It was a sad day for petrolheads around the world when Mitsubishi killed off the iconic Lancer Evolution.

The Lancer Evo is, to this day, the Japanese automaker’s most well-regarded performance model and, throughout its life and many iterations, proved to be the perfect rival to the Subaru WRX STi. Even so, Mitsubishi has decided that it doesn’t need the Evo in its lineup and is focusing on SUVs and crossovers instead. Fortunately, there are lots of Evos out there that have been well-maintained and are loved by their owners, as Doug DeMuro recently discovered.

Featured in this review is a 2014 Lancer Evolution X GSR. The car is rocking a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out 291 hp and 300 lb-ft (407 Nm) of torque in North American specification.

As this is an entry-level GSR variant, it comes with the standard five-speed manual transmission as opposed to the six-speed dual-clutch of other variants. In case you’re wondering why the manual has five gears instead of six, it’s simply because Mitsubishi’s five-speed ‘box is stronger than the six-speed of previous Evo models and can handle big power. Given how common it is for owners to modify their Evos, we reckon that would be more than welcome.

Coupled to the engine and transmission is Mitsubishi’s advanced S-AWC four-wheel drive system that uses torque vectoring. What this all means is that, as with previous generations of Evo, the X is a serious performer and can take corners at speeds that simply boggle the mind.