Old names are making somewhat of a comeback as of late. Toyota did it recently with the Supra, and if the rumours are true -- and by gosh, we hope they are -- Mitsubishi`s planning a revival of the iconic Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Details are scarce and nothing has been confirmed yet, but word is Mitsubishi will be reviving the legendary name using the same platform as the latest Renault Mégane RS.
The Mégane RS`s platform is one of the best out there for a hot hatch. The now old Mitsubishi Evo X was outrageously nimble and one of the most extreme cars on the road, so the RS`s platform certainly has potential.
What we can be certain of is the new Evo will have a version of Mitsubishi`s S-AWC four-wheel drive system. All Mitsubishi Evo`s throughout history have had four-wheel drive and the recipe won`t change anytime soon.
Mitsubishi also has a few interesting powertrain options available. They could go with the same 1.8-litre turbocharged unit in the Mégane RS, dialled up to kick out more power, but it`s more likely they`ll adopt a mild hybrid setup to boost performance.
This will see the 1.8-litre engine paired with a 48V electric motor to produce well over 300bhp. That particular hybrid powertrain is being co-developed right now by Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, so it`s a feasible option.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution recap
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, more often referred to as the Mitsubishi Evo, was first produced in 1992 but it was the Evolution IV (1996), V (1998) and VI (1999) which won the hearts of motorists, as well as countless World Rally Championships, under the command of the one and only Tommi Mäkinen.
At the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005, Mitsubishi introduced the Evolution X to the world, which was produced from 2007 to 2016. This is the model most Millennials will picture in their mind when they hear the name Evo.
Since going off sale in 2016, Mitsubishi hasn`t let out a peep with regards to an X successor, and fans have been left to guess about what could be -- all this despite Subaru making tracks with the WRX STi, which is a seriously good car.
With no official word about a new Lancer Evo, all we have are rumours and hearsay, but these are positive enough for us to crave Mitsubishi forge ahead. So, if you`re reading this Mitsubishi, get it done. You`ll have suitors lining up (including us).