- According to an interview with Response, Mitsubishi's president Takao Kato says shareholders want the Evolution to return.
- Mitsubishi is focusing its development money more on expanding its electrified footprint, which is bad news for Lancer Evo fans.
- The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ended production in 2016.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is one of the many impressive cars from Mitsubishi’s vintage portfolio. The legendary nameplate helped bring the Mitsubishi brand into the hearts and minds of everyone watching Mitsubishi’s rally efforts, or had a copy of Gran Turismo for their Sony Playstation. Despite its first generation’s debut in 1992, the US only saw Mitsubishi’s rally racer from 2003 to 2016. And though the Lancer Evolution is gone, its fans and the company’s shareholders have apparently not forgotten.
According to an interview with Japan’s Response magazine, Mitsubishi’s boss Takao Kato mentioned that there were no plans to revive the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution—despite shareholder’s wanting the car returned to Mitsubishi’s lineup.
This isn’t the first news about the Lancer Evolution’s return. The return of Mitsubishi’s halo machine made its way to the rumor mill in 2019 when Mitsubishi joined the Renault-Nissan alliance. The expanded availability of platforms for Mitsubishi to borrow for the Lancer sparked hope for its revival, but those hopes might be dashed by raw numbers—at least for now. Kato explained to Response that the company is focusing on its costly electrification efforts to put the brand back on the right track. Even though Kato specifically mentioned that an Evo isn’t currently in the works, he did insinuate that it’s not out of the question down the line.
If Mitsubishi jumped back into stage rally, or simply revived the Lancer Evolution, we’re sure that would help lift Mitsu’s image around the globe. Of course, a rising image doesn’t necessarily translate to increased car sales, which is likely Mitsubishi’s top objective.
Do you think Mitsubishi will eventually revive the Lancer Evolution or return to stage rally? Let us know in the comments below.
