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Futuristic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a Rendering

The Mitsubishi Evo and the Subaru WRX STI were locked in a heated rivalry for many years. But only one survives to this day. And because the STI is actually thriving and getting a new version soon, fans of its opponent might question why no Evo XII exists.
Futuristic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a Rendering 32 photos
Photo: Enoch Gabriel Gonzales/Behance
Futuristic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a RenderingFuturistic 2023 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XII Is Sadly Only a Rendering
Why the Evo XII? Because that's roughly where we'd be if production didn't stop in 2016. The older Mitsubishi Evo X is still a cult car with a tunable four-cylinder engine. But it's slowly being forgotten as the Japanese automaker doesn't have the cash to support making compact sedans with rally-racing pedigree.

Thankfully, fans are keeping the Evo name alive. The builders keep things interesting by putting bigger turbos on, while street machines make the Evo look more expensive than it actually is. We're big fans of the Varis VRS widebody, for example.

The lack of an Evo comes down to Mitsubishi's struggle as a company and the compact segment as a whole. Sure, the Audi RS3 sedan is amazing, but you don't really see that many A3 models around, at least not compared to the glory days of the segment.

Of course, we'd be happy if they built an Evo version out of a crossover like the Eclipse Cross or Outlander Sport. There's precedent for this, with Volkswagen recently launching the T-Roc R and Tiguan R. Of course, a true Evo has to take the shape of a sedan, and that's what we have in this rendering, a futuristic rival to the Subaru WRX STI.

Artist Enoch Gabriel Gonzales has pieced together an aggress-looking machine with no link to Mitsubishi's current boring inventory. We see hints from several other automakers, primarily Japanese and Korean ones which are more adventurous with their lines.

At the front, the LED light signature snakes around to create a halo shape that's halfway between a BMW 3 Series and a Kia mid-sized sedan. And we just love that bumper! It's like the perfect tribute to an Evo V Group A (1998).

The profile is more like a four-door coupe, as the roof line goes all the way to the back. We've long argued that this is what attractive compacts are supposed to look like, and you're seeing it with the Hyundai Elantra and probably the next-gen WRX and STI.

Of course, it wouldn't be sporty enough without an oversized rear wing and the obligatory quad exhaust system. So what do you think?
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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