If you’re anything like me, you spent the early part of the millennium arguing with fellow car enthusiasts about which was better – the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. These days, neither car can be found on a dealer floor, but that may change for the Evo if recently appointed Mitsubishi President and Chief Operating Officer Keisuke Kishiura gets his way. Japanese site Car Watch reports that Kishiura was asked about the possibility of reentering the World Rally Championship as a factory team, as well as bringing back famed models like the Lancer Evolution, Diamante, and Galant, and his responses were non-committal but very promising.
Mitsubishi Boss Is a Car Fanatic Who Wants to Bring Icons Back
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Kishiura said that he has always loved driving cars and that the first car he ever drove was an old Lancer Turbo, “a manual transmission car with heavy steering” that he drove to ski resorts despite it being rear-wheel-drive. That sounds like an enthusiast’s response. But what about the Evo? “Models such as the Lancer Evolution, Diamante, and Galant are very important cars for Mitsubishi Motors, and we consider them treasures,” said Kishiura. “At this point, we do not have any concrete plans to introduce these cars again, but in order to meet everyone’s expectations, we would like to make our company one that can once again produce such cars in the future. I will be at the forefront of this effort, and I would be grateful for the support of our shareholders.” The man loves manual transmissions, so he sounds like the right guy for the mammoth task of taking Mitsubishi to the top.
Related: The Old Mitsubishi Cars That Prove The Brand Used To Be Cool
Put bluntly, Mitsubishi is not the mighty powerhouse it once was, and getting back to its zenith will require a gradual rebuilding of the company. Fortunately, Mitsubishi is on the path, with a new Montero/Pajero in the works, part of its plans to double its U.S. lineup. This is a nameplate that enthusiasts already appreciate, but so does the average consumer. If it is successful, that could lead to the kind of profitable position that allows Mitsubishi’s shareholders to take a chance on new enthusiast vehicles – vehicles that cost a lot to develop and that generate minimal profits but create halos for the brand. Talks of Mitsubishi manufacturing cars in America again could help make such a scenario realistic.
A New Mitsubishi Evo Would Likely Be Electrified
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Last year, Mitsubishi Engineering Fellow and godfather of the S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) system, Kaoru Sawase, said that the return of the Lancer Evolution is a dream that isn’t dead yet, adding that, “considering the global [environment],” electrification is the ideal way to enhance vehicle dynamics. Vehicles like the Rimac Nevera and the upcoming electric M3 embrace the value of torque vectoring, and a new Evo with such technology could rebuild the automaker’s reputation as the king of loose-surface performance. Of course, we’d love for this to be complemented by a highly-tunable successor to the 4G63T last seen in the penultimate Evo (IX), but again, that’s not cheap. In summary, a new Evo is not off the table, but to get to the point where a high-performance sedan makes any semblance of sense, Mitsubishi needs to find mainstream success with SUVs and pickups, and that could take a few years to realize. That said, with the high prices Evos can fetch, it’s clear that enthusiasts still adore the brand.
