Photo: Instagram | Kelsonik
Contrary to what some petrolheads think, the Mitsubishi Lancer lives on in certain Asian markets. It comes to life at the Yangmei facility in Taiwan under the Grand Lancer nameplate.
Offered with a front-engine and front-wheel drive layout, the Mitsubishi Grand Lancer is based on the brand’s GS platform, which is pretty much the same to the one underpinning its predecessor, otherwise kept in production between 2007 and 2017, made at multiple factories all over the world.
Its rally-bred derivative, namely the Lancer Evolution X, shared its Kurashiki assembly plant, in Okayama, Japan, with the regular versions of the car. The last one left production for good in the first half of 2016, leaving the automotive world, and its direct rival from Subaru, in tears. It may not have been on par with the sports sedan establishment, but that was alright, you see because it was no sports sedan. In fact, it was a high-performance version of the car developed with Mitsubishi’s rally know-how, which could cope with all kinds of loose surfaces like a champ.
Before sounding the death knell for the nameplate, the company based in the Land of the Rising Sun released one last version. Aptly called the Lancer EVO X Final Edition, it was introduced shortly before assembly ceased altogether. Previewed by an eponymous concept, it lacked the 473-hp firepower. Instead, Mitsubishi gave it 291 horses, and 300 pound-feet of torque, or 406 Nm. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it has the same output as the regular EVO X. However, it did feature some chassis upgrades, alongside the Brembo brakes, lightweight alloys signed by BBS, Recaro sports seats on the inside with black leather upholstery stitched together with red string, and ‘Final Edition’ logos.
Only 1,000 copies of this car were made, and all of them were sold strictly in Japan. This marked the end of a long and successful (for the most part) era, leaving enthusiasts wanting a real successor. That hasn’t happened, and all signs point towards the nameplate being dead for good. But what if Mitsubishi changed their minds and gave it another shot? Well, then it would have to be very darn good to make a point in this niche. It would need a great chassis setup, all-wheel drive, and a punchy motor up front, alongside the usual bells and whistles. As for the design part, no one truly knows what it could look like for the simple fact that it will never happen. Still, there are certain rendering artists who took a shot at trying to imagine it, the latest of whom being Kelsonik on Instagram. So, in other words, do you dig the looks? Drop a line below and let us know.
Its rally-bred derivative, namely the Lancer Evolution X, shared its Kurashiki assembly plant, in Okayama, Japan, with the regular versions of the car. The last one left production for good in the first half of 2016, leaving the automotive world, and its direct rival from Subaru, in tears. It may not have been on par with the sports sedan establishment, but that was alright, you see because it was no sports sedan. In fact, it was a high-performance version of the car developed with Mitsubishi’s rally know-how, which could cope with all kinds of loose surfaces like a champ.
Before sounding the death knell for the nameplate, the company based in the Land of the Rising Sun released one last version. Aptly called the Lancer EVO X Final Edition, it was introduced shortly before assembly ceased altogether. Previewed by an eponymous concept, it lacked the 473-hp firepower. Instead, Mitsubishi gave it 291 horses, and 300 pound-feet of torque, or 406 Nm. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it has the same output as the regular EVO X. However, it did feature some chassis upgrades, alongside the Brembo brakes, lightweight alloys signed by BBS, Recaro sports seats on the inside with black leather upholstery stitched together with red string, and ‘Final Edition’ logos.
Only 1,000 copies of this car were made, and all of them were sold strictly in Japan. This marked the end of a long and successful (for the most part) era, leaving enthusiasts wanting a real successor. That hasn’t happened, and all signs point towards the nameplate being dead for good. But what if Mitsubishi changed their minds and gave it another shot? Well, then it would have to be very darn good to make a point in this niche. It would need a great chassis setup, all-wheel drive, and a punchy motor up front, alongside the usual bells and whistles. As for the design part, no one truly knows what it could look like for the simple fact that it will never happen. Still, there are certain rendering artists who took a shot at trying to imagine it, the latest of whom being Kelsonik on Instagram. So, in other words, do you dig the looks? Drop a line below and let us know.
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