The Mitsubishi Evo X – are we nearly there yet?
We’ve been bombarded with pictures of the new Evo X in one concept form or another, but these exclusive snaps of it being tested in America prove that it’s not far off production readiness. The Prototype X was first revealed at the Detroit show in January and gave everyone a pretty good idea of what the finished Evo would look like – and this disguised Evo shows that it’s quite faithful to the show car.
What’s different from the Proto X?
The profile of the car is exactly the same, with the familiar wing and gaping grille. The slim, rectangular headlamps also look unchanged. Mitsubishi has said that the production car will be 95 percent the same as the one on show at Geneva, save for a few minor details on the bonnet and behind the wheel, so it seems as though Mitsubishi has given up on trying to disguise the exterior of the Evo X too much. Under the bonnet, the newest Evo sports the aluminium MIVEC 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-pot. It’s sounds like the previous turbo motor in Evos IX and before, but it’s in fact all new. Performance figures are still under wraps, but word is that this one will develop a muscular 300bhp-plus, so it’ll still be one of the looniest saloons on sale.
What’ll the Evo X be like to drive?
Although the Evo X will grow up (a bit), Mitsubishi insist that its newest sports car won’t lose any of the thrills of past Evos. Expect all the usual abbreviations, and more besides: AYC (Active Yaw Control), ACD (Active Centre Differential) and Mitsubishi’s most advanced 4wd system to date, dubbed Super All Wheel Drive Control. The finalised version of the Evo X will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, going on sale in Japan the following month. The Evo is destined to hit UK showrooms around February 2008, so those partial to a bit of intense B-road action should form an orderly queue.