Here's What Made The Mitsubishi 4G63T A Special JDM Engine

Iconic Japanese automaker Mitsubishi was passionate about rallying and motorsports in the early '90s. Most notable is the Galant VR-4, which was the overall winner of the World Rally Championship (WRC) Swedish and Ivory Coast rallies in 1991, and the progenitor of the legendary Lancer Evolution series. Mitsubishi unleashed the first Lancer Evolution (Evo) in 1992 with a similar 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four inherited from the Galant VR-4.

That engine, Mitsubishi's 4G63T, would go on to power every Lancer Evo from its first generation, all the way up to the ninth. The last Lancer Evo, the tenth-generation X, came to market with a new 4B11T engine, but didn't gain the cult status of the 4G63T.

Part of Mitsubishi Motor's Sirius family of engines that debuted in the late '70s, the 4G63T is arguably one of the most potent, reliable, and tuner-friendly JDM four-cylinder engines to enter commercial production. Enthusiasts refer to the Mitsubishi 4G63T as the Toyota 2JZ of four-cylinder engines, and it mostly has to do with the engine's over-engineered internals.

[Featured Image by Lou6977 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

The Mitsubishi 4G63T engine came in three generations. The first generation came from 1987 to 1996 and powered many Mitsubishi production and racing cars, from the Galant VR-4, Lancer EX 2000 Turbo, and Lancer EVO I to III.

The second-gen 4G63T entered the scene from 1996 to 2001, and powered the Lancer Evo IV, V, and VI to rally dominance. Swedish rally driver Tommi Mäkinen won consecutive WRC championships from 1996 to 1999, culminating in the rare Lancer Evolution 6.5 TME (Tomi Mäkinen Edition). The third-generation 4G63T came from 2001 to 2007 and powered the Lancer Evo VII, VIII, and IX. The Mk3 4G63T is unique for its MIVEC-equipped valvetrain.

All three generations of the 4G63T share a bore and stroke of 85 mm x 88 mm, and have an aluminum cylinder head and a cast-iron cylinder block with oil jets to cool the pistons. The sturdy engine block has cast aluminum pistons, a forged steel crankshaft, and forged connecting rods, enabling the 4G63T to handle more power than stock.

Proof of the 4G63T engine's potency is the Evo VIII FQ-400, a UK-bound special that is as rare as it is quick. Tuned by Mitsubishi Ralliart UK, only 100 FQ-400s left the factory: Each has a heavily reworked 4G63T with 405 horsepower, enough to push it from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The robust construction and astronomical tuning potential have made the Mitsubishi 4G63T a byword in the racing and tuning community.