Why This Special Edition Mitsubishi Lancer Is Banned In The U.S. – SlashGear

Before we discuss the numbers, it’s critical to know the person behind the name. Tommi Makinen is a Finnish rally driver who made a big splash in 1990 by finishing third place in the 1990 FIA Cup Ranking onboard a Galant VR-4 Group N rally car (per Mitsubishi Motors). Makinen officially joined the Mitsubishi Ralliart Team in 1995 and won four consecutive WRC Driver’s Championship titles from 1996 to 1999. And with 19 World Rally Championship (WRC) victories under his belt, Tommi Makinen is a legend in the rallying circle and has elevated the Lancer Evo’s status to unprecedented heights.

Commemorating Makinen’s dominance in the WRC is the Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition. Sometimes referred to as the Evo 6.5 or the TME, it made its maiden Japanese debut in December 1999. Other publications said Mitsubishi only made 2,500 units of the legendary Evo 6.5, but the official TME registry declares 854 units sold in Europe and Australia and 3,238 cars sold in Japan. Still, a mint condition Lancer Evolution TME demands big money: In July 2022, a silver 2001 Lancer Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition sold at auction for a whopping $168,000 (per Car Scoops).