There was a time when owning and reveling in a performance-oriented car didn’t result in breaking the bank. From the Land of the Rising Sun, these suave yet ferocious-looking new-age vehicles of that time flooded the market and even changed the ethos of the automotive sector. One nameplate that towered the world was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, which would effortlessly sweep past muscle cars in corners and make chic sports cars question their character. The raw power along with the driving experience set the Evo in a different league altogether.
Even though this mighty beast ruled the roost from 1992 to 2015 and a few even experienced its capabilities, Mitsubishi was forced to retire the Evo due to financial constraints. Since 2016, there have been numerous rumors doing rounds about the Lancer Evo making its comeback, but with the company deciding to restart Ralliart, their high-performance and motorsports division, this certainly gave a glimmer of hope to enthusiasts. Not to rain on their parade, the Japanese manufacturer’s President and CEO, Takao Kato recently told Response magazine that Mitsubishi has no immediate plans in bringing back the Evo yet though the company is under pressure from the investors to resurrect this iconic sports rally car. The company is trying to bounce back from its current financial ordeal and as a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance plan, they are focused on investing in electric mobility and the South East Asian market. All we know is that change is the only constant in life and with Evo’s nemesis, Subaru, launching the 2022 BRZ, the ball is now in Mitsubishi’s court. Will we see them upping the ante by taking out an all-conquering electric Evo? Only time will tell.
Bring Back Audacious Character
The Lancer Evolution has always been a formidable opponent, even for sports cars as it could not only take most of them to the cleaners on the tarmac, but at the same time, it had a ferocious appetite for owning rally tracks for fun. Honestly, how many vehicles can offer such versatility? The Evo wasn’t just about colossal horsepower under the hood, even though with each generation the power output increased from 276hp to 317hp and even mindblowing 440hp, but its legendary chassis set up and 4-wheel-drive system ensured intuitive handling dynamics. If that wasn’t enough, the Lancer Evolution had the credentials to back its bulletproof capabilities on the toughest rallying stages in the world by winning four consecutive World Rally Championships (WRC) from 1996 to 1999 with Tommi Makinen at the helm.
The secret behind Evo’s success was that it stuck to its core strengths — the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine and the ever-evolving 4-wheel-drive system and with every new edition Mitsubishi introduced new technological advancements. In the span of ten generations, this road-legal rally car became faster, safer to drive, and still didn’t hurt the pocket.
Nowadays performance cars look very similar to each other. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Whether they are sports cars or sports sedans, the story remains the same. But if Mitsubishi decided to take out the Lancer Evolution today, no one would mistake it for any other car as the rest would be awestruck by its road presence. The Evo had its unique muscular rally features with street-savvy design. It had big, loud, and had an imposing front trapezoidal grille that could be recognized from a mile away. And that’s a good thing. As aggressive as it may appear, the front nose played an important part in terms of aerodynamics and engine cooling. With performance being the crux of the matter, it all came down to precision and Mitsubishi was meticulous in details by adding small spoilers to the massive wheel arches, an oversized rear spoiler, and an underbody cover to take advantage of the airflow.
Unlimited Modification Options
The Lancer Evo, irrespective of the generation, was like a canvas that allowed enthusiasts to go berserk and paint their ideas. Apart from the funky mods that are seen on Gran Tursimo games and on the Fast & Furious franchise, this Mitsubishi sedan offered the same options in real life and much more. With its unparallel capabilities, the Evo was also an affordable option as the last generation cost $37,995 MSRP onwards, which gave the owners the license to splurge on upgrading parts like air intake system, exhaust system, injectors, turbocharger, fuel pump, electronically controlling the additional boost, retuning the factory ECU and list goes on and on. These are only the technical upgrades as the styling options are virtually unlimited like the funky rear spoilers to the carbon fiber hood with an air duct vent and much more. For Evo owners, taking up modification projects for improved power, performance or styling was an opportunity to know their car better and mirror it to their personality.
What Does The Future Hold?
So, is it wishful thinking or the king is dead, long live the king? Sadly, one can’t answer that question, but if two plus two equals four then we wouldn’t quite extinguish the flame of hope yet. In 2017, Mitsubishi showcased an unabashed peek into the future by revealing the e-Evolution, a high-performance SUV. That’s right an SUV, not a sedan, and this makes perfect sense as the demand for SUVs has never been so high globally. Therefore, Mitsubishi wants to bring together the pedigree of driving performance and reliability of its modern SUVs.
According to reports, Mitsubishi had plans in showcasing the e-Evolution SUV in the now-canceled 2021 Tokyo Motor Show and then make its debut in the following year. As it’s an open secret that Nissan and Mitsubishi Alliance will spearhead this project, the jury is still out whether the Evo SUV will be powered by the capable Outlander plug-in hybrid powertrain or go all-electric using the Nissan Leaf’s technology. If they go the fully electric route, then Mitsubishi could be developing their own power-packed electric engine mated to the Evo’s iconic Super All-Wheel-Control (S-AWC) system or 4WD. At moment, the company hasn’t revealed specs of the engine, number of electric motors, and the capacity of the battery pack, but it will be a state-of-the-art rally-driven SUV with features like semi-autonomous driver-assist.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The affordable, hardcore, and uncompromising sports cars are a dying breed, but it’s good to see that companies like Nissan, Toyota and Subaru continue to be the torchbearers. Till there’s a confirmation from Mitsubishi on the new age e-Evolution, let’s take a closer look at the holy trinity the Nissan 370, Toyota 86, and the newly launched Subaru BRZ.
Let’s start with the Subaru. Both the BRZ and the 86 are jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru, meaning the mechanicals of the two are the same. One crucial difference here is that Subaru recently launched the next generation 2022 BRZ, which is powered by a bigger 2.4-liter flat four-cylinder Boxer engine and churns out generates 228hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. It continues to offer the ultimate enthusiast’s delight, the 3-pedal driving experience mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The 2022 BRZ also offers a quick-shifting 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters. This rear-wheel-drive speedster now has a lower center of gravity and comes standard with a limited-slip rear differential. The 2+2 coupe gets a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8-inch touchscreen system. The BRZ starts at MSRP $27,995.
The current Toyota 86 make come across as underpowered with a 2-liter 4-cylinder that pumps out 200hp to 205hp based on the trim chosen. But if you hold your horses, the all-new 2022 GR 86, is slated to be launched in November this year and will be priced under $30,000. The new coupe has been fanatically tested by the Toyota Gazoo Racing division and is powered by the same 2.4-liter motor that’s found in the new BRZ and will offer 18% more horsepower and 11% more torque as compared to the current 2-liter powertrain. If you’re looking for a bargain basement deal then the 2020 Toyota 86 isn’t a bad option to go for. Officially, it is available from MSRP $27,060 onwards, but if you persist you could get a better deal, especially since the availability of the new BRZ is in the market now.
The massive 3.7-liter V6 heart of the Nissan 370Z speaks volumes as it offers blistering 332hp and 270 lb-ft. As awesome as that sounds, Nissan has pulled the plug on the current generation, but the good news is that by end of this year or by early next year the new version will be available in the dealerships. The new Z will get a 3-liter twin-turbo V6 with around 400hp, the same that also powers the Infiniti Q60. It will be available in both 6-speed manual and 9-speed automatic transmissions, which additionally offer paddle shifters borrowed from the GT-R. It will come equipped with a mechanical limited-slip differential and launch control. Even though the pricing hasn’t been confirmed, it could be slated in the region of $35,000-$40,000.