Mitsubishi Evo X attracts premium buyers
July 1, 2008 by George Skentzos
The new Lancer Evolution X is drawing some unlikely new customers to Mitsubishi from premium German manufacturers as well as other Japanese marques.
A study of Evo X buyers since its launch in the UK this March has revealed some startling statistics – including one owner trading in their supercar for the new rally king.
The research has revealed that 38 percent of Twin Clutch SST buyers have switched over from premium German brands such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes – with a further 31 percent defecting from competing Japanese brands such as Subaru.
Sales of the manual transmission however have been dominated by existing Evo owners, accounting for 40 percent of the total with a further 19 percent from German and 20 percent from Japanese manufacturers respectively.
“This shows that the new Evolution X is certainly attracting people out of German cars, especially into the SST, and that the manual gearbox car is not only attracting traditional Evo customers, but also customers of other Japanese marques.”Lance Bradley, Mitsubishi UK’s Sales and Marketing Director.
In an extraordinary case, a Ferrari F430 was traded in at a dealer for a brand new Lancer Evolution X FQ-300 SST along with a cheque for £90,000.
Print it: 
I hope the interior is better than that which is in the lower level Lancer models. Horrible plastics abound.
I dunno if I could live with a Evo X on a day to day basis, perfect for some track day or Sunday cruise fun though.
i don’t know where people get this “horrible” plastics on the interior of the latest lancer.. yeah sure it’s not Audi or VW standard, but it’s hardly “horrible”. It’s pretty standard japanese affair, of equal standard to mazda, honda, toyota etc.
I think too many people think that if a previous model of a car had a certain trait then all future models will have that same trait. Yes the previous model lancers DID have horrible plastics on the interior, but the current model if fine, just not great.
I’ll have one in blue thanks
If they have a reasonably spacious interior than its just about perfect.
High tech, looks stunning.
But watch is sip more fuel than most v8’s.
The new interior is a MASSIVE step up from the old ones.
It’s good, and kind of sad. The brutish EVO series he know and love is now gone, replaced with this refined, well-mannered road car. While it’s good, it’s not scary as the old Evolution badge tended to mean.
It does, however, drive fantastic. Personally, I would happily take this over any sub 80K BMW anyday of the week.
A 135i is a pretty nice alternative
it’s not horrible, its just HARD and not the squishy type.
This car is in urgent need of a Bum lift, some sort of launch control for the SST, 30 Kilowatts, and around 50Nm more. If not, it will be the STi’s bitch!
All this tells me is that some people are quite tasteless, who in their right mind would get rid of an F430 for this… Given I could afford it, I sure as hell would have kept the F430. Only one word comes to mind, idiocy.
Top Gear showed that the STi is the faster car (minor difference), even though it didn’t look all that quick. I’d rather have the STi for it more refined daily attitude.
With their fugly little hatch back Subaru made life easy for Mitsubishi this time around!
Martin Says:
July 1st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
All this tells me is that some people are quite tasteless, who in their right mind would get rid of an F430 for this… Given I could afford it, I sure as hell would have kept the F430. Only one word comes to mind, idiocy.
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He probably found that the running costs for the Ferrari were too high. With an Evo you can have another 4 passengers, space for luggage, more creature comforts, and you can use it as an everyday car.
yeah but if you buy a ferrari, you shouldnt (imo) be worried about running costs!
Probably had a child. (Well his wife, you know what I mean).
If you have superannuation or share market investments, you will know why the Ferrari had to be sold.
He’s lost his shirt on the market, and the Ferrari had to go.
Nice car apart from the crappy interior plastics typical of small Jap cars these days and people criticise Korean Interior plastics geez.
Chucky says:
“He probably found that the running costs for the Ferrari were too high. With an Evo you can have another 4 passengers, space for luggage, more creature comforts, and you can use it as an everyday car. ”
ugh… if you can afford an F430 in the first place, I’m sure you would be able to afford fuel as well.
Anyway, I reackon is a lie/publicity stunt to make people think its better car than it is. I mean come on, you can’t tell me a mitsubishi is better than a Ferrari.
would you swap an F430 for an evo X and £90,000?
Nice but wtf is with the steering wheel, move the telephone controls to right side instead of along the bottom-left. Ruins the symmetry and is less practical.
Captcha: evo
Holden and HSV were also crapping on a bit a few years back about how many people were trading out of BMWs and Benzes into their new models… somehow manufacturers think they must be cool by association. Just because some of their buyers trade an old Audi, BMW or any other premium brand doesnot mean they chose their new Holden or Mitsubishi over a new Audi S3 or 135i ect.