DOES anybody remember or care that it was Mitsubishi – and not Subaru – that ushered in the rally-bred turbo-charged four-wheel drive pocket-rocket era of the 1990s with the CC-series Lancer GSR? Yes, the Liberty RS Turbo beat it by a year on the market, but that was a much larger car. Now, the new Lancer Ralliart looms large over the likes of the established Impreza WRX and VW Golf GTI, offering a scintillating performance package that's available in both four-door sedan and five-door (Sportback) hatch guises and is underlined by keen pricing and the formidable reputation of its scorching Evolution X brother. So how does the latest addition to the Ralliart family rate?

Mitsubishi CC Lancer GSR
Released: November 1992
Ended: July 1996
Family Tree: LancerOut of nowhere, Mitsubishi helped to reshape small-car performance parameters with the GSR, a turbocharged, all-wheel drive pocket-rocket residing in the smart but serious clothing of the CC Lancer four-door sedan. The GSR received rave reviews thanks to its turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that pumped out 145kW and 255Nm of torque, as well as its amazing handling, roadholding, all-weather grip and user-friendly interior and packaging. Buyers scored a five-speed manual gearbox, anti-lock brakes, alloy wheels, power steering and an understated body kit. That Mitsubishi eventually relinquished the GSR to the latter Subaru Impreza WRX in Australia is one of the great modern motoring mysteries.
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