Lancer Evolution is one of the most underrated icons of the 2000s car scene. Also known as the Evo, this Mitsubishi sports sedan gained attention for its frequent success in the World Rally Championship series.

However, the Lancer Evolution also gained notoriety for consistently failing to release in the United States.

According to a

Car and Driver

article from 2001, there was hope that the seventh-generation model, the Evo VII, would finally be sold in the U.S. This ultimately failed to happen, but the legend of the Evo continued to grow.

This was in part because the Evolution VII gained an association with Paul Walker.

Specs of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII

Aesthetically, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII has the styling of a rally car of the era. It is complete with a futuristic rounded design and an aggressive spoiler.

In terms of power, the Evo VII uses a turbocharged four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine that produces 276 horsepower.

This is actually the same engine that all standard Evo models across generations used, and it regularly received positive reviews. The Evo VII could go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 4.8 seconds.

The Evo VII was mainly sold in two trims: the RS and GRS. RS model Lancer Evolution cars were more focused on racing, so they came standard with features that focused on performance.

Meanwhile, the GRS was more of a luxury model with features like an improved sound system.

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How Paul Walker brought the Evo to American audiences

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The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution had gained acclaim for its performance in racing. However, more general audiences got their first taste of the Evo when had its major breakout movie performance.

According to

Motor Authority

, the Evo VII was featured as one of the cars driven by Paul Walker in the film 2 Fast 2 Furious. The striking lime green Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was one of many cars shown off in the movie, but it stood out. For many American viewers, this would have been the first time they got to witness the Evo.

The Evo VII was almost not used in the movie because of how difficult it was for the American production crew to find. Because the Evo hadn't been released in the U.S. at that point, the crew considered going with Dodge SRT-4 instead.

Luckily, they were able to get a few Evo VII models from Mitsubishi, and the Japanese icon secured its place in cinematic history.

Did the Evo ever release in the United States?

MORE: There's a Museum Where You Can See the 'Fast and Furious' Cars and More

Despite hopes and rumors, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII did not release in the United States. In 2001, Mitsubishi planned to produce 10,000 Evo units, but none of them made their way to the States. Some did, however, ship to the United Kingdom and Australia.

The news wouldn't stay bad for long, though. According to

Forbes

, the next generation, the Evo VIII, finally got an American release in 2003.

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For years, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was elusive for American drivers. There was interest in the Japanese sports car, but it took time for there to be enough interest to justify bringing it to the American market.

Affordable car insurance does not have to be as hard to access as the Evo, though, and Jerry can help you find it.

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