Photo: Mitsubishi
It’s hard to imagine Mitsubishi today without the Lancer Evolution. Introduced in 1992 with the engine of the Galant VR-4, the rally-bred series of all-wheel-drive sedans came to a grinding halt after four FIA WRC drivers’ titles, a constructors’ title, and 10 generations.
The Lancer Evolution shouldn’t be taken at face value, though. Mitsubishi has tried to make a name for itself on the motorsport stage ever since 1961 with the 500 Super DeLuxe that featured an air-cooled engine with two cylinders, 594 cubic centimeters, and 25 horsepower. A little over two decades later, the Pajero took the overall win in the 1985 Paris-Dakar Rally.
At the present moment, however, the Japanese manufacturer is a shadow of its former self in terms of racing and rallying. Buried at the back of the 2020 financial report, Mitsubishi mentioned that it will resurrect the Ralliart high-performance arm despite net losses of $3.4 billion.
It remains to be seen what will happen to the automaker in the near term, but the situation isn’t rosy right now. At the annual general meeting of shareholders, president Takao Kato said that the company still isn’t strong enough despite calls from shareholders to revive the Lancer Evolution.
“We had a big deficit in the previous year, so we first revived the company and then put out the cars that fans are waiting for,” he said, probably referring to the all-new Outlander, Eclipse Cross PHEV, and Airtek EV.
According to the Japanese publication Response, the Minato-based automaker is also focused on electrification. Mitsubishi plans to launch electrified versions of every nameplate by 2030, which is a very tall order for such a financially stressed company that is at the mercy of Nissan high-ranking executives.
Alas, the Lancer Evolution isn’t coming back anytime soon, but there’s hope within Mitsubishi that the road-going performance sedan will return by the decade’s end.
At the present moment, however, the Japanese manufacturer is a shadow of its former self in terms of racing and rallying. Buried at the back of the 2020 financial report, Mitsubishi mentioned that it will resurrect the Ralliart high-performance arm despite net losses of $3.4 billion.
It remains to be seen what will happen to the automaker in the near term, but the situation isn’t rosy right now. At the annual general meeting of shareholders, president Takao Kato said that the company still isn’t strong enough despite calls from shareholders to revive the Lancer Evolution.
“We had a big deficit in the previous year, so we first revived the company and then put out the cars that fans are waiting for,” he said, probably referring to the all-new Outlander, Eclipse Cross PHEV, and Airtek EV.
According to the Japanese publication Response, the Minato-based automaker is also focused on electrification. Mitsubishi plans to launch electrified versions of every nameplate by 2030, which is a very tall order for such a financially stressed company that is at the mercy of Nissan high-ranking executives.
Alas, the Lancer Evolution isn’t coming back anytime soon, but there’s hope within Mitsubishi that the road-going performance sedan will return by the decade’s end.
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