Spy Shots: Mitsubishi EVO X totally uncovered
The Mitsubishi EVO X won't be officially unveiled for a few months, but the next-gen tuner-supreme has been spotted completely in the buff, and the good folks over at Motor Authority have posted the pics for all to see. The captured preproduction EVO X differs very little from the concept shown in Detroit seven months ago, with a few exceptions. The rims look close but perhaps an inch smaller than the concept, less-expensive dual-projector headlamps were added, the cool as hell LED fog lights were replaced with more traditional fog ambiance, and more conventional side mirrors replace the super-fly design statement from the concept.The Evo X figures to be a smash-hit for Mitsubishi with over 300 hp, amazing full-time AWD, a mega-stiff chassis, and a paddle-shift dual-clutch transmission. We hope Mitsubishi can deliver on the affordable price-point that has been established with previous EVOs while upping the performance ante one more time.
[Source: Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
YouFaceTheTick 5:03PM (7/11/2007)
Nice. It doesn't look too boy-racer-ish. Lose the worthless spoiler and it could blend nicely with traffic.
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Will 5:24PM (7/11/2007)
Spoon!
I'd agree, and there's a dealer option on the current MR to lose the boy-racer wing and shark-teeth. Hopefully that will extend to this version.
I have to wonder, though, what the scoop is for.
Don 1:07AM (7/12/2007)
Or too Star Trekky like the current Civic.
stefan 5:17PM (7/11/2007)
The spoiler on the evo aint worthless.
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YouFaceTheTick 6:04PM (7/11/2007)
Yeah at 100+ it creates downforce of x lbs. Great. Unlike in Europe where such speeds are an option, there's never really a chance to break 100 in the US of Slow without getting the attention of the armed and mean constabulary. Even tracking, you're rarely going to break 100 for an extended period of time.
brandon 6:12PM (7/11/2007)
Tick- You should try driving along a California freeway sometime...
YouFaceTheTick 6:27PM (7/11/2007)
Brandon, I've lived in CA my whole life. CA freeways - save for the 15 to Vegas and the desolate BFE stretches of the 5 - don't really allow for much speed. 80 is about max in most major cities and on the 15/5 remote portions you can run up to over 100 but you're flirting with go-directly-to-jail-card. 100+ mph = reckless driving.
The Autobahn, Auto Strada and French Toll Roads...yeah you can cruise at well over 100 without a care. Been there, done that.
zamafir 6:46PM (7/11/2007)
@ brandon, ahmen brother. Every trip I make down to san diego registers at least 140 on the speedo, there are far to many vast empty stretches before 8am and after 5pm on various so-cal freeways. It's a delight.
Personally, I can't wait to buy this car, and will gladly pay MSRP if it does deliver 300hp at around 3300lbs, or roughly 50 more then my chipped jetta and a lot less stress on the engine.
Sign me up.
Wait, I already am :).
Mat 5:22PM (7/11/2007)
I know a lot of people don't like it, but I really think it's quite handsome. The spoiler is a little 'eh', but I really like the front end. It looks kind of like an angry face with that slant on the headlights and long lower grill opened for the intercooler.
}:|
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mark 8:27PM (7/11/2007)
I hope they change the interior from the 2008 Lancer. The cost of the car is very low but the interior materials reflect that. The door handles, arm rests, dash etc.. are all cheap crap plastic. I love the look of the exterior but they should spend an extra $1,000 per car upgrading seat fabric and soft touch plastics/vinyl.
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biggins 5:39PM (7/11/2007)
You could go find a more subtle spoiler and probably achieve similar/better results, as far as aerodynamics go. Chances are you'll never be driving the Evo fast enough anyway for the spoiler to really cause much effect.
I, personally, LOVE the shark teeth. They're unique, they're bad-A.
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Tim UF 5:40PM (7/11/2007)
Certainly mean looking...
the should flush-up the hood/headlamp seam though... in these pics it looks like a big gap, not something you;d want in a $30k car
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Johnny Rocket 5:55PM (7/11/2007)
Killer.
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Cameron 5:53PM (7/11/2007)
I was hoping for more aggressive fender flares. Not bigger, but perhaps more defined at the creases.
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Nick 5:54PM (7/11/2007)
Let's not get a wing confused with a spoiler. The purpose of a spoiler or lip is to reduce drag and lift. The wing on the evo generates downforce at the expense of creating drag. It is an FIA homologated part that exists so that the identical part can be used on a Group N or Group A race car. (WRC class cars are under far fewer restrictions than Group N or A).
On an autocross, the wing probably has no benefit, but on a track where speeds exceed 75 mph, you'll start to see the benefits of the wing.
Most importantly, I think the fact that the wing is functional (and truly, they need to be at least that big to be in clean air) and is homologated makes it a pretty cool thing to have. Let's not forget the Bauhaus edict- that form follows function. I'd rather have a functional wing than a 'style' part that does nothing.
I know that most people don't do track days (I do), but part of the charm of this car is that if you wanted to race the car on a track, that wing is useful.
PS- The MR hasn't had a wing delete option ever, there was a 'low wing' option in 2003, and the RS has never had the wing, but otherwise its been a standard part.
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Will 6:19PM (7/11/2007)
Mr. track day:
The dealer who sold my wife her EVO would disagree with you. Like I said, as a dealer option, the wing never touched the car. Rather, it was kept in its box before the dealer could install it. God, I love EBay, it was a good feeling to get rid of that thing.
Why not go for an RS, you ask? She wanted the stereo, air-conditioning, and power windows. For a not-so-stellar savings of 50lbs, losing all of that convenience is silly, unless you really want to extract the full potential of the "FIA homologated" rear wing.
Function follows form? You're out of your mind. The allure to this and it's rival WRX is the aggressiveness of their styling, mixed with the adrenaline rush of peaky powerplants, AWD, and sticky rubber. This is not 3500lbs of function, this is a styling excercise to capture a younger crowd. Unless you really think that rear diffuser and hood scoop are providing function, I suggest you keep your barstool racing at bay.
Nick 6:32PM (7/11/2007)
Ouch!
Dealer installed or not- there isn't really a way to not pay for the wing, its a mandatory option. I guess that's why you are upset and for that I'm really sorry. I do want to address your other points.
I'd still argue that the Evo is all about function. The hood scoop is actually an extractor, since air exits from it after flowing through the engine. The one on the WRX is far more poorly designed as the intercooler sits on top of a hot engine and there isn't a clear path for air to flow through the engine compartment. The wing is a valid windtunnel tested part. There's precious little on the car that isn't devoted to making the car accelerate faster, turn sharper, and stop harder. I don't think Mitsubishi's goals with the evo were aesthetics, younger demographic or not. Surely these points are not lost on your wife since she paid the cold hard cash for the car?
My point is really that we would all be driving camrys if 'x-factor' wasn't part of the equation. For me, that x-factor has to do with the focused nature of the car and its 'convention to the wind' approach to achieving 911 level performance at a $35-40K price point.
Kwesi 6:14PM (7/11/2007)
I love the guys here at Autoblog. I mean, every week there are new photos of the evo, all the way since it was a concept in 2005, and i assume this weekly evo casting will continue well into its sales for tests etc. This is really an enthusiasts' car, and that sucks because its such a great machine which will be lucky to sell 500 a month, even after itsjust launched with a stellar advertising campaign. they should use the evo as the brand's car u know, like 'the essence of Mitsubishi' kinda thing, but i think i read somewhere that they were moving away from that. Makes sense, because many people dont even know Mitsubishi other than that they make the evo...the marketing guys have a task, but its necessary that they succeed
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angrypirate 6:19PM (7/11/2007)
Hey, Mitsubishi, Lexus called and they want the tail lights from their IS back.
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Logik 10:36PM (7/11/2007)
Headlights do look very Lexus, rear end reminds me of a Mazda.