The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Might Be Coming Back After All
Rumours have surfaced that Mitsubishi might answer the calls of car enthusiasts across the globe and bring back its four-wheel drive performance car, the Lancer Evo.
Autocar has reported that the successor to the Mitsubishi Evo X could be built on the new CMF-C/D F4 platform, an architecture developed by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.
The 11th generation ‘Lan Evo’ (as Initial D connoisseurs refer to it) may share elements with future Renault Sport Meganes. The proposed engine for the next-generation French hot hatch is a turbocharged 2.0-litre mated to a dual-clutch gearbox that drives the front wheels. It’s this drivetrain that the Evo XI could be equipped with, but rather than powering just the front wheels, Mitsubishi’s version will be adapted to make it four-wheel drive. If previous Evos, and even Mitsubishi’s current SUVs, are anything to go by, it’ll be a very trick four-wheel drive system with S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control).
Don’t hold your breath waiting for a new Evo, though. Rob Lindley, managing director of Mitsubishi UK, explained to Car Throttle earlier this year the company was not looking at producing performance cars. “Mitsubishi’s focus is now SUVs, crossover, four-wheel drive, along with alternative fuel technology […] If you try and be in all the different segments of the market and follow trends, like sports cars, it would be difficult to be economically viable.”
The glimmer of hope we have is that platform sharing and inter-brand collaborations do allow cars for enthusiasts to be created. Projects that wouldn’t get off the ground if the costs couldn’t be shared are made possible by using existing engines and platforms. Just look at the new Toyota Supra and its BMW basis.
With Mitsubishi now tied in with Renault, which clearly intends to keep building hot hatches, and Nissan, that surely won’t let the GT-R name die, there may be plenty of resources for it to borrow to make a worthy addition to the Evo dynasty.
Comments
I’ll believe it when I’ll see it. Until then it’s just a rumour and nothing more. Like remember those rumours about new, 4 liter, 600+ hp Lexus V8 a few years ago? I do. And where is it? Nowhere to be seen.
I mean, maybe it was the LC500’s V8? Sure, didn’t live up to expectations, but they delivered
Remember the Eclipse rumors a few years ago? Look were it landed now lol
We still have the LS500 which is somewhat similar
Not going to lie i hope it comes back, my mechanic needs to put his kids through college and me buying an Evo again would be as good as a scholarship. Truth be told it’s more than likely never happening and if it does it’ll be a half arsed Hybrid of some sort.
I reckon it got accountant’ed into the LC500
It’ll probably look like this
If it looks like that I’mma commit die
bUt iT HaS tUrB0 aWD
What kind of world we live in where “making sports cars isn’t economically viable”.
Stop this crap I want to get off.
not again mitsubishi, dont you dare commit this heresy again, not now or ever again
Everyone rejoice! My faith for Mitsubishi is starting to come back… although i dont want to give my hopes up like i did for the new Eclipse rumors a few years back
DO IT!!!
Not gonna change my opinion about Renault
Worst french automaker, even PSA is better
Their racecars are really cool though.
same level, or even worse.
Two terrible things are on the table right now for discussion:
Most likely it will go south catering to the general audience who has no idea what does “car” means.
Only a slight (may be less than 5%) it will resurrect the true Evo we always loved.
Nothing beats the Evo 3 and Evo 4, to me they’re the best Evos.
8 and 9 and even 10 are some of myfavorite, and probably 6 too.