Ah, the Evo. Let’s pause for a moment, and thank the powers that be us North Americans can finally appreciate this little beast. It was not so long ago the management at Mitsubishi saw no market for this car here. That a street version of a World Rally Championship race car would have no appeal to us. The recipe is both simple yet extraordinarily complex at the same time. Take your bland bread and butter compact, then add the most exotic technology you have access too, throw in fender flares and spoilers, and of course, a borderline insane drivetrain to rival some of the best sports cars out there, and there you have it. The Evo.
The Evo has enjoyed (or been dogged by) its reputation for being brassy, loud and obnoxious, and a little rough around the edges in comparison to its obvious rival, the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. Regular readers of The Garage may recall our video review of an Evo MR, and it was during that time our friends at Mitsubishi told us a more luxurious Touring model would be joining the Evo family. Naturally, we were curious. An Evo with a hint of refinement? Is this a car you can take to finishing school? Read on to find out.