The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo is near the top of our list of cars which we think deserve a comeback. Before Mercedes-AMG was making hatchbacks, before the Golf R was born as the R32, this Japanese sports sedan pioneered the concept of turning a compact car into an AWD monster.
Even about a decade after the model reached its peak, there's an army of big-turbo-loving Evo fans in America. So it would be a shame not to share this modernizing rendering from artist TheSketchMonkey, which attempted to create a 2021 version of the 10th-gen beast of a sedan.
In most cases, "modernizing" renderings are based on cars from past decades that were interesting yet would not make sense in the modern world. However, a new Evo would be a resounding success if built to the right standards, with a mighty 2.0-liter engine derived from racing tech and some trick AWD system.
The problem with the Evo is Mitsubishi itself. The company has been struggling for many years and only really makes sense in a few Asian markets. So when CEOs say some automakers might not survive this decade, they're probably thinking about this brand in particular. There have even been rumors that Nissan wants to dump its stake in the brand.
In any case, let's not talk about depressing stuff and simply look at what TheSketchMonkey has done. His 2021 Mitsubishi Evo is based around the style of the Evo X, but is updated to modern construction standards. Everything looks a little crisper, from the door handles to the super-narrow LED taillights.
It's also got a cool-looking wing and what looks to be a carbon fiber diffuser wrapped around quad exhaust tips. Yeah, we're superficial for liking that stuff, but life's too short to drive cars with just one exhaust pipe. Plus, an Evo like this would be similar to a discounted Jaguar XE Project 8, don't you think?
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. Full profile
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