Devolution – Why the Mitsubishi Evo is doomed

Reliable sources at Mitsubishi have recently confirmed that their will be a successor to the highly coveted Evo X although due to a ‘policy change’ towards EV technology, the new Mitsubishi Evo will not be ‘advancing the concept in the same way as before’.

I’m not even an unreliable source at Mitsubishi and I can categorically confirm that the Evo bloodline as we know it is breathing its last, for the simple reason that it’s successor will be a diesel-electric hybrid.

Just to reiterate my stance on using heavy oil to power a vehicle, I have a few rules which I feel must be adhered to. They are as follows.

• Always have a diesel in large 4x4s; it’s what they were designed for.
• Never combine a convertible with a diesel engine. You’ll put the roof down once and never put it down again. All diesel engines sound dreadful.
• Never try to convince me that you prefer the diesel option regardless of frugality, this is a lie.
• Never expect a torquey, oil burning power plant to feel remotely similar to a high revving, turbocharged engine. It may sport the same bhp but that’s where the similarities will end.

It’s this final point that I refer to when I voice my opinions on the news from Mitsubishi. What made the Evo so popular over the last 19 years was undoubtedly its fun factor, you demanded performance and it arrived almost instantly in a tidal wave of noise and acceleration. It made you feel like you were a winner with skill levels comparable to the likes of Makinen or Burns as it never seemed to run out of either power or grip. Whatever anyone says, this feeling cannot be replicated using a diesel-electric hybrid, it’s very nature does not lend itself to the type of driving Evo owners have become accustomed to.

Love it or loathe it, the Lancer Evo is iconic, a legend in it’s own lifetime. This and the Impreza were the working class heroes of their generation, true performance cars yet realistically attainable in the same vein as the Capris and Cosworths of years gone by. If a car manufacturer feels that a certain model has come to the end of its usefulness, they should do the honourable thing and kill them off, draw a line under the whole affair and start afresh. A good example to highlight would be the mess Ford managed to make during the ‘70’s and 80’s by refusing to let go of the legendary Mustang name. It was so watered down that it bore absolutely none of the qualities that were so endearing from the original.

The Lancer Evolution, I feel, has earned the right to go the way of all true legends: – Live fast, Die young and leave a good looking corpse.

By Ben Harrington

Related articles

• Scoop! Mitsubishi Evo XI Goes Hybrid! (motortrend.com)
• What The Next Mitsubishi Evo Will Be (newcarquotesonline.com)
• Would You Rally A Mitsubishi Evo With Your Mom Navigating? [Morning Would] (jalopnik.com)