Holographic green paint with scissor doors - for those that want to go incognito

There comes an inevitable moment in almost every man’s life.

You know that moment has arrived when the wife refuses to sit in your lime green, 2 door sports car that rides on 20 inch chrome wheels.

With a baby on the way, she politely requests (in a non-negotiable way) that it’s time to buy something “less Fast and Furious” and something “more Practical and Proper”.

Oh, and to make things just that little bit more interesting, she yells out, “Don’t go spendin’ more than 15 grand or it’s baked beans for dinner and Dutch ovens for dessert!”.

Not wanting to exacerbate the wife’s pre-natal murderous tendencies (and not being a huge fan of cooking appliances from Holland), you start scouring the car yards.

Ford XR6 turbo or Holden Commodore SS? Lots of grunt but your reactions aren’t what they used to be and you don’t want to chance it with the baby on the way. Also, it’s probably a bad idea to throw the missus the keys to a 250kw+ rear wheel drive car to pick up the kids in torrential rain, especially when she’s used to driving something like a Toyota Yaris hatch back (in pink).

Subaru WRX? No can do. It’s been ages since you’ve owned a baseball bat and cap (and you’ve never even played baseball). Besides, the missus said it has to be proper, so unless you like doing your shopping drive through style (ie. drive through the front display window), the Rexie just won’t do.

I say old chap, how about we head down to play a game of croquet in my classy chariot?

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution! Yes! That’s it! It’s practical and somewhat more proper. It will take the baby seat, a boot full of groceries, and is still fun to drive. Its all wheel drive system means that the wife can drive it without coming back from the shops as white as a ghost. Oh, and it’s turbo charged too, which means that it’s a hoot to pilot.

“Tell us the price, son!”, you ask the dealer. He says “$75k, drive away, no more to pay and we’ll even throw in 1 floor mat”. Crap! About $60k over budget!

You sit there, head buried in your hands, wondering if you’re resigned to driving a Toyota Camry until the kids are old enough to get on the dole … ummm, we mean, “find meaningful work”.

Just what do you do?!

WHAT IS IT AND HOW MUCH WILL IT SET ME BACK?

Here at Motorv8me.com, we have the answer to your prayers.

All wheel drive? Check.

4 door sedan or wagon with full sized boot? Check.

Turbo charger? Yep! 2 of them!

Are we pulling your leg?!

Next, we’ll say that it costs under 12 thousand Australian dollars and also has the Evo’s active yaw control. In fact, that is exactly what Motorv8me.com is saying!

The front view of the Galant VR-4 - not bad at all

Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear was reputed to have described this car as the “Evo’s bigger brother”. We are of course talking about the Mitsubishi Galant and Legnum VR-4! The Galant is the sedan and the Legnum is the wagon version of the VR-4.

The Legnum VR-4 - one mean looking wagon

In the VR-4, you get a 2.5 litre, twin turbo, quad cam, 24 valve V6, good for 206kw and 363nm. In short, enough for most people in most situations on the road.

In its lightest spec, a manual Galant VR-4 weighs in at about 1,460kg. A fully loaded tiptronic Legnum VR-4 is about 1,550kg.

You get a practical, 4 door sedan or wagon that seats 5, with a boot or wagon hatch that is more than big enough for weekend trips, and Mitsubishi’s famous all wheel drive system, together with the active yaw control (AYC) on most VR-4 models. AYC is a fancy gizmo that helps reduce understeer and oversteer. This just means that it assists to keep the car planted by reducing the front end from pushing on or the rear end from sliding out when you’re driving it like it’s stolen.

V6 + twin turbo + 24 valves + quad cam = fun

The added bonus is that if the wife has to drive it and she can’t work the 5 speed manual gear box, you can also get the VR-4 with a 5 speed tiptronic box, which is perfect for auto driving down Parramatta Road or doing clutchless gear changes with a flick of the gear lever through Putty Road.

Believe it or not, you get all this for under 12 thousand Aussie dollars. In fact, Motorv8me.com has seen decent examples for not much more than $10k, especially if you use an import broker to help you bring the car into Australia. Incredible value!