When news broke of Mitsubishi killing the all-wheel-drive turbocharged goodness that is the Lancer Evolution the tuner crowd was in an uproar. Not since the death of the Supra, NSX or Tupac Shakur did the exhaust-burble and flush-rim-loving crowd see such an outpouring of sorrow. But just as the proverbial liquor was being poured, a glimmer of hope appeared.
BestCar, our Japanese print friends with sources deep within Mitsubishi, informs us that Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, is so against participating in motorsports that no one dares mention the word around him. However, despite news regarding the discontinuation of the Evo (a statement that originated from a different Mitsubishi official), Masuko was heard stating that Mitsubishi is fully intent on producing a high-performance car in the future, albeit green. Based on that fact and other internal rumblings, BestCar asserts that in all likelihood Mitsubishi will produce a new Evo.
While we initially reported the next-generation Evo might be either a diesel or hybrid, the latest information has Mitsubishi leaning toward the latter, borrowing technology from the PX-MiEV concept shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. The PX-MiEV touts a plug-in hybrid system that relies on electric motors at low to middle speeds. Operating as a series hybrid, when the lithium-ion batteries run low, the 1.6- liter gasoline engine turns on and powers a generator that in turn provides charge to the electric motors. For higher vehicle speeds, the PX-MiEV’s hybrid system switches to a parallel hybrid system with the 1.6-liter engine providing additional combustion power to the wheels.
For the drivetrain, the PX-MiEV utilizes Mitsubishi’s S-AWC all-wheel-drive system and active yaw control, technologies both employed on the current Evo. Short of a turbocharger, the PX-MiEV’s powertrain is a striking vision of what a hybrid Evo could be. One can always hope. Otherwise, let the proverbial liquor flow.
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