FUNCTION. FUNCTIONAL. Functionality. Listen to the tape of our 40-minute conversation with Omer Halilhodzic and you’ll hear variations on the f-word 80 times. It’s exactly what you want to hear from the designer tasked with redesigning the ultimate anti-design car. The look of the current Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has nothing whatsoever to do with latte-sipping men in black rollnecks and everything to do with dirty-handed blokes in overalls.
It started as a porridge, three-box Japanese saloon with a wing and got progressively more steroidal as its power multiplied. The Evo has always been as ugly as it is fast, but like a broken nose or cauliflower ear its deformities have always signalled its intentions and been part of its appeal. :shades:
Evolution is the right word. It has evolved, without any overt marketing spin from Mitsubishi, into the company’s halo car. It has been so successful that its parent has almost been forgotten; it’s an Evo far more than it’s a Mitsubishi. But now Mitsubishi is in deep sales and financial trouble.
It’s about to launch a new Lancer. It needs to harness every asset it has to make it work. It can’t afford to let the Evo thing just “happen” again, but it knows it can’t coerce us into the same enthusiasm for the new one. The Concept-X it showed at Tokyo is the new Evo that will launch in 2007 and, under all the adornment, is the new Lancer that will precede it in 2006. It is Halilhodzic’s sheet-metal answer to a set of contradictory questions. ‘The Evo is a legend. I was driving one as I was designing this car.’ Good start. Omer is 42 and has been with Mitsubishi for 10 years. He is head of exterior design at the firm’s European design centre in Germany, where he drew the Colt and the pretty CZ2 concepts.
‘Every day I was thinking about what to keep and what to do better, how to please guys who are fans of this car and appeal to others who have never tried it because the car is so ugly they thought, “I’ll never spend money on that”.
‘But the first thing is functionality, 100 percent. It has to be faster, leaner and lighter. It has to go through the air better and you have to think about cooling. You style the headlights so that they work better, not just look better. It’s pure function really. We thought early in the car’s development about doing a coupe as well but being a four-door is central to its character. You have to have room in the back and good boot space, but you need to make the roofline more aerodynamic to improve top speed. You just connect the lines and you get this shape.’
This is probably exactly what the Evo’s single-minded customers will want to hear, that their new car looks this way because it has to, and not because some self-indulgent designer prefers it this way.
‘People will talk about the size of the front air intake and how aggressive it looks but actually I tried to reduce it. But we did our engineering studies and we knew how much air we had to give the engine and after the functional requirements are set it’s up to me to make it look right. We had the competition guys in and asked them what we could do to make this a better rally car. We’ve made the changes they’ve asked for.
‘This is a very realistic concept. We decided from the start that it should be 95 percent production. When we started work last year the platform for the new Lancer had already been fixed and the hard points had been set. There’s no cheating with this concept. The headroom in the back is the way it will be in production. But some of the styling of the new Lancer was still open and there are details we developed for this concept that will influence the standard car. A few of the details won’t make production, like the 20-inch wheels and maybe the tail lamps. But this is pretty much what you’ll get.’
But Omer is being a little too humble. Yes, packaging an Evo isn’t easy; a two-litre turbo four making at least 300bhp needs a lot of air, and the new Super All-Wheel Control four-wheel drive system will make use of every extra millimetre of track or tyre section you give it. But he isn’t entirely enslaved by airflow; this isn’t just a join-the-ducts exercise. He has the freedom finally to give the Evo the wider desirability that BMWs and Audis of the same price but infinitely lesser performance enjoy. And he has the responsibilty finally to give Mitsubishi some sort of coherent corporate image, without which it will struggle to salvage its sluggish, scandal-hit sales. View this car next to the Concept-Sportback shown at Frankfort a month before and you start to get the broader intention.
‘I wanted a clean design, with the correct proportions. Both cars have that. Something that would be timeless and not appeal to fashion like BMW is doing with surfacing, but a decent, nice-looking car with no mistakes on it. This concept is different to the Sportback in some respects. You have to see it to understand and it’s not so clear in this colour but it’s flatter, stronger and squarer. I tried to be a bit brutal, a bit macho. I think an Evo should be. I also wanted the car’s technology to show in the design. We’re revealing it in Japan where they like big wings, so it has one, but it looks just as good with a little lip at the back. I’ll have mine that way.
‘The Evo is a cult car but Mitsubishi doesn’t have such a strong image and we have to create a new look. We have to keep the company’s DNA alive. We can’t just abandon it to do something completely different. We’re starting to do that, but it takes years. You will see some kind of connection. You might not see that grille on every car. The Evo needs big mouth, but a smaller car or a city car won’t be so aggressive but you will see some Mitsubishi DNA in all of them.’
And you think you are desperate to get hold of a new Evo? Mitsubishi’s salesmen around the world are pacing the floors of their empty showrooms now, waiting for these cars to arrive, and hoping the customers will follow them. That’s the new Evo’s most important function.
Um, did you type or cut & paste some article verbatim?
I don't think you can do that. I think you can quote a little of something to make a point or provide a link to the whole article, but I'm pretty sure you can't republish content like that. :sick:
I'm considering between the two, both will cost $35K. I like BMW because it's a BMW, EVO X is faster but Mitsubishi reputation lags and devaluation rate is higher too. The EVO X may be harder to resell. I'm in upstate NY, so AWD is definitely an attractive feature.
A stock Evo is absolutely not faster than a late-model 333 HP M3. The magazine drag strip test does not count; no one drives an AWD car like that for long, unless they enjoy extremely high repair bills.
The M3's depreciation is about to increase significantly, however, when the new model is released. It happened to the E36 M3 when the E46 debuted showing almost 100 more horsepower.
ok i really do not like the new looks of the new evo X. Its also supposed to have a clutchless six speed transmission wich without a clutch, I think is less fun. A lot less fun. I love the style of the evo IX but this new body style for the X is just horrible. It almost makes it look like a mazda at a glance. Overall im not happy at all with the evo X. I would rather have a IX.
I predict that this car, with its amazingly good looks, will hit 400 hp, do 0-60 in 3.5, hit 175 mph, and make an Murcielago look like a Geo Prizm around corners.
here watch the FQ400 Evo (400 bhp) with an old man at the wheel embarass a Murcielago with James K a championship racecar driver at the wheel. The Evo is simply magical in the corners where it just demolishes the lambo easily making back the lead the lambo starts in every straight, and often looking like it's at risk of rear ending the lambo.
Also worth note the FQ320 (320 bhp) turned in a laptime of 1 minute and 26 seconds, compared to 1:26.8 for a C5 Vette, 1:26.8 for a Ferrari 575 GTC and 1:25.8 for a Gallardo. The FQ400 turned in and 1:24.8 and that is with the driver making a mistake and falling off the boost for a moment.
Anyways the new AWD system is already handling noticably better than what the Evo IX can manage, and that is on the mules according to the test mags that got to drive them. if the Evo X realy is as aluminium intensive in it's construction as I have read, and realy weighs in at around 3000 lbs, and the new engine realy manages 329 hp with less turbo lag than the curent engine, Where do you think it will perform?
And as a side note, the Evo X is rumored to offer a 6 speed DSG style transmission, paddle shifters in the car and no clutch pedal, but the actual transmission will have 2 clutches that are hydrostaticly operated with shift speeds well beyond what any human can manage. And both manual and automatic shift modes, if you have questions check out a VW dealer to see a similar transmission in operation.
Well as food for thought I present the 2007 Dodge Caliber R/T AWD. Which BTW has a curb weight of 3308 lbs. The Caliber is built on a variant of the next gen lancer platform and is AWD, it also uses a 2.4L GEMA (Global Engine Manufactures Alliance) Engine, Said engine is a universal block now, shared by Mitsubshi Hyundai and D-Chrysler, that comes in 1.8, 2.0 and 2.4L sizes. The Evo should sport a 2.0L version of the engine with a Turbo, though a 2.4L could be in the works to combat the WRX STi at some point IMHO. The Caliber also sports a CVT transmission Taking a quick look at the 2007 Sentra Curb Weights will show you around a 45 lb penalty in the curb weight for a CVT vs a Manual or DSG style transmission. Also the bodywork on the Evo should save some weight, less heavy glass and a little less metal in a 4 door than in a hatch back, Again all we can do is speculate but I realy hope to see weight kept under 3200 lbs. Also for the Record the Curent Evo IX weighs in at 3263 lbs, So anything under that is considered a victory. Also for the Record it's reported that the use of aluminium in the MR saves about 50 lbs.
Also for the Record ... On the Track where it counts. According to Top Gear of the BBC who made that Video I linked. The Stock Evo VIII Pulls in a Lap of 1:28.9, A stock BMW M3 only manages 1:31.8 and a Stock WRX STi splits the score with a 1:30.1.
Is there anyone trying to upgrade from their OEM intercooler to a large front mount? Im trying to sell a kit from XS Power, that i bought but I was sent the wrong kit, I own an Rx-7. If anyone is interested please email me. Im selling it for $300/OBO.
Jan 13 at the NAIAS in Detroit the largest autoshow of them all, the Evo X is slated to have the wraps taken off, Will probly be a while after that before you can get one but I have to say this is MUCH sooner than I ever expected, Kudo's to Mitsubshi who built the 91 Eclipse I used to own which was the best car I have ever owned by far. I hope the plain version of the Lancer is out just as soon, because Mitsu needs a bread and butter car like that.
Who started the rumor the car was gonna be lighter, not heavier.
I wanted an exact copy of the Concept. That's en vogue these days anyway. What does Mitsu have to lose anyway? The Evo is supposed to be a beast. If you're gonna be a bear, be a Grissly Bear!
I think they have lightweight wheels now. The actual weight of the wheels can be mitigated.
I have a 98 Eclipse GST Spyder and it has about 375 HP. It weighs about 3200lbs. As far as the weight issues with this Evo all I have to say is mods mods mods. That is after the warranty runs out. A die hard DSM or any car owner will look past the flaws and view them as what gives the car character. I saw many things wrong with my spyder but, I enhanced the car and it evolved to something well above stock standards. A BMW is nice but, for the best bang for your buck it is hard to beat this EVO. I think any concept will be watered down a bit for cost effectiveness. There will always be body kits to make up for that and after market bolt on parts to bring hp to well over 400. I have had 2 Mitsu's already and no matter what the Evo has been race proven. As far as resale beemers have a higher resale but, cost alot more to begin with. I will probably keep my spyder till it is a classic.
Not too many road races? The Evo is a rally inspired car. There are many DSM (Diamond star motors) running in circuits around to U.S.
Road Race Engineering of California has a race team along with Slow boy racing and Hahn racing. All these shops sell race parts of which my car has many. Yes, these cars have after market parts but, it is not unheard of to running a close to stock evo.
but actually prefer the bodystyle of my '08 Lancer GTS over it. I don't like lines above the rear wheels-sort of a straight-line going over the top of the wheelwell-don't like it.
The Lancer GTS incorporates so much of the EVO 10 with its bodykit and valance/flares and spoiler that you're just about there as it's produced.
No turbo-charged engine but the Lancer GTS does have the 2.0L four cylinder that could be tweaked and modified if you like. Love my '08 Lancer GTS!
and wheel well, I'm talking about the back but perhaps I should look again at the front wells to see if they square it there, too. Yikes.
They round the wheel wells on the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS as they should and they look good.
I know the EVO X is the sought-after car for many for a long time but I'm diggin' my Lancer GTS bodystyle more in early looks at the EVO X. Now that's not to say that the new EVO X body couldn't be altered at all, is it?
I'm sure it'll be fast and a great little hot rod for many people. Still can't wait to see it out on the road.
Doesn't sound particularly mean or anything, but here's a couple guys revving the engine while the car is parked.
The engine sounds cheap an tinny and it almost sounds like I can hear the lifters. t's not an impressive sounding car at all. Looks really great tho! I see a big aftermarket for exhausts for the EVO X. Maybe under power it will sound better but standing and idling from those sound clips it wounds weak. My wife said "That's it?!" She's not super into cars but even she wasn't impressed. gotta drive one to see how it really is tho. The paddle shifters are a disappointment. I'd prefer a regular 6 spd, it would be more fun.
I don't think it sounds good at all. The sound clips made it sound cheap and low budget for a car that will cost all of $35K. It may have the performance and it might run at the front of the pack with the lead dogs but it won't sound very good doing it. For that kind of money they really need to make it sound beefier. My wife was in big favor of it as Subaru has just done such a poor job on the WRX and yes I know the EVO competes with the STI but If i don't have confidence with the WRX the STI won't likely thrill me either, not with the direction the company is taking. But my wife though the EVO sounded awful can't use here exact words on here but I hope they smooth it out a bit for production. Mitsu is know to void warranties for the simplest of mods.
I provided a link. You can click on the pics but sad to say it looks like it will still only have 280HP! If you look at the very last page of the catalog they show the ralliart version and they show two other models. One of those is likely to be the equivilant of the EVO IX and the other will be something like the MR. The pics are not as detailed as I would like but still the car looks very sharp. Too bad it's coming to the US so late! I see no reason not to have a world release on the car. Anyway enjoy the pics. :shades:
Thank you for the link! The 280HP is only for the Japan-market version, the US version is still expected to have 300+HP. The EVO X will be launched in Japan right around the time the Tokyo Motor Show runs. In the U.S. the EVO X is expected to launch within the first 12 weeks of 2008. Most speculation places the launch at late January early February...
Thank you for the link! The 280HP is only for the Japan-market version, the US version is still expected to have 300+HP. The EVO X will be launched in Japan right around the time the Tokyo Motor Show runs. In the U.S. the EVO X is expected to launch within the first 12 weeks of 2008. Most speculation places the launch at late January early February...
Sure thing, I don't know what the new EVO will actually have but the pics in the catalog do at least show the Ralliart version as well as 2 other models, so it's an idea of what we will or might get. If they had launched it before Christmas I probably would have bought one but no chance of that now. Maybe the EVO XI. I have to have a car in January and no hope for the EVO X. I'm not going to buy a beater for 3 months. damn shame they were so slow on releasing it the way they did. They should be smart enough to release the US version along with the Japanese version but of course they won't do that. So probably either a Mini Cooper S or a Mazdaspeed 3 for me for the next 5 years. I wanted the EVO X but what can you do. :sick:
Hey, how much do you guys think this car is going to cost when it hits the U.S?
You can be certain it will not be cheaper than it was for the EVO IX. I imagine it could be a few thousand more than before. Then many dealers will only get a couple of them so they will add $10K to the price. It's probably a limited edition and only so many units a year so dealer price gouging will be a big problem. also a lot of first in line buyers will buy the car and resell it on ebay for a lot more. I don't expect it will be reasonable due to all of that. It's a shame Mitsu doesn't actually keep their dealers from adding on money. But Honda does it as do most car dealers if a car is very desirable. I've walked out of showrooms and not bought cars when I see the ADM stickers on the car. I bought a Miata over a Honda S2000 way back in 2000 because it was loaded with every dealer option as well as a $10K ADM sticker. So almost $50K or so for a Honda S2000! No Thanks. Mitsubishi is dying on the vine so they really need to keep the dealers from doing this. If the Lancer and the EVO don't turn them around then they, like VW and Isuzu might leave the US market due to massive financial losses.
I understand your disappointment regarding the timing of the US launch for the EVO X. However, please don't go off spouting unsubstantiated silliness about Mitsubishi's financial standing and highly unlikely departure from the US. Both the Lancer and Outlander are selling quite well and have been the main contributors to Mitsubishi's sales success this year. The EVO is a halo car, not a volume seller and will not make or break Mitsubishi.
I understand your disappointment regarding the timing of the US launch for the EVO X. However, please don't go off spouting unsubstantiated silliness about Mitsubishi's financial standing and highly unlikely departure from the US. Both the Lancer and Outlander are selling quite well and have been the main contributors to Mitsubishi's sales success this year. The EVO is a halo car, not a volume seller and will not make or break Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi from a purely business standpoint has been in trouble for a long time. They currently do not have any plans to pull out of the US market but they are really very deep in the Red and that is easily verified by a quick search on Google. I'd still buy an EVO but Mitsu really needs to turn things around. Their best sellers are the Lancer and Outlander and all their other cars are hurting in sales. You must be aware of how much money has been poured into them to keep them afloat. I can and will post links if you don't want to look it up but I think they have taken as big a Hit financially as VW has.
Just don't look at their other divisions like their Bank because it's hurting due to the changing value of the US dollar and a lot of other reasons. It might be a good time to buy Mitsu stock because it looks like they are going up more and more. The EVO might very well be a Halo car but the Lancer is their bread and butter as is the Outlander and they know it. The Asian market which is where currently live is a different story.
Thank you for the links. Please note that the just-auto link is a bit outdated (2005)
I am very aware of Mitsubishi's recent past. However, we are not talking about the past we're talking about the present and future. As you indicate yourself, Mitsubishi's financial picture is improving. For FY 2006 they were totally in the black http://media.mitsubishi-motors.com/pressrelease/e/corporate/detail1623.html Your link to the Q1 2007 is fine but the link below breaks out their financials better. http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/corporate/ir/share/pdf/e/kessan/070730-3.pdf As you can see on slide 4, they had a one-time charge. Without that charge, they would have reported a pre-tax profit. For FY 2007 they are forecasting a net (after tax) profit of 20 billion yen. The group of Mitsubishi companies are not divisions, they are separate companies, all reporting their own financials. Actually MItsubishi stock is down 17% for the year (the entire auto sector is down for that matter). Mitsubishi could do better in Asia, especially China. In the Philippines, however, they are ranked #3 behind Toyota and Honda. BTW, my wife is from Paranaque (south of Manila) and I have lived there for several short bouts in 2002 and 2005. I take it you're in Cebu (yeah I'm a genius when it come to deductive reasoning :P ). What do you do there if you don't mind me asking?
The group of Mitsubishi companies are not divisions, they are separate companies, all reporting their own financials. Actually Mitsubishi stock is down 17% for the year (the entire auto sector is down for that matter). Mitsubishi could do better in Asia, especially China. In the Philippines, however, they are ranked #3 behind Toyota and Honda.
Yes Mitsubishi is losing ground even to Mazda in the Philippines which is really taking off with the Mazda 3 which is all over the place compared to Mitsubishi. But Mitsu is still selling their AUV's and those are really not up to par with the Innova nor the Revo before it, or the Tamaraw before that. Isuzu actually was selling a lot of their AUV's but I drove all of them and most were dog slow.
BTW, my wife is from Paranaque (south of Manila) and I have lived there for several short bouts in 2002 and 2005. I take it you're in Cebu (yeah I'm a genius when it come to deductive reasoning ). What do you do there if you don't mind me asking?
Actually my wife is from Cebu, We moved out of Cebu due to the massive growth there. It got so crowded and out of control that it was like Metro Manila but smaller scale. mango Ave (aka General Maxilom Ave.) is like EDSA most of the time. :sick: I left Cebu about 16 months ago. We are up in Pampanga now. There is work up here but it's best if you get it prior to coming to the Philippines rather than trying to get it while you are here. It's a shame about Cebu but it's barely recognizable from 2003 when I was first there. Mitsu had a lot of money put into their company to stay afloat. Lets hope it sticks this time.
I could go off topic here with stories, something fierce... So instead I'll contact you via your CarSpace page.
Yeah it's easy to do when you have wives from overseas. I don't really use carspace tho, not enough time in the day. But email works well it's just stevecebu at yahoo dot com
Regretably;y I had to take the EVO off my list. The price being close to the 2006 model (or more) means I can buy one but then my wife would end up with a Hyundai or something. So I'm narrowed down to either a Mazdaspeed 3 a Mini Cooper S or a Civic Sedan Si. The EVO will spank everything but the Mazdaspeed. Problem is you really can't drift a FWD car not even the Speed 3 very well. The EVO will gladly do it at higher speeds. My wife wants to RallyX and I think the EVO is better and she says she doesn't care if she drives a Hyundai or a city car if we can buy the EVO. But I'm not too fond of the ultra cheap cars, no trade in value. Although I imagine an EVO loses money as people figure it's been raced, so they shy away from it. The EVO is going to stomp Subaru flat since they haven't done anything but cheapen the car. The STi will probably be the same way :sick: But $36K+ is a lot when you have to buy 2 cars within a month of each other. email me
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned... What about the Mazdaspeed 6? Is it too big and heavy? I guarantee you, the EVO will easily outdo the Mazdaspeed 3(stock-for-stock). As good as the MS3 is, it just can't match the grip and power of the EVO. Then again, you also spend $14k less and you will have lower running costs (just ask how much a new set of EVO tires cost - every 10k miles)... :sick:
Comments
FUNCTION. FUNCTIONAL. Functionality. Listen to the tape of our 40-minute conversation with Omer Halilhodzic and you’ll hear variations on the f-word 80 times. It’s exactly what you want to hear from the designer tasked with redesigning the ultimate anti-design car. The look of the current Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has nothing whatsoever to do with latte-sipping men in black rollnecks and everything to do with dirty-handed blokes in overalls.
It started as a porridge, three-box Japanese saloon with a wing and got progressively more steroidal as its power multiplied. The Evo has always been as ugly as it is fast, but like a broken nose or cauliflower ear its deformities have always signalled its intentions and been part of its appeal. :shades:
DrFill
It’s about to launch a new Lancer. It needs to harness every asset it has to make it work. It can’t afford to let the Evo thing just “happen” again, but it knows it can’t coerce us into the same enthusiasm for the new one. The Concept-X it showed at Tokyo is the new Evo that will launch in 2007 and, under all the adornment, is the new Lancer that will precede it in 2006. It is Halilhodzic’s sheet-metal answer to a set of contradictory questions.
‘The Evo is a legend. I was driving one as I was designing this car.’ Good start. Omer is 42 and has been with Mitsubishi for 10 years. He is head of exterior design at the firm’s European design centre in Germany, where he drew the Colt and the pretty CZ2 concepts.
‘Every day I was thinking about what to keep and what to do better, how to please guys who are fans of this car and appeal to others who have never tried it because the car is so ugly they thought, “I’ll never spend money on that”.
‘But the first thing is functionality, 100 percent. It has to be faster, leaner and lighter. It has to go through the air better and you have to think about cooling. You style the headlights so that they work better, not just look better. It’s pure function really. We thought early in the car’s development about doing a coupe as well but being a four-door is central to its character. You have to have room in the back and good boot space, but you need to make the roofline more aerodynamic to improve top speed. You just connect the lines and you get this shape.’
This is probably exactly what the Evo’s single-minded customers will want to hear, that their new car looks this way because it has to, and not because some self-indulgent designer prefers it this way.
‘People will talk about the size of the front air intake and how aggressive it looks but actually I tried to reduce it. But we did our engineering studies and we knew how much air we had to give the engine and after the functional requirements are set it’s up to me to make it look right. We had the competition guys in and asked them what we could do to make this a better rally car. We’ve made the changes they’ve asked for.
‘This is a very realistic concept. We decided from the start that it should be 95 percent production. When we started work last year the platform for the new Lancer had already been fixed and the hard points had been set. There’s no cheating with this concept. The headroom in the back is the way it will be in production. But some of the styling of the new Lancer was still open and there are details we developed for this concept that will influence the standard car. A few of the details won’t make production, like the 20-inch wheels and maybe the tail lamps. But this is pretty much what you’ll get.’
But Omer is being a little too humble. Yes, packaging an Evo isn’t easy; a two-litre turbo four making at least 300bhp needs a lot of air, and the new Super All-Wheel Control four-wheel drive system will make use of every extra millimetre of track or tyre section you give it. But he isn’t entirely enslaved by airflow; this isn’t just a join-the-ducts exercise. He has the freedom finally to give the Evo the wider desirability that BMWs and Audis of the same price but infinitely lesser performance enjoy. And he has the responsibilty finally to give Mitsubishi some sort of coherent corporate image, without which it will struggle to salvage its sluggish, scandal-hit sales. View this car next to the Concept-Sportback shown at Frankfort a month before and you start to get the broader intention.
‘I wanted a clean design, with the correct proportions. Both cars have that. Something that would be timeless and not appeal to fashion like BMW is doing with surfacing, but a decent, nice-looking car with no mistakes on it. This concept is different to the Sportback in some respects. You have to see it to understand and it’s not so clear in this colour but it’s flatter, stronger and squarer. I tried to be a bit brutal, a bit macho. I think an Evo should be. I also wanted the car’s technology to show in the design. We’re revealing it in Japan where they like big wings, so it has one, but it looks just as good with a little lip at the back. I’ll have mine that way.
‘The Evo is a cult car but Mitsubishi doesn’t have such a strong image and we have to create a new look. We have to keep the company’s DNA alive. We can’t just abandon it to do something completely different. We’re starting to do that, but it takes years. You will see some kind of connection. You might not see that grille on every car. The Evo needs big mouth, but a smaller car or a city car won’t be so aggressive but you will see some Mitsubishi DNA in all of them.’
And you think you are desperate to get hold of a new Evo? Mitsubishi’s salesmen around the world are pacing the floors of their empty showrooms now, waiting for these cars to arrive, and hoping the customers will follow them. That’s the new Evo’s most important function.
:shades:
DrFill
DrFill
I don't think you can do that. I think you can quote a little of something to make a point or provide a link to the whole article, but I'm pretty sure you can't republish content like that. :sick:
~Colin
The M3's depreciation is about to increase significantly, however, when the new model is released. It happened to the E36 M3 when the E46 debuted showing almost 100 more horsepower.
~Colin
Mitsu has some sweet incentives too.
And 4-doors will keep insurance rates down. That and non-German parts.
DrFill
~Colin
DrFill
I like the EvoIX and especially the EvoX, but they are not in exotic car territory in either performance or prestige.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ZWJjC648I
Also worth note the FQ320 (320 bhp) turned in a laptime of 1 minute and 26 seconds, compared to 1:26.8 for a C5 Vette, 1:26.8 for a Ferrari 575 GTC and 1:25.8 for a Gallardo. The FQ400 turned in and 1:24.8 and that is with the driver making a mistake and falling off the boost for a moment.
Anyways the new AWD system is already handling noticably better than what the Evo IX can manage, and that is on the mules according to the test mags that got to drive them. if the Evo X realy is as aluminium intensive in it's construction as I have read, and realy weighs in at around 3000 lbs, and the new engine realy manages 329 hp with less turbo lag than the curent engine, Where do you think it will perform?
And as a side note, the Evo X is rumored to offer a 6 speed DSG style transmission, paddle shifters in the car and no clutch pedal, but the actual transmission will have 2 clutches that are hydrostaticly operated with shift speeds well beyond what any human can manage. And both manual and automatic shift modes, if you have questions check out a VW dealer to see a similar transmission in operation.
If it comes in under 3200 lbs., that's a huge accomplishment! And then you have a 4.5/12.9 car.
DrFill
Also for the Record ... On the Track where it counts. According to Top Gear of the BBC who made that Video I linked. The Stock Evo VIII Pulls in a Lap of 1:28.9, A stock BMW M3 only manages 1:31.8 and a Stock WRX STi splits the score with a 1:30.1.
Gains 200 lbs., no 20" wheels, and definitely loses the magic the Concept had. Could it look more watered-down? :sick:
And who's the Dumb-a%$ who built the doors with giant frames in them? None of the sketches have framed doors!
At least they kept the stick, so it's not a total waste.
But my love affair is over. Next!
DrFill
I wanted an exact copy of the Concept. That's en vogue these days anyway. What does Mitsu have to lose anyway? The Evo is supposed to be a beast. If you're gonna be a bear, be a Grissly Bear!
I think they have lightweight wheels now. The actual weight of the wheels can be mitigated.
Why change the door frames? For what? :confuse:
DrFill
-mike
Road Race Engineering of California has a race team along with Slow boy racing and Hahn racing. All these shops sell race parts of which my car has many. Yes, these cars have after market parts but, it is not unheard of to running a close to stock evo.
-mike
The Lancer GTS incorporates so much of the EVO 10 with its bodykit and valance/flares and spoiler that you're just about there as it's produced.
No turbo-charged engine but the Lancer GTS does have the 2.0L four cylinder that could be tweaked and modified if you like. Love my '08 Lancer GTS!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
For instance, look at the fenders. The Concept X had nice, sexy rounded fenders.
The Prototype X has boxy, boring fenders. Gah.
That's just one example of many.
Damn you, mitsu. :-/
They round the wheel wells on the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS as they should and they look good.
I know the EVO X is the sought-after car for many for a long time but I'm diggin' my Lancer GTS bodystyle more in early looks at the EVO X. Now that's not to say that the new EVO X body couldn't be altered at all, is it?
I'm sure it'll be fast and a great little hot rod for many people. Still can't wait to see it out on the road.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Looks beefy.
There's a few more here.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
http://www.mitsubishicars.com/MMNA/jsp/evo/08/index.do?loc=en-us
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=120079?mktcat=evo-x-future&kw=evo+x&mktid=ga27906268
Is it me, or does it rev SLOWLY? Must be a heavy flywheel.
http://www.gtchannel.com/content.php?cid=4739
http://www.gtchannel.com/content.php?cid=4654
http://www.gtchannel.com/content.php?cid=4738
The engine sounds cheap an tinny and it almost sounds like I can hear the lifters. t's not an impressive sounding car at all. Looks really great tho!
I see a big aftermarket for exhausts for the EVO X.
Maybe under power it will sound better but standing and idling from those sound clips it wounds weak. My wife said "That's it?!" She's not super into cars but even she wasn't impressed. gotta drive one to see how it really is tho. The paddle shifters are a disappointment. I'd prefer a regular 6 spd, it would be more fun.
Thanks for posting the sound clips!
As for the noise you here under the hood, see what guys have to say about it here: http://www.evoxforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258
Also, it doesn't sound bad under load here at the new video of it at the ring: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=121744?tid=edmunds.- il.home.photopanel..1.*
PS, they mentioned an available 6 speed manual in the above video.
It may have the performance and it might run at the front of the pack with the lead dogs but it won't sound very good doing it. For that kind of money they really need to make it sound beefier. My wife was in big favor of it as Subaru has just done such a poor job on the WRX and yes I know the EVO competes with the STI but If i don't have confidence with the WRX the STI won't likely thrill me either, not with the direction the company is taking.
But my wife though the EVO sounded awful can't use here exact words on here
But yeah @ mistu voiding warranties. Jerks.
http://www.evoxforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3998#post3998
:shades:
If you look at the very last page of the catalog they show the ralliart version and they show two other models. One of those is likely to be the equivilant of the EVO IX and the other will be something like the MR.
The pics are not as detailed as I would like but still the car looks very sharp. Too bad it's coming to the US so late! I see no reason not to have a world release on the car.
Anyway enjoy the pics. :shades:
http://4wheelsblog.com/released/2008-mitsubishi-lancer-evolution-10-brochure-[non-permissible content removed]- anese-version
The 280HP is only for the Japan-market version, the US version is still expected to have 300+HP.
The EVO X will be launched in Japan right around the time the Tokyo Motor Show runs. In the U.S. the EVO X is expected to launch within the first 12 weeks of 2008. Most speculation places the launch at late January early February...
The 280HP is only for the Japan-market version, the US version is still expected to have 300+HP.
The EVO X will be launched in Japan right around the time the Tokyo Motor Show runs. In the U.S. the EVO X is expected to launch within the first 12 weeks of 2008. Most speculation places the launch at late January early February...
Sure thing, I don't know what the new EVO will actually have but the pics in the catalog do at least show the Ralliart version as well as 2 other models, so it's an idea of what we will or might get.
If they had launched it before Christmas I probably would have bought one but no chance of that now. Maybe the EVO XI. I have to have a car in January and no hope for the EVO X. I'm not going to buy a beater for 3 months.
damn shame they were so slow on releasing it the way they did. They should be smart enough to release the US version along with the Japanese version but of course they won't do that.
So probably either a Mini Cooper S or a Mazdaspeed 3 for me for the next 5 years. I wanted the EVO X but what can you do. :sick:
You can be certain it will not be cheaper than it was for the EVO IX. I imagine it could be a few thousand more than before. Then many dealers will only get a couple of them so they will add $10K to the price. It's probably a limited edition and only so many units a year so dealer price gouging will be a big problem. also a lot of first in line buyers will buy the car and resell it on ebay for a lot more. I don't expect it will be reasonable due to all of that. It's a shame Mitsu doesn't actually keep their dealers from adding on money. But Honda does it as do most car dealers if a car is very desirable.
I've walked out of showrooms and not bought cars when I see the ADM stickers on the car. I bought a Miata over a Honda S2000 way back in 2000 because it was loaded with every dealer option as well as a $10K ADM sticker. So almost $50K or so for a Honda S2000!
No Thanks.
Mitsubishi is dying on the vine so they really need to keep the dealers from doing this.
If the Lancer and the EVO don't turn them around then they, like VW and Isuzu might leave the US market due to massive financial losses.
However, please don't go off spouting unsubstantiated silliness about Mitsubishi's financial standing and highly unlikely departure from the US.
Both the Lancer and Outlander are selling quite well and have been the main contributors to Mitsubishi's sales success this year. The EVO is a halo car, not a volume seller and will not make or break Mitsubishi.
However, please don't go off spouting unsubstantiated silliness about Mitsubishi's financial standing and highly unlikely departure from the US.
Both the Lancer and Outlander are selling quite well and have been the main contributors to Mitsubishi's sales success this year. The EVO is a halo car, not a volume seller and will not make or break Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi from a purely business standpoint has been in trouble for a long time. They currently do not have any plans to pull out of the US market but they are really very deep in the Red and that is easily verified by a quick search on Google. I'd still buy an EVO but Mitsu really needs to turn things around. Their best sellers are the Lancer and Outlander and all their other cars are hurting in sales.
You must be aware of how much money has been poured into them to keep them afloat.
I can and will post links if you don't want to look it up but I think they have taken as big a Hit financially as VW has.
I mean they even admit to the problems they have had in the first article
http://www.just-auto.com/factsheet.aspx?id=192
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0RRT/is_2006_Oct_30/ai_n16808842
They are loosing less in 2007 than in prior years tho
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=14945
Just don't look at their other divisions like their Bank because it's hurting due to the changing value of the US dollar and a lot of other reasons.
It might be a good time to buy Mitsu stock because it looks like they are going up more and more.
The EVO might very well be a Halo car but the Lancer is their bread and butter as is the Outlander and they know it. The Asian market which is where currently live is a different story.
Please note that the just-auto link is a bit outdated (2005)
I am very aware of Mitsubishi's recent past. However, we are not talking about the past we're talking about the present and future.
As you indicate yourself, Mitsubishi's financial picture is improving. For FY 2006 they were totally in the black http://media.mitsubishi-motors.com/pressrelease/e/corporate/detail1623.html
Your link to the Q1 2007 is fine but the link below breaks out their financials better. http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/corporate/ir/share/pdf/e/kessan/070730-3.pdf
As you can see on slide 4, they had a one-time charge. Without that charge, they would have reported a pre-tax profit.
For FY 2007 they are forecasting a net (after tax) profit of 20 billion yen.
The group of Mitsubishi companies are not divisions, they are separate companies, all reporting their own financials.
Actually MItsubishi stock is down 17% for the year (the entire auto sector is down for that matter).
Mitsubishi could do better in Asia, especially China. In the Philippines, however, they are ranked #3 behind Toyota and Honda.
BTW, my wife is from Paranaque (south of Manila) and I have lived there for several short bouts in 2002 and 2005.
I take it you're in Cebu (yeah I'm a genius when it come to deductive reasoning :P ). What do you do there if you don't mind me asking?
Actually Mitsubishi stock is down 17% for the year (the entire auto sector is down for that matter).
Mitsubishi could do better in Asia, especially China. In the Philippines, however, they are ranked #3 behind Toyota and Honda.
Yes Mitsubishi is losing ground even to Mazda in the Philippines which is really taking off with the Mazda 3 which is all over the place compared to Mitsubishi.
But Mitsu is still selling their AUV's and those are really not up to par with the Innova nor the Revo before it, or the Tamaraw before that. Isuzu actually was selling a lot of their AUV's but I drove all of them and most were dog slow.
BTW, my wife is from Paranaque (south of Manila) and I have lived there for several short bouts in 2002 and 2005.
I take it you're in Cebu (yeah I'm a genius when it come to deductive reasoning ). What do you do there if you don't mind me asking?
Actually my wife is from Cebu, We moved out of Cebu due to the massive growth there. It got so crowded and out of control that it was like Metro Manila but smaller scale.
mango Ave (aka General Maxilom Ave.) is like EDSA most of the time. :sick:
I left Cebu about 16 months ago. We are up in Pampanga now. There is work up here but it's best if you get it prior to coming to the Philippines rather than trying to get it while you are here.
It's a shame about Cebu but it's barely recognizable from 2003 when I was first there.
Mitsu had a lot of money put into their company to stay afloat. Lets hope it sticks this time.
So instead I'll contact you via your CarSpace page.
Back on topic... EVO X... ummm... yeah... :P
So instead I'll contact you via your CarSpace page.
Yeah it's easy to do when you have wives from overseas.
I don't really use carspace tho, not enough time in the day. But email works well it's just
stevecebu at yahoo dot com
Regretably;y I had to take the EVO off my list. The price being close to the 2006 model (or more) means I can buy one but then my wife would end up with a Hyundai or something.
So I'm narrowed down to either a Mazdaspeed 3 a Mini Cooper S or a Civic Sedan Si.
The EVO will spank everything but the Mazdaspeed.
Problem is you really can't drift a FWD car not even the Speed 3 very well.
The EVO will gladly do it at higher speeds.
My wife wants to RallyX and I think the EVO is better and she says she doesn't care if she drives a Hyundai or a city car if we can buy the EVO. But I'm not too fond of the ultra cheap cars, no trade in value.
Although I imagine an EVO loses money as people figure it's been raced, so they shy away from it.
The EVO is going to stomp Subaru flat since they haven't done anything but cheapen the car. The STi will probably be the same way :sick:
But $36K+ is a lot when you have to buy 2 cars within a month of each other.
email me
I guarantee you, the EVO will easily outdo the Mazdaspeed 3(stock-for-stock). As good as the MS3 is, it just can't match the grip and power of the EVO.
Then again, you also spend $14k less and you will have lower running costs (just ask how much a new set of EVO tires cost - every 10k miles)... :sick: