Is the return of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo possible? Some claim it is

Rumors from Japan point to a possible new generation of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo

The myth of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, or Evo, for friends, fans, lovers and detractors alike, still lingers among those of us who adore competition cars homologated for road use.

A loss we accepted about a decade ago, since, as final, farewell, commemorative or definitive editions, it stayed in production until 2015, when the production line finally stopped building it.

Since then, rumours about the demise, resurrection, evolution and reactivation of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo have been more or less frequent.

In fact, the three-diamond brand showed a prototype that gave Evo followers goosebumps with the presentation of the Mitsubishi e-Evolution Concept in 2017, an SUV closer to a crossover, which took its name from another icon of the brand to disguise its heritage: the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, rather than the saloon that was associated with the word Evolution, the Mitsubishi Lancer, or Carisma GT, depending on the market.

Be that as it may, rumours have once again appeared, with sources claiming that the resurrection of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is on the table at the highest levels of Mitsubishi.

An evolution in Japanese DNA with French genes

So much so that, thanks to the alliance between Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi, the development of the new Evo could run in parallel with the next generation of the Renault Mégane RS, on the architecture that would come from the common CMF-C/D F4 platform.

The chosen engine would be a two-litre, four-cylinder unit, paired with a dual-clutch gearbox that would send power to all four wheels through the intelligent S-AWC system.

Likewise, in its drive to extend mass electrification to new cars from one of the members of the three-brand group known as the Alliance, we could see the first Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution hybrid.

With a 48 V electrical system working alongside the combustion engine, on top of the nearly 300 CV the thermal unit might produce, you would have to add a good chunk more from the electric side. That means the hypothetical new Lancer Evolution could produce up to around 350 CV.

For now, as we said at the start, there is no evidence or official information about the return of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, not even of a saloon or compact model that could take on the role of the brand’s sportiest car, especially since Mitsubishi itself gave up its most emotive models in favour of more commercial ones.

Time will tell whether the return of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo is just another rumour that never takes shape, or whether it materialises as a saloon with sporting ambitions, based on a competition car, perhaps for rallies or circuits, who knows.