars were the Lancer Evolution III, IV, V and VI. In 1998, helped by his team-mate Richard Burns, Mitsubishi also won the constructors' championship, the only time the brand has done so. The Evo VI of 1999 was the car of the fourth title, and the special edition announced that December was Mitsubishi's way of marking the run.

What changed from the Evo VI

The standard Evo VI had concentrated on cooling and durability: a larger intercooler and oil cooler, new pistons, and smaller fog lamps moved to the bumper corners for better airflow. The TME kept the mechanical package and changed the details that matter on tarmac.

The New Zealand AutoTrader test also mentions a new silencer. Wikipedia notes that the titanium-aluminide turbine of the regular Evo VI RS was "the first in a production car".

TME engine, drivetrain and performance

Like every Evo of the period, the TME uses the 1,997 cc 4G63 four-cylinder with a twin-scroll turbocharger. Japanese makers then observed an advertised limit of 206 kW (280 PS), so the official figures stayed at 206 kW (280 PS) at 6,500 rpm and 373 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The AutoTrader tester found the boost building from about 3,000 rpm and the engine revving freely to about 7,000 rpm.

Supercars.net lists a kerb weight of 1,360 kg (AutoTrader NZ: 1,365 kg) and a top speed of about 240 km/h. That works out at 6.6 kg per kW by our calculation, a strong figure for a four-door saloon of 1999. No 0–100 km/h figure appears in the sources used here.

On the road: how the TME drives

AutoTrader NZ drove a 20-year-old TME GSR and found little bump steer and no understeer under power, with some torque steer that remained easy to manage. The steering was light and precise, though it passed some kickback through the rim, and the brakes were strong. The five-speed gearbox felt a little notchy after two decades, but its gates were well spaced. The weak point was the period dampers, which struggled with sharp bumps.

Dimensions and key specifications

Colours, versions and prices

The TME GSR was the road car, with Active Yaw Control, ABS, Recaro seats and automatic air conditioning. The TME RS was the stripped competition base, with a close-ratio gearbox and the titanium turbine as an option. Wikipedia lists red (exclusive to the TME), white, blue, black and silver, with the rally-style decals optional. AutoTrader NZ writes that only the red cars carried the Ralliart decals and that black was the rarest colour, with 244 cars.

In Japan the TME GSR cost ¥3,278,000 at launch in 1999 (about €32,000 at the exchange rate of the time), according to AutoTrader NZ. The Evo was sold officially in the UK and other European markets from the Evo IV onward, and AutoTrader NZ also reports New Zealand-new cars.

Buying a TME today

AutoTrader NZ describes the TME as reliable when kept standard and well maintained, and reports rising prices as buyers from the UK and the United States bid for cars at Japanese auctions. Its checklist for buyers:

• rust: Lancers of this age need undersealing and cavity protection checked;
• paint: factory paint quality is average, and resprayed panels are common;
• originality: many Evos were modified, and standard parts, such as original shock absorbers, are scarce and expensive;
• the Active Yaw Control differential can cause problems if the car has not been serviced properly.

Proof of a genuine TME matters as much as condition, because the bumper, wheels and decals can be fitted to an ordinary Evo VI. Our car comparison tool helps to set the TME's figures against later Evos and other four-wheel-drive performance saloons, and the car finder lists current cars with similar power.

Photo gallery