The 10th and final generation of the Lancer Evolution, the EVO X, was launched in Japan back in 2007. And although it went out of production in April 2016, people still haven’t forgotten this rally-inspired JDM sedan. While the company is in no position to do this, fans are asking for a 2024 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO XI to battle the Germans.
You see, way before the Golf R had and AWD system with drift mode, before the Audi RS3 was a sedan with 400 hp, the Lancer Evolution was kind of a big deal. It not only had an AWD system that could be set up for drifting but also an amazing powertrain. The 4B11T 2.0L (1998cc) turbocharged, all-aluminum inline-4 GEMA engine was an amazing tuning platform and it also yielded the epic factory-built FQ-400 and FQ-440 MR versions, with 400 and 440 hp, respectively.
Right now, Mitsubishi is more concerned with building economical crossovers. But what if the company that made a 400 hp sedan a decade before the Audi RS3 suddenly brought back the Evo?
That’s the theme of this amazing private (unofficial) concept by digital artist Hycade, which is taking the internet by storm. The 2024 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 11 is the kind of car we’d love to see at the next Tokyo Auto Show. It’s the kind of car fans would line up to buy, just like they did when the Supra came back.
The Evo has been out of production for 8 years, and so nobody knows what one should look like. There’s not even a Lancer compact car to base it on, so Hycade went wild, creating something in his unique style, which we’ve always thought was German-inspired.
The lines of the Lancer EVO 11 are clean and curvy, its sloped roof perhaps taking inspiration from the Audi RS3. The car is more of a compact 4-door coupe than an economy sedan.
Hycade is known for his digital widebody kits in the “hardcore” style. Thus, the Evo XI concept has fenders that bulge out and add about 4 inches of extra bodywork on both sides. The front end is a modern interpretation of the outgoing Evo X, keeping iconic design elements such as the double hood vents and the rectangular grill shape.
However, the lower part of the bumper is much more aggressive, thanks to a deep carbon fiber chin spoiler with vertical wings. Massive air intakes on either side of the bumper no doubt cool the brakes or feed intercoolers for the engine.
What kind of engine? Well, everybody expects the Lancer Evo to have a 2.0-liter turbo. Mitsubishi still makes the 4B11 engine. However, it’s only a non-turbo version with low compression, which goes into some plug-in hybrids, as well as the Eclipse Cross and Delica minivan. The top horsepower output is barely 156 hp, about half of what you’d expect from a sports compact.
Obviously, they can make a turbo version, but there’s another option: borrowing a four-cylinder turbo from parent companies Nissan or Renault.
So what would you expect the 2024 Lancer EVO 11 Concept by Hycade to cost? Well, it depends on how advanced the technology is, but $50,000 would be reasonable. This way, it undercuts the $62,000 Audi RS3 while competing well with the $46,000 Honda Civic Type R or the $51,000 GR Corolla Morizo Edition.
