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.
In This Article...
Mitsubishi discontinued Evo, but why?
Mitsubishi discontinued the Lancer and Lancer Evolution for what reasons? Mitsubishi made the decision to concentrate their efforts on crossover vehicles or hybrid automobiles in order to meet customer demand as efficiency and adaptability became more essential to consumers.
Will Mitsubishi bring the Evo back at some point?
Mitsubishi was obliged to discontinue the Evo owing to budgetary limitations, despite the fact that this powerful beast ruled the roost from 1992 until 2015 and some people even got to experience its powers. The Lancer Evo has been the subject of various speculations since 2016, but when the firm decided to relaunch Ralliart, its high-performance and motorsports branch, this undoubtedly gave enthusiasts optimism. Takao Kato, President and CEO of the Japanese manufacturer, recently stated to Response magazine that although the firm is under pressure from investors to bring back this legendary sports rally car, Mitsubishi has no imminent intentions to do so. As part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance plan, the firm is concentrating on investing in electric mobility and the South East Asian market in an effort to recover from its current financial crisis. We only know that change is the one constant in life, therefore Mitsubishi now has the initiative when Subaru, Evo’s archrival, introduced the BRZ in 2022. Will they boost the ante by defeating an all-powerful electric Evo? Time will only tell.
How did the Mitsubishi Evos fare?
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.
Mitsubishi stopped producing Evo when?
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).
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.
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.
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.
Will Mitsubishi ever again produce cool cars?
In the upcoming years, Mitsubishi might finally return to the world of rally racing. Although it’s willing to increase performance across the board, the Lancer Evolution won’t get a speed boost.
The company’s CEO, Takao Kato, said to investors at a shareholder meeting held in Japan that restoring the Ralliart brand in May 2021 was the first step toward producing faster, more thrilling vehicles. According to Japanese journal Response, the CEO said, “We intend to expandto a wide range of models as genuine accessories first, but we will also contemplate engagement in rallies.” Importantly, a racing program has not yet received approval.
It is unclear how a prospective return to rallies would be carried out. The Lancer Evolution (shown), Mitsubishi’s former rally king, retired in 2015 without a replacement. The company already offers crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks; the Mirage, though, is likely too small to be considered a rally vehicle. Even without a Lancer to base it on, it’s easy to think that a return to racing will bring the Evo back to the range, but Kato poured cold water on those long-running rumors.
He emphasized that despite Mitsubishi’s stockholders’ requests, a new Evo is not in the works. “Electrification is expensive, and our power is still insufficient. We had a sizable deficit at the end of the previous fiscal year, “explained Kato. “We must first revitalize the business. Then, we’ll consider releasing the vehicles that fans have been waiting for.”
He intends to resurrect the business by swiftly introducing a number of popular models. Recent revisions to the Mirage, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander Sport all garnered positive reviews, and the new Outlander, which boasts significant enhancements, was unveiled earlier in 2021.
.embed-container
Iframe, object, and embed are all examples of.embed-containers.
Is Ralliart returning?
Returned is Ralliart. Mitsubishi introduced a concept at this week’s Tokyo Auto Salon to mark the resurrection of its formerly popular performance-focused subbrand.
Why isn’t Mitsubishi more well-known?
Fewer than some luxury automakers, 46,021 automobiles were produced in the United States. That’s partly because Mitsubishi can’t advertise its products as broadly because it doesn’t have the same big coffers as many of its rivals. It also results from Mitsubishi’s constrained product selection, which mostly consists of crossovers and tiny cars with little variety. Additionally, the fact that the Mitsubishi dealer network is so much smaller and more dispersed than that of other marques doesn’t help the situation. To make matters worse, Mitsubishi models