TCC's spies have caught Mitsubishi engineers testing a mule for the next-generation Lancer - the car that will spawn the eagerly anticipated EVO X. The bulging front fenders on this prototype give away the fact that this seemingly ordinary Lancer has been heavily reworked to squeeze a new platform beneath its skin.


This mule uses a combination of body panels from the Lancer line. The front fascia is largely from the standard Lancer, with wheel-well flares added to accommodate a wider front track. The prototype uses the rear end, rear fenders, and rear doors of the Lancer Evolution, whose increased width makes the additional flare at the rear unnecessary.


This indicates that even the most humble Lancer models will probably get more EVO traits mixed into the final product, which should improve the lineup from top to bottom. This prototype has much of the new car's interior so that climate-control performance can be accurately gauged in the 120-degree desert sun.

The prototype's ride height has been severely altered by heavy loads, making for a truly punishing test to pave the way for a full-fledged, final-bodied prototype sometime in the near future.

The next EVO, with more than 300 hp, is expected to be shown at this fall's Tokyo Motor Show. A U.S. launch is on its docket for 2006.