I was trying to figure out what the differences (exterior) are between all of the evos that have been sold in the US?

I know the engine gets more HP and better each time but how can you tell them apart externally if they dont have any badges on them?

 

All the VIII's look the same except that the MR versions have BBS rims and black tail lights. IX's have a new bumper and re-designed rims.

 

engines do not change...the viiis are all the same and the ixs are all the same

mitsubishimotors.com

 

This is the VISUAL EXTERIOR stuff

2003 Evo - comes with small wing (from regular Lancer) or carbon-fiber wing (in most cases)
2004 Evo - same as 2003
2004 Evo RS - black mirrors, black door handles, no factory wing
2005 Evo - same as 2004
2005 Evo RS - same as 2004
2005 Evo MR - adds black vortex generator, zero-lift kit, BBS wheels
2006 Evo - new front bumper, new Enkei wheels, smoked headlights, smoked taillights, body-colored wing supports
2006 Evo RS - new front bumper, new Enkei wheels, smoked headlights, smoked taillights
2006 Evo MR - new front bumper, smoked headlights, smoked taillights, body-colored wing supports, body-colored vortex generator, zero-lift kit
2006 Evo SE - same as 2006 Evo but with deeper front lip, diamond black BBS wheels
2006 Evo MR SE - same as 2006 Evo MR but with deeper front lip, diamond black BBS wheels

 

8 MR's have the same taillights, all IX's have the black taillights. the only 8's with black taillights are JDM.

 

actually, it was available in graphite grey, rally red, apex silver, and wicked white. however, the graphite grey was a color exclusive to the MR and did not become available on all evo models until the IX.

 

Oh, I guess I forgot then. Thanks for the correction, I'll be sure to edit my post.

 

so what about the MIVEC head in the IX? and the redesigned piston/ring combo, and head coolant passages, and bigger turbo? and the totally redesigned ECU? oh, nevermind, you're saying all the VII's(GSR, MR, RS)have the same engine, and all IX models have the same engine. i thought you meant the VIII and IX engines were the same.

 

also, all RS, MR, and SE models of the VIII and IX generation have an aluminum roof panel, which is visually identifyable if you know what to look for. the aluminum roofs have ridges near the edges where the GSR/SSL roof is completely smooth. also, you can see the yellow bilsteins of an MR from the side veiw so i guess that would count.

 

True, but those things are less noticeable, plus the more obvious characteristics would've given away if an Evo was the regular version, RS or MR by that point.

 

there are alot of knock-off MR's out there with bilsteins, BBS', and a vortex generator, where the only way to tell besides the 6-speed is the roof ridges. you can almost always tell an RS since the door handles and mirrors are black instead of painted to color match the car.

 

But I don't think that the thread starter was intending to differentiate knock-offs from the real deal. I think they just wanted to know the obvious exterior characteristics so that he could probably tell which kind of Evo he might be driving alongside on the freeway or something, when you can't exactly look at the roof ridges.

Don't get me wrong though, you bring up some valid points, and it's true that there are a lot of MR knock-offs, just like how a lot of guys with WRXs slap on some STi exterior bits. But I think that we're making things far more complex than they need to be.