2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Considering how much the crossover sector has grown, Mitsubishi has focused solely on crossovers in recent years while eliminating sedans for a better market share. This means their high-performance variants have all but disappeared from the line-up but the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution might make a welcome return.
While the Japanese automaker has denied commenting “on speculation”, local reports suggest they could be reminiscing about the historic success of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. This may well be the catalyst to bring back the highly-impressive ‘beauty and the beast’ of automotive engineering. Few will disagree that the Lancer Evolution looked the part and performed admirably which only reinforces their decision to possibly bring it back.
According to the Japanese report, it will be available as a sedan and a five-door hatchback. This would be a massive shift for Mitsubishi, especially in America where they only sell crossovers at the moment seeing as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution sedan was discontinued what seems like a lifetime ago.
Building The New Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
If you believe the old saying, “Teamwork is dream work”, then the answer to building the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution lies with the powerful Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. According to the report, Mitsubishi plans on using some of the hi-tech bits and pieces from the next-generation Renault Megane RS to make the new Lancer Evo along with a new Alliance-developed platform.
Building on the success of its predecessors, the new Lancer Evo will likely have a dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD). While the current, most powerful Renault Megane delivers about 300 horsepower, Mitsubishi will probably add a few horses to compete better against already well-established cars like the Subaru WRX STI S209. In line with the automotive electrification trend, the new Lancer Evo could even include a 48-volt mild hybrid system for some instant electric torque.
Did you know?
A fun fact some of you may not know is that the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R is a modified version of the Megane RS. What’s more interesting is that it beat the Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record of the Honda Civic Type R earlier this year. It beat Honda’s time by almost three seconds which is a lifetime in racing terms. Considering this impressive feat, it’s safe to say that building the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution from the Renault Megane RS is a big step in the right direction.
The last time we laid our eyes on a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was late 2016 and, by gosh, it was stunningly impressive. Under the hood of that Lancer Evolution Final Edition was a 2.0-liter turbo I4 engine boasting 225 kW (303 horsepower) and 413 Nm (305 pound-feet) of torque. Drivers absolutely adored the old-school hydraulic steering coupled with its track driving ability. While the interior was dated, as was some of the technology, expect the next-generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evo to have all the bells and whistles of a modern-day all-round performance car.
Keep an eye on our blog or follow us on Facebook for more information on the new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and other motoring news from around the world.
