Photo: Mitsubishi
When Mitsubishi recently released the most extreme Evo X edition so far, the FQ-440 MR, we were glad to see a 440 HP Evo join the battle. Nonetheless, such an edition usually signifies the end of a vehicle’s lifespan and the Evo is no exception to this - Mitsubishi will pull the Lancer Evolution out of production by the end of the current year, as Japan’s Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun (Automotive News Daily) writes.
Not only did the FQ-440 foretell the end of the Evo story, but the vehicle’s fate seemed sealed ever since 2011. Back then, Mitsubishi made it clear that the Evo X would be “the last of its kind”.
The Evo came to be back in 1992, when Mitsubishi was willing to bring its rally expertise to the road. The company has whitdrawn from rallying meanwhile and is currently in the midst of a process that aims to transform it into an eco vehicle producer.
Despite many fans protesting, Mitsubishi stands behind the idea that the Evo, in its current form, does not fir the company new profile. Thus, there are two possible “futures” for the Lancer Evolution.
Mitsubishi could drop the model altogether, as investing in a new project of this kind requires serious costs - the Evo has evolved to an astonishing performance level and thus its successor would have the difficult task of at least matching this, while playing Mitshubishi’s green part. Moreover, the Evo has always been criticized for its mediocre cabin and the new model would have to seriously up the ante on this front.
Hopefully, the last few paragraphs will not translate themselves into reality and we will get to see an actual future for the Evo. Most of the unofficial reports see the Evo’s replacement as a performance hybrid.
Still, like we said, the task seems anything but easy for a manufacturer which is struggling to find its identity. The Evo’s successor would have to meet the current model’s performance threshold - battling it out with supercars when the road gets wet, for instance. Despite this, it would have be seriously eco, not just wear an electric motor for the sake of it.
Regardless of this, if Mitsubishi decides to take the Evo’s legacy further, the result won’t show up quicker than a few years from now.
The Evo came to be back in 1992, when Mitsubishi was willing to bring its rally expertise to the road. The company has whitdrawn from rallying meanwhile and is currently in the midst of a process that aims to transform it into an eco vehicle producer.
Despite many fans protesting, Mitsubishi stands behind the idea that the Evo, in its current form, does not fir the company new profile. Thus, there are two possible “futures” for the Lancer Evolution.
Mitsubishi could drop the model altogether, as investing in a new project of this kind requires serious costs - the Evo has evolved to an astonishing performance level and thus its successor would have the difficult task of at least matching this, while playing Mitshubishi’s green part. Moreover, the Evo has always been criticized for its mediocre cabin and the new model would have to seriously up the ante on this front.
Hopefully, the last few paragraphs will not translate themselves into reality and we will get to see an actual future for the Evo. Most of the unofficial reports see the Evo’s replacement as a performance hybrid.
Still, like we said, the task seems anything but easy for a manufacturer which is struggling to find its identity. The Evo’s successor would have to meet the current model’s performance threshold - battling it out with supercars when the road gets wet, for instance. Despite this, it would have be seriously eco, not just wear an electric motor for the sake of it.
Regardless of this, if Mitsubishi decides to take the Evo’s legacy further, the result won’t show up quicker than a few years from now.
Google News