Back in 2015, Mitsubishi brought the axe down on one its most beloved high-performance models - the Lancer Evolution, a turbo superstar from the rough-and-tumble world of rally racing. While certainly enough to cause more than a few tears among enthusiasts, the Lancer name will continue on, and word has it Mitsu is turning it into a crossover - much like it did with the Eclipse. Salt in the wound? Maybe. But fear not, because there’s still a possible silver lining to all of this, and it’s once again inspired by the world of rally racing.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Full Story

We’re right there with you in wishing Mitsubishi still had its old lineup of awesome performance cars. At the same time, we understand the shift to the far more profitable crossover segment - in order to make fun sports cars, an automaker has to have a solid base to grow on, and right now, that just doesn’t exist for Mitsubishi.

So yeah, we get it. That doesn’t mean we have to like it. Unless, of course, the crossover in question comes with performance cues plucked from the world of rally racing.

Luckily, that’s exactly what we’re looking at here in the following rendering, which comes to us courtesy of Automotive Designer and Digital Artist Tigran Lalayan.

Based on the Mitsubishi e-Evolution Concept that dropped at the Tokyo Motor Show just last year, the rendering gets the same stance and funky styling cues as before. However, Lalayan also added a fresh, LED-laden front fascia, complete with lower fog lights. The fenders are also nicely flared, giving the crossover a much meatier and purposeful presence, while a wing was added to the tail.

To our eyes, it’s definitely a huge improvement on the original, and with the right parts under the skin, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this thing bashing around at an event like the Dakar Rally.

The big question would be - what’s under the hood? The original concept came equipped with three electric motors, AWD, and advanced torque vectoring capabilities, and although the world of rally racing has yet to fully embrace the siren song of all-electric powertrains, maybe the tech will be ready by the time Mitsu is ready to step back into motorsport.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer.

Read our full review on the 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

Read our full review on the 2017 Mitsubishi e-Evolution Concept.

Read more Mitsubishi news.