One of the many stunning vehicles in Mitsubishi’s collection of classic vehicles is the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The iconic moniker played a major role in establishing the Mitsubishi brand in the thoughts and hearts of everyone who followed the company’s rallying efforts or owned a copy of Gran Turismo for their Sony Playstation. Although the Mitsubishi rally racer’s first version made its debut in 1992, the US only saw it from 2003 to 2016. Even though the Lancer Evolution is no longer produced, its supporters and the company’s shareholders don’t seem to have forgotten.
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Mitsubishi still produces the Evo, right?
The spirited Lancer was a popular small car that was reliable, inexpensive, and a lot of fun to drive. The Lancer Evolution, a well-known rally car around the world, made a name for itself as a performance workhorse, putting other sports cars in its rearview mirror and putting a grin on its drivers’ faces.
Evos are still produced?
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, sometimes known as “Evo,” is a sports sedan and rally car that Mitsubishi Motors of Japan produced from 1992 to 2016. It is based on the Lancer. Up to this point, there have been ten official versions, and each one is often identified by a Roman numeral. All-wheel drive systems and two-liter intercooled turbo inline four-cylinder engines are used across all generations.
The Evolution series was initially primarily meant for the Japanese market, but due to demand on the “grey import” market, it began to be sold through Ralliart dealer networks in the UK and other European countries from around 1998. In 2003, Mitsubishi made the decision to sell the eighth-generation Evolution to the US after seeing how well-received Subaru’s longtime rival, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi, did there.
Until the launching of the Evo IX in 2005, the Japanese-spec versions of all Evos were constrained to advertise no more than 280 PS (206 kW; 276 hp). However, according to reports, Mitsubishi was already building vehicles with more power while understating their stated outputs in order to comply with the contract. Every following iteration has therefore unofficially increased in power over the advertised values, with the Japanese-spec Evolution IX purportedly achieving an output of roughly 321 PS (236 kW; 317 hp). Several models with official power outputs up to 446 PS are available in different regions, mainly the UK (328 kW; 440 hp).
Mitsubishi discontinued the Evo for what reason?
In summary, Mitsubishi ceased production of the Evo for the same reason it ceased production of all of its other outstanding performance vehicles: money.
Most purchasers like cars that are useful, dependable, and affordable. Most consumers don’t care much about pure performance or excitement, preferring these qualities wrapped together in a crossover or SUV.
Despite the fact that vehicle aficionados tend to be a “loud minority,” the majority of people who buy cars today prefer the models that Mitsubishi offers.
The truth is that many of the people making such statements would not be likely to actually go through and purchase, despite the fact that many will declare (particularly online) that they would love to buy a new Evo if one were available today.
A manufacturer like Mitsubishi runs a significant risk by creating a new version of the Evo or another high-performance vehicle only to have it fail on the market. This could be a deadly decision for a business, particularly in the difficult economic environment we currently face.
For those of us who want for a return to the period of speed, handling, and thrill, it may be discouraging and upsetting, but ultimately it’s impossible to fault a firm like Mitsubishi for producing what its customers want.
Most people just want affordable transportation that will transfer them and their children in comfort, safety, and convenience, ideally with eco-friendly credentials.
If other, larger Japanese automakers succeed with any new performance vehicles, it may present the best chance for the revival of the storied Evo badge.
For instance, if Toyota succeeds with the new GR Yaris, Mitsubishi might be persuaded to resurrect the Evo (or at least develop another performance vehicle, such as the Mirage Cyborg!).
The Evo is no longer being produced by Mitsubishi, and there are no plans for a comeback, so now is the ideal moment to seek for your own Evo. Prices have been skyrocketing recently and are certain to keep rising as more examples succumb to accidents, neglect, and aging.
What was the Mitsubishi Evo’s successor?
All may not be bad. The Mitsubishi e-Evolution, which is the next car to use the Evolution nameplate after the Lancer Evolution, is also known as the Lancer Crossover in the image above.
There will be an evolution 11, right?
Given that Mitsubishi and Renault make up two-thirds of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, the assertion made by the UK publication that the alleged Lancer Evo XI would share its CMF-C/D chassis with the upcoming Megane RS hot hatch still makes a lot of sense.
A 48V mild hybrid system and a 2.0-liter turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with roughly 255kW of power and 450Nm of torque will power the rumored Lancer Evo XI, according to Autocar. All of that sounded reasonable once more.
Will the Evo 11 ever be released?
At the annual shareholders’ meeting, Takao Kato, president and chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Motors, dropped some hints regarding the company’s future, according to the Japanese publication Response. Regarding the recent Ralliart announcement, Kato stated that they will first start by providing a large selection of authentic accessories for their model line. While he acknowledged that rally participation is being thought about for the foreseeable future, he also stated that there are no plans to release a new Lancer Evolution.
Although certain Mitsubishi Motors stockholders have specifically asked for the Evo to be brought back, it is currently not practicable due to the significant development expenses linked to the automaker’s transition to electrification. “According to Kato, electrification is expensive and the company is still not robust enough. “We ran a significant deficit in the last fiscal year, therefore our first objective is to turn the business around before releasing the eagerly anticipated vehicles.
Is STI quicker than Evo?
Because it has fewer horsepower and weighs about 200 pounds more than the Impreza WRX STI, the Lancer Evolution appears to be a small underdog in comparison. Typically, this is where we discuss how the slower automobile is more enjoyable to drive and ultimately triumphs. This time, however, those who are preoccupied with statistics might find solace in the fact that the winning vehicle is also the cheapest and fastest in a straight line and on the skidpad. The Evo has the best driving dynamics out of the three, which is really what counts. We discuss this topic all the time, much to the dismay of some letter writers.
HIGHS: Excellent grip, yaw control that eliminates understeer, and excellent low-end torque for a turbo.
LOWS: Lacks a telescoping steering wheel, an extra gear, and an expensive-looking cabin.
The Evo’s average time from 0 to 60 mph is astounding4.6 seconds. Though it also has a modest advantage through the quarter-mile, the Evo may only just edge the Subaru STI to that mark due to its ability to reach that point in second gear. Despite losing 10 horsepower and 192 pounds of curb weight to the STI, this is still the case.
Does Mitsubishi intend to bring the Lancer Evolution back?
Even if everyone wants it, this recognizable cheap sports car won’t be returning. Even the investors want Mitsubishi to construct it. As an automotive brand, Mitsubishi has somewhat lost ground during the past few years.
Will Mitsubishi bring the 3000GT back?
Mitsubishi does not currently have any intentions to reintroduce the 3000GT. There don’t seem to be any upcoming 3000GT updates.
Mitsubishi has made it quite plain that they see their future in the development and manufacture of affordable, useful crossover vehicles with hybrid/electric propulsion systems (how exciting). Mitsubishi likewise discontinued the Evo for this reason, and the company has no intentions to bring it back.
Some have speculated that since Nissan now owns a third of Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi may be able to use Nissan running gearspecifically, the engine that will be in the future 400zin a revived 3000GT/GTO.
This seems improbable to us because Nissan won’t want its components in a car that would undercut sales of the 400Z, but as with everything, “never say never.”
As a result, if you want a vehicle with “3000GT/GTO” on the badge, you had better find a used one because new examples are unlikely to be produced.
Visit this page to read our Mitsubishi 3000GT buyer’s guide for more details on how to get your hands on a fantastic example of this storied Japanese icon.
Do you anticipate Mitsubishi bringing the 3000GT back at some point? Comment below with your thoughts and let us know what you think.