Mitsu won this year's Dakar, again. Pajero Evolutions in first and third(were 1-2 until final day). Mitsubishi took 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th. Fifth time they've gotten a 1-2-3 finish at Dakar.

The colt WRC car? I forgot where I found this, but it might be fake since it doesn't have the official mitsu paint scheme.


Anyways either the lanevo will die after 2005 or will become a more powerful car (2.5L). I think it's more up to what DaimlerChrysler wants than what Mitsubishi wants. The new neon will be built off the lancer platform, so if they decide that they want the neon to be the hi-performance compact, their word goes. I don't really think they'd give a world-renowned sports car the axe in favor of the neon, just an example.

DC majority owning of Mitsubishi makes me so nervous. Just look at the 3rd gen eclipse.

 

2.5L on the rally car itself isn't going to happen. The engines can't go above 2.0L in rallies. 2.5L on the production may or may not happen.

 

I think what he meant was that once the colt finally comes out as Mitsu's rally car, they will either get rid of the Lancer Evolution or make it more of a street high-performance car with a 2.5 liter engine.

 

If the FIA reintroduced the insane group B they could...

but yeah, I was referring to the street version and assumed that the Colt will be their only rally car. They can actually do it now since the Lancer evo WRC is no longer a group N car. A good idea might be, keep the 2L in the RS (since it's inteded for race use) and add a larger displacement engine in the GSR.

 

Here's a colt that was on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon

 

Its a shame but I dont think we will see many more rally cars for the road. The EVO lancer really only exists because they were nessessary for group A rules (thank god). As their is no need to produce a road car with the same basic parts as the rally car, the evo series will probably get cheaper and more road biased while the rally car goes in a completly different direction (to the colt probably, the lancer is much to big).

Just look at the Ford focus RS, its front wheel drive and you cant even get a high performance 206.

 

nice pic ethan.......do you know when MMC will release the 2 door colt, the current one looks like a minivan......I think that the colt (cz3) will do well in the WRC. Plus I agree that dodge will probably corrupt the evo by making a neon evo or something.

 

The interior of new mmc's cars are weird.....did you see the production endevor......check edmunds

 

oh dear oh dear! dont u know the diff between a WRXsti and an evo!!....the hood intake alreadi shows it's an sti.

 

The Two Extra doors in the rear for the EVO is very important in rallys as I have heard .. It gives it some kind of balance of some sort.. And still 4 door car which can beat out cars which are smaller and more expensive .. I love it.

Well back to the EVO IX.. Yeah I think are going to make it but in few years time.. This beat is still growing and growing even better..

 

I don't know why but the 2 door colt interior kind of remind me of the VW beetle interior.

 

They may well produce an IX, but dont be dissapointed if its not in the same league as the current cars.

They may keep the car in the raw, but I think they will up the comfort, up the weight, drop the high cost components and generally use the EVO name to sell an inferior car to make money.

They dont need the Lancer EVO now as its too big to compete against the smaller and lighter WRC cars from Peugot and Citroen. Just look at the Monte, no Lancers in the top 15 places and no sign of a factory team. To be competetive, mistsubish will have to delvelop a car the size of the colt into a rally car, but we will probably never be able to buy it.

Their was an interesting note in EVO magazine. Apparently Mitsu have just signed a research/development contract with Getrag (or was it X-trac). Probably a sign they are developing a new transmission for a new car.

One of the main reasons I like the EVO is its as near as you can get to the rallly car without having to pay >£200,000

 

i don't see the LanEvo going anywhere

i beleive they will still produce it and it will become more of a rad race car than a rally car

as for 4 doors not being competitve in rally...didn't subaru have a good season and win the last event???

 

dont u guys remember seeing the tarmac spyder that was showed at the NAIAS? all it was was a colt with no roof and evo engine and drivetrain. i'm guessing if we get the tarmac spyder i dont think it would be very hard for them to just give us a tarmac (full roof).

 

The Evo X, wow, it'd be awesome if they went backwards... Like if they changed the look from the new design back to the Evolution V and VI... I think that'd be great.. With minor body changes, such as the Evolution 8's rear fenders, a new taillight that isn't European style, And a hood that resembles the Evolution 3, oh yeah, and keep the middle mounted antenna, toss on the Evolution 6 spoiler... What a car that'd be..

--- Kei