Pure Rally Bred: Law’s Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition
There are only a handful of original left-hand drive Lancer Evolutions in the Philippines. And no, “Ebuos”, Lancer converts or whatever you call them don’t count. Because of their rarity, Evos often command a hefty premium over their Subaru turbo-boxer counterparts. In fact, you’ll probably have to shell out an arm, a leg and probably a couple more organs to be able to afford one today… that is if you find someone willing to sell theirs.
Out of the few pristine Evos we have in the country, there are some that truly stand out among the rest – unicorns as you may call them. We’re not talking about fully built Evos fitted with all the right aftermarket parts though. Instead, these are Evos that are not only rare here but also well sought after around the world. One such example is Law Go’s Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition or, as some may call it, the Evo 6.5 or simply the TME for short.
The astute Evo fan would instantly know what makes this Evo so special, but for those who only know about it by name its time for a quick history lesson. The TME is a special edition model of the Evo VI built and named after the legendary rally driver Tommi Makinen, who won four WRC Championship titles for Mitsubishi from 1996 to 1999. It featured a different front bumper, unique Recaro seats and other distinct bits and pieces. According to an online Evo registry, there are less than 5,000 units of the TME built worldwide, and less than 1,000 of them were built in LHD.
What makes Law’s Evo particularly unique out of the other Evos locally is that it is only 1 of 3 (or 4) original left-hand drive Evo VI TMEs in the country. It is also finished in its most famous color yet, Passion Red complete with matching decals. On the outside, it looks mostly stock apart from a blackened hood and an aftermarket exhaust. Rather than opting for the more popular Enkei Tarmacs, Law decided to go for the rarer 17-inch Ralliart wheels. Keen eyed readers would notice that this particular Evo TME has no rear wiper unlike most Evo VIs. This is because it is an RS2 version featuring lighter panels and glass.
Under the hood, Law tells me it’s mostly stock as well. Tein coilovers together with a Ralliart strut bar improve things on the Evo handling wise. Meanwhile, an ARC heat shield and cooling plate (both rare discontinued parts) give the engine bay some bling. Inside, the interior is really fresh despite the car’s age with no tears or signs of wear on the seats. Apart from a Ralliart shift knob and a Defi boost gauge, the interior is also stock.
Now, you’re probably going to say that this is one of the most boring cars we’ve featured on Street63 since it is a nearly bone stock Evo VI TME, but you see, that’s exactly it. There are numerous ways to go about and modifying an Evo, but Law knows how rare the TME is – especially here in the Philippines. Rather than going all out and turning it into a time attack Evo or catalog show car, he kept it stock to preserve the car’s heritage. He’s already had offers from various people, but he has turned them all down. Instead, he has decided to bring the Evo back to factory fresh form.
Soon, his Evo TME will be undergoing a full refresh complete with all new OEM parts. He will also be bringing it back to its original color, which was apparently Satellite Silver. Once complete, it will definitely be one of the Evos to look out for.
Surely you can expect us to be there when this Evo is reborn.
