The CN9A-spec Lancer Evolution IV marked the second era of the Lancer Evolution and it was based on what I refer to the Lancer "pizza" because of its pizza-shaped rear lamps. Launched in Japan since the summer of 1996, the Evo IV's 4G63 engine has been rotated around 180 degrees for space measures at the engine bay and the power output compared to the previous I to III has been bumped to 276HP of power and 260.3ft-lb of torque. This is the first Evo to come with an Active Yaw Control that replaced the previous model's mechanical limited slip differential. While this car of that era was followed by V and VI which are better looking and better to drive compared to this, rest assured that the IV is something to get used to especially if you are a member of a tough team of Evo drivers I'm familiar with.
I am very familiar about the Evo IV ever since the first Gran Turismo game but here on GT SPORT, it's a different experience behind the wheel because on the track, it feels somewhat grippy on the corners and tend to understeer. On dirt tracks, its presence thanks to its involvement in rallying really shows its true colors because during Mitsubishi's time at the WRC, they became a force to be reckoned with. Ah, how we missed the good old days, but this is no time to get sentimental because being a representative of the mid-90's JDM sportscars, it's time to see how much of a car the Evo IV is and with that, I went to Australia.
Specifically, I went to Mount Panorama, Bathurst, and find out. Having said that, the Lancer Evo IV is too grippy for a four-door sportscar and even with the traction control off, it doesn't feel like its off and as a result, some dreary understeer. I can really feel the understeering issues with the Evo IV and because being mated with a 5-speed manual, it's not quite good on the acceleration. Despite its faults, the Evo IV considers its faults as its challenge to push itself to the very foundation it set foot and this is how I delivered with this car.
Although imperfect, I had a lot of fun getting to know more about the Evo IV in a more realistic approach while trying to fight its grip at some technical turns at Bathurst. Like I was saying, the grip is considered to be a key challenge for this 4WD icon because with all that understeering going on at track use, it takes some fighting to get it cornered right but when I took it on the dirt track, it's fine. Is it because the Lancer Evo was made for rallying use rather than track use? It's hard to explain but either way, this Evo is worth a kick to drive.
Having finished my little one-on-one with the Evo IV, I made a little surprise in store for this car...
Remember this rival car? It sure brings us memories...
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