Q: Should I buy a grey import or UK car, what are the differences? A: Just to completely confuse matters, currently all Evolutions are in fact grey imports and will be for the forseeable future. There is no European Type Approval for any Evolution model therefore all models are grey imports and have to undergo Single Vehicle Approval or SVA upon entering the EU (unless via Eire but that’s another story!). The real question should be ‘Do I buy an official Mitsubishi/CCC or Ex Ralliart UK car or a non-official car?’ For the purposes of this question I will call the cars ‘UK’ and ‘import’. Contrary to what anybody may tell you there are no major differences between a UK car and an import. All Evolutions come from exactly the same production line in Japan and they are all built to Japanese home market specifications. The new official Mitsubishi/CCC Evo 7’s will have slight engine management differences making them more suitable for UK fuel grades but it is something that anybody can do if they go to the right tuner. There are a couple of differences worth considering though, namely warranties and car insurance. You will find that Mitsubishi/CCC can offer a fairly comprehensive warranty on new cars where as some aftermarket warranties are not worth much more than the paper they are written on. If you can find a tried and trusted warranty company to cover your import (or you simply don't want a warranty) then there is no reason not to contemplate an import. Remember if you plan to modify your car in the future you will almost certainly invalidate your warranty. Some car insurance companies will only insure or offer a better rate for a UK car. It is just a case of shopping around a bit more although many insurance companies now class a UK and grey import Evo as one and the same and charge ‘grey’ rates. Make sure though that any insurance company you go to does realise what they are quoting for otherwise you may have trouble in the event of a claim. If you do go for an import make sure it has been sourced direct from Japan by a reputable dealer or import agent. There is a slight price differential between grey imports and the official UK cars and that is also reflected in second hand values. Don’t get confused that UK cars hold their value better than grey imports, they both depreciate at the same rate it’s just you will pay a lot less for a brand new grey import in the first place hence the slight difference in second hand prices.  See the Buyers Guide for more details.     Back to question page