Photo: Instagram | Kelsonik
With most new car buyers favoring crossovers and SUVs over the traditional body styles, it's no wonder that certain low-slung models were completely dropped, and others will follow in their footsteps. And while we may be good with not seeing a minivan for as long as there's a heart beating in our chest, we still cannot comprehend that we will never see a new-gen Mitsubishi Lancer EVO.
The Lancer nameplate is alive and well in certain Asian countries, though it now features the Grand suffix. It's made at the Yangmei factory in Taiwan, and there's nothing particularly hot to write home about regarding the firepower. The construction is the same one that underpinned its predecessor, which was otherwise offered in the Evolution form.
Enthusiasts are still crying about it, as it left a void that the Japanese automaker does not seem interested in filling anymore. The last one left production for good in 2016, being sent off by the aptly-named Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X Final Edition. It packed a 291-horsepower and 300 lb-ft (406 Nm) of torque motor, which may have been short of the eponymous concept's 473 hp, but it simply stayed true to the standard EVO X in this chapter.
Nevertheless, those who are vaguely familiar with the EVO lineup can tell you that despite having identical thrust and output, it set itself apart from the regular variant by sporting a few upgrades. The chassis was retuned, it had Brembo brakes backing up the BBS alloys, Final Edition logos, black leather-wrapped Recaro sports seats in the cockpit, red contrast stitching, and a few other bits and bobs. The Final Edition version of the Lancer EVO could deal with loose surfaces very well, as it built on the legacy of its iconic predecessors. Production was limited to 1,000 units, and unfortunately for those living in Western markets, it was only sold in Japan.
Mitsubishi is no longer interested in offering such a model in the foreseeable future, though not everyone thinks the nameplate will stay dead much longer. Some believe it might be revived and used on a crossover, perhaps with electric assistance or featuring a battery-electric powertrain. Others think the moniker might return in the EV era on a sports sedan era to once again fill the hearts of enthusiasts with joy. Purists would only cope with a gasoline-fed model with all-wheel drive, and such proposals have been rendered out multiple times.
We covered one such take last month, which was sketched out by kelsonik, and now the same pixel manipulator has returned with a back-end view of the same CGI project. It was based on the EVO X, sprinkled with some things that make it look more modern, and it's instantly recognizable as a Lancer EVO. But would you buy one if Mitsubishi launched it in this shape?
Enthusiasts are still crying about it, as it left a void that the Japanese automaker does not seem interested in filling anymore. The last one left production for good in 2016, being sent off by the aptly-named Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X Final Edition. It packed a 291-horsepower and 300 lb-ft (406 Nm) of torque motor, which may have been short of the eponymous concept's 473 hp, but it simply stayed true to the standard EVO X in this chapter.
Nevertheless, those who are vaguely familiar with the EVO lineup can tell you that despite having identical thrust and output, it set itself apart from the regular variant by sporting a few upgrades. The chassis was retuned, it had Brembo brakes backing up the BBS alloys, Final Edition logos, black leather-wrapped Recaro sports seats in the cockpit, red contrast stitching, and a few other bits and bobs. The Final Edition version of the Lancer EVO could deal with loose surfaces very well, as it built on the legacy of its iconic predecessors. Production was limited to 1,000 units, and unfortunately for those living in Western markets, it was only sold in Japan.
Mitsubishi is no longer interested in offering such a model in the foreseeable future, though not everyone thinks the nameplate will stay dead much longer. Some believe it might be revived and used on a crossover, perhaps with electric assistance or featuring a battery-electric powertrain. Others think the moniker might return in the EV era on a sports sedan era to once again fill the hearts of enthusiasts with joy. Purists would only cope with a gasoline-fed model with all-wheel drive, and such proposals have been rendered out multiple times.
We covered one such take last month, which was sketched out by kelsonik, and now the same pixel manipulator has returned with a back-end view of the same CGI project. It was based on the EVO X, sprinkled with some things that make it look more modern, and it's instantly recognizable as a Lancer EVO. But would you buy one if Mitsubishi launched it in this shape?
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