The Lancer Evo ghost stirs again: a Mitsubishi engineer dreams of reviving the legend
Could the Lancer Evolution really shake the world one more time? Inside Mitsubishi, people are once again whispering the name that once defined rallying itself. And as it turns out, the legend’s grave may not be as sealed as we thought.
Kaoru Sawase, the engineer who spent years developing Mitsubishi’s S-AWC (Super All-Wheel Control) system, admitted to Drive that he can’t get the Evo out of his head. “It’s my personal dream,” he said, adding that Mitsubishi already has much of the technology needed to bring the legendary sports saloon back to life.
The company’s focus today is, of course, electrification. If the decision were ever made to resurrect the Evo, Sawase believes it would inevitably head towards a hybrid or fully electric setup. “We have the know-how, we have the technology, the only question is whether we want to do it,” he told Carscoops.
The original Lancer disappeared from Mitsubishi’s lineup more than a decade ago, leaving no sedan platform to build a new Evo upon. If the project ever got the green light, it would likely use architecture from the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Mitsubishi’s current partners.
Road & Track confirms that the Evo idea is still alive within Mitsubishi, though there’s no official development programme underway. For now, the project exists only in the minds of engineers and enthusiasts, not on the boardroom agenda.
Mitsubishi has already revived the Ralliart badge, though for now it adorns lightly tuned versions of existing models — a few more decals, flashes of red trim, and minor styling tweaks. Sawase hinted, however, that Ralliart’s scope could expand. Carscoops speculates that it might eventually evolve into the brand’s dedicated performance division when the timing is right.
Production of the final Lancer Evolution X ended in 2016. Its two-litre turbo engine produced up to 300 hp and sent power to all four wheels through Mitsubishi’s trademark AWD system. That balance of grip, aggression and raw feedback made the Evo a legend both on rally stages and city streets.
The market today is dominated by SUVs and electric crossovers, but there are still plenty of enthusiasts whose pulse quickens at the sound of the Evo name. Many fans have long speculated about a hybrid Evolution, and Sawase agrees the idea makes sense. Electric torque could actually deliver stronger acceleration and traction than the old turbo engines. As Road & Track points out, if anyone can make a hybrid performance car work properly, it’s Mitsubishi, with its decades of expertise in all-wheel-drive and power management.
Mitsubishi now stands at a crossroads. The company has spent years focusing on electrified SUVs, but a return to performance could inject fresh energy into the brand. Toyota has already proven with its GR line that sports cars can still thrive in the hybrid era. If Mitsubishi dared to bring back the Evo name — even as a hybrid — it would be a symbolic move for Japan’s car industry as a whole.
For now, it remains just one engineer’s dream. But dreams like these are exactly how the Evo was born in the first place. And some ghosts are simply too restless to stay buried.
