This 794-mile ex-Richard Burns Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 could be yours for £100k

The world’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution populace is still going strong - just go and check your nearest Halford's car park after midnight for proof. If you truly want to go one better and single yourself out, you need a Tommi Makinen Edition. And to go two better, you need one owned by the late rallying phenom, Richard Burns.  

As it happens, such an opportunity has now opened up courtesy of Iconic Auctioneers… if you’ve got between £80k and £100k lying around (McDonald’s vouchers not accepted).

This stunning Pyrenean Black, fifth-generation GSR ‘S500 TMR’ has just 794 miles on the clock, and was gifted to Burns following his role in Mitsubishi’s 1998 Constructor’s Title success in the World Rally Championship. Though he left ahead of the next campaign and signed for cross-country rivals Subaru, so being seen in a souped-up Evo probably would’ve violated the terms of his new contract.

But he never sold it, and instead allowed it to take up residence in his personal collection where it stayed until 2020, when Iconic Auctioneers acquired it from the Burns family and sent it off for a £16,500 restoration job. Fair, given it likely accumulated more dust than the Sahara Desert following its years of hibernation.

You’ll be wanting to know about the internals at this point, and yes, the details are juicy. Its 2.0-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine is supported by an intercooled twin-scroll turbocharger, and further augmented by an upgraded radiator and oil cooler. The resulting 280bhp may not sound like much, but remember that this car can use all its power on any and every surface. Including the perilous 2.25-mile Coventry ring road.

The reason it can use that grunt so fluidly is the same reason that makes almost all Evos so great: the handling. Boasting Mitsubishi’s trusty ‘SAWC’ 4WD system and Active Yaw Control, in addition to large Brembo brakes and a wider-than-normal track, this Evo is loose surface poetry in motion. Even with grandma behind the wheel. 

Included in the price is a selection of unique personal trinkets belonging to England’s sole WRC champion, such as the V5C with his name on it, a memory stick documenting the car’s life in photos, and even a Richard Burns-branded baseball cap from his original clothing line. The memorabilia alone is priceless, but considering this car still has a lifetime of use ahead of it, this purchase feels like daylight robbery.