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We Need Your Help to Save the Evo

While the Geneva Auto Show has seen carmakers race to offer the world their newest goodies, there is one automotive producer that seems to be willing to take something from us. We are talking about Mitsubishi, who recently let it slip that it plans to axe the Evo. We'll remind you that Gayu Eusegi, the company’s Global Product Director, made things clear in a recent statement: the Evo X is the last Evolution. The executive said that the company is focusing on electric vehicles development, explaining that this is a change which the carmaker wants to emphasize. Of course, this means that Mitsubishi’s marketing machine will be put in eco-friendly gear, a move that will make the Evolution an outcast. This comes as another dent in the Evo's already damaged armor. You see, the Evo was born back in 1992 as a translation of Mitsubishi’s World Rally Championship cars to the road, and has been both a motorsport and a street icon for many years, but the manufacturer doesn’t take part in the WRC anymore. However, there is one reason that stands in favor of the Evo and it’s a pretty important one: market demand. Eusegi admitted that the customers are still hungry for a vehicle like the Evo, but immediately added that this won’t stop the company from putting the car to sleep. The executive took things even further, explaining that in the future, Mitsubishi could once again be ready to play the race car - street car game that initially brought the Evo to life, but only if the move had "EV" written all over it. This comes to contradict previous media reports that say the Evo will stay with us, but will be forced to join the hybrid cause (please pay attention to the word “cause” - you’ll see why in about 150 words’ time). The exec left no room for such speculations, as he answered with a definitive “YES” when asked if the Evolution X would be the last of this breed. And even if these reports were true, things wouldn't be much better. The Evo needs to be an undiluted performance machine, so the current recipe is the only thing that will do. Other reports indicate that the carmaker will still offer a four-wheel-drive saloon with over 300 hp, but this will ditch the Evo’s all-dynamic character for a high level of efficiency and a premium aura. So, it seems that all roads lead to the Evo’s funeral. The story literally hit the web yesterday, with autoevolution and many other automotive websites trying to receive a confirmation/denial form Mitsubishi. As you can imagine, the company did its best to avoid a clear statement, refusing to respond or offering vague answers. I am now willing to show Mitsubishi that the Evo saga deserves to be continued. I decided to remind Mitsubishi just how important the Evolution is by showing the company how many people disagree with its murder plan. And I’m relying on you, as well as on the Web 2.0, to save the Evo. To this end, autoevolution has created a Facebook Cause called “Mitsubishi, Keep the Evo Alive” for all supporters to join. The Evo was engineered to always help its driver, but it is now time for us to lend a helping hand to it.
Just think about how the Evolution is ready to cater for your extreme cornering, violent acceleration, racing and a lot of other needs without asking any questions. Many performance vehicles require a bank account the size of Monaco to become your sweethearts. Once you’re together, they make huge fuss about driving conditions and don’t even want to hear about carrying any of your stuff. The Evo understands that not only the rich need to enjoy extreme G forces while behind the wheel and you’ll never hear its exhaust mumbling about rain, snow, or throttle abuse in the middle of a corner.

Don’t get us wrong, the Evo has its fair share of inner demons that make it far from perfect. But this is not its purpose. The Evolution is (and let’s hope will be) here to serve enthusiastic drivers and this is exactly what it does.

And there's one more thing. The disappearance of the Evo would be just as bad for the fans and drivers of its eternal rival, the Subaru Impreza WRX STI. If the mad Mitsu goes away, who will be there to provoke Scooby during the late nights of sideways action? The WRX STI laughs in the face of supercars when the grip goes bye-bye - who will it share this joy with? If Mitsubishi has its way, we won’t just lose the Evo, but also the explosive battle between the two Japanese temptresses. Subaru community, please correct me if I’m wrong.

Prepare yourselves, I have to hit the brakes, as this is the end of the story. I’d love to go on for a few pages, but there’s no time for that now, we have to save the Evo!
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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