Mitsubishi Evo X is the last Evo

[SagarisGTB]

Back in the late 90s, Mitsubishi made awesome exciting cars like the Lancer Evo IV/V/VI, GTO, FTO, 2nd Gen Eclipse and Galant VR4. Hell, even the Mirage Cyborg was quick and fun.

This doesn't seem to be the same company. Though the same could be said for Toyota (MR2, Celica GT-Four, Supra, where art though?).

 

[Prince.M5]

We will definitely miss the Evo. I was quite a fan of the Evo 7, 8 and even 9 for its looks but never get into them in details... So that also means the end of the Lancer.

 

[Luminis]

a shame, really. I, too, am one of the guys who's always preffered the Subies to the Evo, but still.

Meh, what's next? Mazda killing the Miata/MX-5 off?

Seriously, I can see myself driving nothing but oldtimers if this goes on

 

[DK]

RIP, Evo. The Impreza will probably follow you to the grave soon after, seeing as it has no worthwhile competitors.

 

[eSZee]

RIP, Evo. The Impreza will probably follow you to the grave soon after, seeing as it has no worthwhile competitors.

Meaning that if people want a quick 4wd sedan, they have only one choice now. So why leave a market that you have all to yourself?

 

[Luminis]

Meaning that if people want a quick 4wd sedan, they have only one choice now. So why leave a market that you have all to yourself?

While true it also raises another question:
Whith no competition to beat, why bother with trying to make a good car?

 

[Philly]

Subaru isn't going to just stop making the Impreza though. That's their compact car, and the base Impreza sells in good numbers. The STI is just a hot version of that so there's no reason for it to go away.

And Subaru will still build good STIs because that is the sports car that takes people into their showrooms. They'll still sell a boatload of them if they make a good car. I see no reason why they wouldn't. They're still used for rally (or at least have been very recently)

 

[Feral Pigeon]

Meh, what's next? Mazda killing the Miata/MX-5 off?

then Porsche with the 911, Chevy with the Camaro & Corvette, Ford with the Mustang... shall I continue?

 

[eSZee]

then Porsche with the 911, Chevy with the Camaro & Corvette, Ford with the Mustang... shall I continue?

The camaro was canned in 2003 before a 2010 rebirth.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Not dead after all?

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/03/followup-mitsubishi-unconvincingly-addresses-evo-death-rumors-v/

Further to some comments published in the press recently, production of the current Lancer Evolution continues as planned. As for its successor, regulations and market feedback will dictate its engineering package & architecture. Stay tuned.

 

[freedomweasel]

Not dead after all?

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/03/followup-mitsubishi-unconvincingly-addresses-evo-death-rumors-v/

That'd be nice, but the headline's "unconvincingly" says it all. The quote says it will "continue as planned" and that the "regulations and market feedback" will decide the direction.

Being cynical, that could easily mean they will continue to end it "as planned", as the "market feedback" and "regulations" have dictated they move towards EVs.

Or it could be good news. 👍

As for the WRX/STI, I don't think it's going anywhere. The Evo was the only car in the line up that was above "mediocre", in fact as we all know, it was quite impressive. Subaru has several performance variants of most of their models.

Also, I think there's still enough AWD sport sedans that Subaru needs to keep on their toes.

 

[TorqueHappenS08]

production of the current Lancer Evolution continues as planned. As for its successor, regulations and market feedback will dictate its engineering package & architecture.

That pretty much says it all really.

As for its successor i see Mitsubishi wants to shape its production based on the "people" which is always nice... Hopefully can get it back to the size of last generation EVOS(9)...And a re worked 4G63 heart..

 

[Stotty]

It's no great loss, and neither would it be to see the Impreza die either.

Both were great cars in their youth and early middle age, when they were light and good value for money both to buy and to run. But neither has aged well, becoming increasingly heavy, more expensive and stupidly over powered (leading to very high running costs). Impreza's in particular, have got increasingly worse with each generation.

The EVO peaked with the VI TM Edtion as far as I'm concerned.

 

[eSZee]

It's no great loss, and neither would it be to see the Impreza die either.

Both were great cars in their youth and early middle age, when they were light and good value for money both to buy and to run. But neither has aged well, becoming increasingly heavy, more expensive and stupidly over powered (leading to very high running costs). Impreza's in particular, have got increasingly worse with each generation.

The EVO peaked with the VI TM Edtion as far as I'm concerned.

And which cars haven't?

 

[Stotty]

Sorry, perhaps with regards to costs I should have said disproportionately expensive, but I thought the 'good value for money' statement earlier in the sentence would have put that in perspective.

 

[eSZee]

The EVOs and STI have always been close to 2x the price of their base model counterpart and that hasn't really changed. In that regard, I don't see the whole good value for money. Price of everything has gone up so when 10 years ago it was dirt cheap to run a civic into the ground and fix it up for cheap, that really isn't the case anymore, though not as drastic as more premium cars, which the STI and EVO are supposed to be.

 

[Kingofweasles]

Wow...Just wow at Mitsubishi right now.

To be honest, I did kind of expect an announcement like this. I mean, the whole reason Mitsu created the Lancer EVO in the first place was to fight for the World Rally Championship. Is it any indication that the EVO X (Which Mitsubishi never really inteded to rally or offer support to anyone interested in rallying it) is such a poor successor in comparison to the EVO IX (Which did compete in the Group N class world-wide)?

R.I.P Lancer EVO...You'll be missed.

 

[Stotty]

I owned an Impreza in '96. It was series McRae. At the time it was the top of the range model, it cost around £20k, and was a similar price to top of the range rep mobiles from Ford and Vauxhall.

The latest versions are close to £40k... which is just silly money when you consider what else is out there for that sort of cash.

 

[Crumpet]

Back in the late 90s, Mitsubishi made awesome exciting cars like the Lancer Evo IV/V/VI, GTO, FTO, 2nd Gen Eclipse and Galant VR4. Hell, even the Mirage Cyborg was quick and fun.

This doesn't seem to be the same company. Though the same could be said for Toyota (MR2, Celica GT-Four, Supra, where art though?).

I feel exactly the same way.

 

[CodeRedR51]

More:

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/93ftl0

MMC has kept the Lancer Evolution sedan evolving as the brand's highest performing model in the global market. However, as the market's needs and demands change, MMC is considering not advancing the Lancer Evolution concept in the same way as before, but to find a different direction for the Lancer Evolution model to evolve. The new direction, the technologies involved, and corresponding products will be disclosed in due course.

AKA, they're going to make it boring. Way to go Mitsu...

 

[TorqueHappenS08]

So then it's not dead?...

This is saab all over again.

 

[hawkeye122]

But I don't think i can live with an STi.... Especially one of the Cosworth ones...

It is truly sad to see the EVO go... What a great car.

 

[Fleaver]

This is not new news. We have all been informed, since before the release of the Evo X, that it would be the last Evo based on the Lancer. Until I hear more I will still believe, as previously (and repeatedly) mentioned by Mitsu, that the Evo is changing to a smaller platform so that Mitsubishi can return to the WRC. It has even been hinted at being a Eclipse EVO. I took a picture of it at the Portland International Auto Show four years ago, I think.

 

[JohnBM01]

Of all the terms I've used to describe and think of the Mitsubishi Lancer, I refrained from using "boy racer" or anything like that. So I'm not going to rant on the Lancer Evolution or take shots at it. I don't necessarily think this will be completely dumbed down to where it's just a piece of crap Lancer. I still remember in 2001 when we got the wussy Lancer before finally getting the REAL Lancers in the States. I'm not a Lancer fanatic, but I have LOTS of respect for the Lancer Evolution models.

I think the next Lancer looks nice from a concept picture I saw in Road and Track magazine once. I am very interested to see how concepts and the subsequent road-going model come out.

 

[EmptySoul]

Goodbye Evo!
Damn great car, and automotive legend since the start!

 

[homeforsummer]

The EVOs and STI have always been close to 2x the price of their base model counterpart and that hasn't really changed. In that regard, I don't see the whole good value for money. Price of everything has gone up so when 10 years ago it was dirt cheap to run a civic into the ground and fix it up for cheap, that really isn't the case anymore, though not as drastic as more premium cars, which the STI and EVO are supposed to be.

Slightly different here in the UK.

The Impreza turbo was around £21k when it was released in 1994 ish. That was utterly staggering value for something that could genuinely humble the supercars of the time.

You're now looking at an easy £35k plus for either car and even some of the latest hot hatches without AWD will get close to them on the average road. That certainly isn't good value for money.

Chuck in the fact that neither is in rallying any more which was their whole USP originally and you have two cars which are largely irrelevant to performance car enthusiasts these days.

Not all cars have become significantly more heavy or expensive anyway. A good few companies are finally starting to realise that weight matters and it's amazing what you can get for your money these days. It still amazes me that a 200bhp hot hatch like the Clio Cup can be had for £15k ish when 200bhp hatches from a few years back were over £20k.

 

[sems4arsenal]

Better dead than Boring in My opinion .Maybe Mitsu will have a new Performance car lined up (GTO perhaps )

 

[Jim Prower]

Colt Evo, perhaps?

 

[sumbrownkid]

This is one of the reasons why a conglomerate can damage a specific business it owns. It get so much profits from so many companies, that one company hurting (Mitsubishi Motors) doesn't really have an effect on the rest of the Mitsubishi companies.

Get real Mitsubishi! You can make all the electric cars you want, but don't just abruptly turn your back on the loyal Evo!

Something should be popping in Mitsubishi's head when the most common car they have is the evo. (No lie, as of late I saw more Evos than all other Mitsus combined.)

 

[Feral Pigeon]

technically, though, they're not killing it, they're reincarnating it into a Colt or an Eclipse, or even a new GTO. all I can say is, the EVO will live on, just not as a Lancer. If they decide to do the Pajero Evo (would be the Montero Evo over here), or an Outlander Evo, I'd like that. If they bring back the Endeavor, (which is basically a Montero/Pajero with a Lancer engine) then the Evo will just be in SUV form, and still secretly be a Lancer.