Mitsubishi Goes for Broke With Wild Concept-X
We kind of expected it: Mitsubishi saving its most radical model for Tokyo. Having unveiled the new Lancer Concept-Sportback at the Frankfurt auto show last month, Mitsubishi chose its own backyard, the Tokyo Motor Show, to reveal the top-of-the-range, fire-breathing Concept-X.
In markets where the Lancer Evolution IX is already on sale, many readers will see the Concept-X (pronounced “ex”) as a feeble attempt to hide the fact that it’s really the next-generation Evolution X (pronounced “ten”). But according to Mitsubishi, there is a strong possibility that this radically redesigned rocket will take on a completely different name. Hence, the generic “Concept-X” name. We think, however, Mitsu would have to be very brave to stray from the already widely accepted Evolution lineage.
What’s not generic, however, are the car’s looks and performance. Inspired by the air intakes from an F16 jet fighter, the Concept-X’s upright grille styling looks as single-minded as any Evo ever. Penned at the Mitsubishi R&D Europe studio in Germany, the Concept-X is longer, wider and taller than the current Evo IX, and sits on the revised and strengthened platform for the new Outlander (which we will also see at Tokyo).
The sharp wedgelike X silhouette seems ready to rock n’ roll in the World Rally Championships straight off the showroom floor. Because that’s what it was designed for — to take over from the struggling Evo IX WRC car. With a huge all-in-one grille and air dam design feeding the oversized intercooler, power from the turbocharged 2.0-liter MIVEC engine is expected to clear 300 hp easily and generate 325 lb-ft of torque. Interestingly, the Concept-X can also incorporate a downsized version of the Outlander’s all-aluminum 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine block.
The Concept-X will be the first Lancer to employ Mitsubishi’s six-speed, two-pedal sequential AMT (automatic/manual transmission), while a revised version of the current INVECS CVT with six-speed manual mode and standard six-speed manual gearbox will also be offered.
But by far the most notable addition to the new Evo’s array of techno-wizardry is what Mitsubishi calls Super All-Wheel Control. It is effectively a new electronically controlled steering setup which incorporates the Evo IX’s Active Center Diff, Active Yaw Control, and Sports ABS into one system that monitors traction levels at all four corners and sends power to where it’s needed the most.
Due for release in late 2007 or early 2008, the Concept-X will take on 18-inch wheels and a look that will elevate it beyond any Japanese high-performance AWD charger to date.
