Mitsubishi EVO X Rumored Dead

If true, Mitsu is giving the middle finger to their most passionate fans. Perhaps they feel they are dying on the vine even with the EVO. So, what will it hurt to try a different approach? Hey EVO fans, there is always the Outlander Sport. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Isn't this the only car people buy from Mitsu?

get your evo now before it's too late lol

sigh...better gets mine while the gettin's good.

This isn't much of a surprise and I don't think the STI (in it's current form) is far behind. The muscle cars are here, and 400 is the new 300.

The line between WRX and STi has blurred and this has nearly made the STI irrelevant at 10k more. The RalliArt seems to be getting killed off with the EVO by the sounds of Mitsubishi and their goal to because a zero/near zero emissions car company.

I owned a 2002 WRX and when that came out in America there wasn't much available to the average enthusiast. The Camaro/Trans-Am production had just ended, there was no offerings from Chrysler, the 4.6l V8 Mustang was available. The only things coming out of Japan were from Honda (imagine that) in the S2000 and the RSX-S. We were just starting to hear about a new Z car. Germany had little in the sub 35k range except the GTI.

The WRX followed by the Evo and then STI were huge game changers. Unfortunately, they didn't keep up. The STI and EVO have each gained only a handful of HP (Granted the rating system was altered in that time frame.) while the muscle cars came back with a vengeance and had been taught how to turn.

This is a sad day, bit one I have seen coming for some time now.

Eh. Camaro and Taurus were once dead brands as well. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

One everyone who really wanted one, got one, the market dried up.

The Evo is an incredible bargain when you look at the power, performance and technology you get. However, it's still a $30-$40k compact car. The $26k Cruz can't compete with the Evo if you want to go fast. But if you are taking the kids to school or sitting in traffic on the way to work it is just as good for a third (or even 50%) less.

The Evo would be a great halo car for a company that sells its other cars in high volumes. But for a small player with an increasingly limited dealer network, selling a low volume (and probably low profit) car doesn't make sense.

I think the STi might stick around because Subaru sells enough main stream cars to support a low volume performance special.

I think it would be a mistake to kill it. It is indeed a halo car and Mitsubishi needs it for the credibility.

It would be like GM killing the Corvette because they weren't making money on it.

Their market share, at least in the US, is negligible. Their product is stale, and there is nothing to draw new buyers into Mitsubishi dealerships. Maybe a radical refocus is what Mitsu needs, because whatever they have going on right now clearly isn't working. The Evo today, the rest of Mitsubishi tomorrow.

@firstwagon - Agreed.

Evo is about 5% of Mitsu's business. Given they're a small player I don't think they'd want to give even that percentage up, especially with the knowledge that potential Evo customers aren't going to buy any other Mitsu product and will likely head over to Subaru or some other brand.

And given it's on the same platform as the regular Lancer, Lancer Sportback, Outlander, and Outlander Sport, it costs comparatively little to keep it going. It's also served as the proving ground, if you will, for things like the AWC system in the Outlander.

@greenpony - Stale product and no new buyers, eh? Then explain how Mitsu's sales are up 54% YTD v. 2010's YTD. Evo sales are up 18% YTD v. 2010 YTD as well.

I never liked the Evo, but dammit, I respected it! Its always sad to see a great performance car bite the dust like this. My first trip around an autocross track was riding shotgun in an Evo IX MR....fun stuff.

Mitsu only good product in the U.S... gone. I guess that they'll be pulling out in a few years.

noooooooooooo

Blame the Koreans. When was the last time that Evo got a report at Inside Line.
140 HP Elantras, Optimas, Sonatas, Veloster and all these crap got all the press ,
and still dont outsold anything from Honda & Toyota.

Wow, this really sucks. I own a Lancer Evolution IX MR. It's a 2006 model and it's completely stock with low milage. While I am sad to see the Evo go in its current form, I'm excited to learn that my car just became a whole lot more valuable. Sweet!

There were rumors also for an Evo Hybrid of some sort.
Now , new rumors.

Oh well, at the end is all rumors :)

Guys, here's our latest response via our Twitter account:

http://twitter.com/#!/mitsucars/status/43369108112285697

Seriously?? So what is being said here is approximately 2000 potential US EVO buyers a year will be 'forced' to choose another performance car - all of which at this price range (or less) offer better performance and have a more attractive body style. Not sure what the 2000 teenagers* are all crying about (* = the demographic this car is aimed at). For the other millions of US car buyers out there that could care less about this piece of junk...the world keeps on spinning!

"Blame the Koreans. When was the last time that Evo got a report at Inside Line.
140 HP Elantras, Optimas, Sonatas, Veloster and all these crap got all the press ,
and still dont outsold anything from Honda & Toyota."

Come on. The new generation of hyundai cars just came out. And they are great. A huge leap forward for a company for whom their selling point just last generation was "low cost". Most of hyundai's stuff isn't competing with the EVO anyhow.

Mitsu EVO isn't going away because people hear about the new sonata or Elantra. No Mitsu dug their own hole with crappy interior, high price, lack of utility (come on you have to admit the truck space is tiny, while the STI at least is a hatch and has a bit more space) and above all bad advertisement. Subaru has good name recognition here in Canada after harping about their AWD. But mitsu? People don't even think about them.

To: "zr1man" Please grow up...