The beloved, overachieving current-generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X—the epitome of a rally car for the street, capable of conquering many so-called “sports cars” that cost far more—may be going the way of the dodo bird. Rumor has it that Mitsubishi will retire the legendary model for greener pastures after the Evo X’s production run ends. And our sources report that “green” is indeed the new policy for Mitsubishi these days. We hear that the company, conforming to the laws of automotive natural selection that favor a more environmentally friendly species of transport, is working on a new 300-plus-bhp sports sedan that will come wrapped in a more attractive upscale package, with either a turbocharged diesel engine or diesel hybrid under the hood. The car will be slightly larger than today’s Evo and get as much as 35 mpg combined. Greener for sure, and all this with the added benefit of having more torque on tap, due to the stout grunt today’s clean diesels deliver with their improved throttle response.
Likely to be built in China or Thailand—marking a significant change, as all Evos to date have been built in Japan—the replacement car is yet to be named, but should come out sometime in 2012. Our sources also tell us it will be less of a hard-core sports car/sedan and more of a supremely versatile, high-performance GT; one that might approach the ideal of an Audi S4 or BMW 335i, with prices in the $30,000 range. All-wheel drive, with perhaps a 4-wheel steering option, will continue to make this new Mitsubishi as capable in rain and snow as it is on the track, while a possible roll-stabilizing suspension system should improve the passengers’ in-cabin experience, as well as making the chassis more responsive to the driver.
If the Green Revolution spawns an evolution of one of our favorite performance cars...then the future not only looks cleaner, but brighter too.