Do Off-Roaders Get Any Cooler Than This Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution?

While the ‘Evolution’ name is most commonly associated with the iconic Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the Japanese car manufacturer also used it to denote the ultimate version of the Pajero.

The Pajero Evolution was produced specifically to win the Dakar Rally and between 1985 and 2007, different versions of the off-roader claimed no less than 12 Dakar victories. Mitsubishi also built approximately 2,500 road-going examples of the Pajero Evolution and one of them is currently up for auction in Australia.

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This particular Pajero Evolution has spent most of its life in Japan before it was imported into Australia. It is painted in Sophia White, one of the three colors available for the off-roader, the others being Satellite Silver and Passion Red.

While the listing notes that the Mitsubishi has been driven 180,756 km (112,316 miles) since leaving the factory as a 1997 model year, it looks to have been well-maintained over the years and the exterior shows no obvious signs of damage, perhaps suggesting that the previous owners haven’t actually done much off-roading with it.

Compared to a standard Pajero (or Montero as it was called at this side of the Atlantic) that you may be familiar with, the Evolution benefits from a plethora of exterior upgrades. For example, it has flared arches, a distinctive front end with a pronounced skid plate, a bespoke hood, and a unique rear end that includes aerodynamic fins on the roof.

Powering the off-roader is a 3.5-liter V6 pumping out 280 hp and 264 lb-ft (358 Nm) of torque from 3,000 rpm. The Pajero’s automatic transmission drives all four wheels and allows it to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in a respectable 8.1 seconds.

Shannons expects the off-roader to sell for between AU$65,000 and AU$75,000.