The long hood, short rear deck and sleek new profile allow the Evo to use a smaller rear wing. A race-inspired rear diffuser further reduces lift, eliminating the need for the roof-mounted vortex generators found on the Evo IX MR. Gone are the rounded-over fenders from Concept X. The Prototype's more traditional box fenders are softer and more sculpted. The hood retains two vents and a NACA duct, still functional, but subtler-body-colored instead of black. Need more proof that Mitsubishi is taking the Evo from the pitlane to the luxury suite? Those forged OZs are 20 inches in diameter, and though they're just for show, the fact that Mitsu put dubs and not true racing wheels on the Prototype X speaks volumes.
Don't worry, it won't be all Euro-bling. Beneath its new skin, the Evo will remain a high-performance vehicle, acutely aware of its racing heritage. Though Mitsubishi isn't currently fielding a WRC team, it developed the Evolution X to meet current FIA Group N homologation restrictions for the many privateers around the world that continue to rally the Evo.
This is where the aforementioned advances in chassis development will pay big dividends, even without the additional spot welds and other chassis reinforcements Evos usually receive. Like Evo IX MR models, the Evo X will employ an aluminum roof and hood. The front fenders on the Prototype are composite, but we're betting on aluminum in the production model as well as new rear floor sheetmetal for the redesigned suspension. Unlike the rest of the car, this suspension is no significant departure from the tried and true set-up of existing Evos.
The new Lancer's MacPherson front strut configuration remains while a multi-link rear trailing arm design-unique to the Evo-replaces Lancer hardware. Key upgrades are in the form of stiffer front and rear subframes and race-ready forged aluminum control arms with revised geometry. We don't yet know if the Evo X will use the spherical control arm bushings found on the Lancer GTS, but it's likely.
Clearly, there is racing intent in the suspension, but also under the hood, where an all-new FIA Group N-spec engine resides, based on the aforementioned 4B11 block found in the Lancer. Though a legend, the 4G63 was canned for many of the same reasons we will all face one day-it was heavy, old, and dirty.
The IHI turbo is now on the firewall side, since the engine sits in the same position as on the Lancer. Contrary to what you might think, this is good in several ways. By directing the exhaust ports toward the rear and placing the turbo between engine and firewall, less weight hangs over the front axle. There are also no more clearance issues with routing a sewage main-size downpipe under the engine next to the oil pan, and the turbo's proximity to the catalytic converter allows for better cold-start emissions. There's also plenty of room in front of the firewall for a larger turbo, without the plumbing and radiator clearance problems of the 4G63 layout.
Placing the turbo behind the engine better manages heat by keeping exhaust energy localized to the turbine (encased in a comprehensive heat shield), instead of right next to the radiator. It also routes the compressor outlet pipe over the engine and down into the same intercooler as used on the IX. This ultimately shortens plumbing length between the intercooler outlet and the throttle body, which is now up front next to the intercooler. To keep the compressor side cool, the hood-mounted NACA duct directs air down toward the turbo and compressor discharge pipe.
While the new engine may take some getting used to, the real challenge for Evo traditionalists will be the transmission. As much as we love a good manual transmission, it's a relic of the past as far as Mitsubishi is concerned. So the Evolution is going automatic. But not just any auto. Mitsubishi has given the Prototype X a system of two wet clutches and an intelligent shift program that ties into engine performance and vehicle dynamics sensors, much like the S-Tronic/DSG system.
By using one wet clutch for every other gear, clutch engagement for each up- or downshift can be overlapped to make hangtime almost imperceptible. Mitsubishi's system will use six forward gears that can be controlled by the center console shifter or steering wheel-mounted magnesium alloy paddle shifters (already seen on the Outlander). If you choose to let the as-yet-unnamed system shift for you, it will bang through gears and rev-match downshifts faster than any human hand.
Since an Evo without a manual transmission is as unthinkable as this magazine without Evos, we speculate that Mitsubishi will eventually have to offer one to the enthusiast, splitting sales between tuners and those that just want to go fast. The design and technology already exist; the Lancer engine accommodates a standard five-speed gearbox.
What we don't expect to see on the production version are show-car distractions like the interior mood tube lighting, Alcantara trim, Porsche-esque lap timer and Brembo Gran Turismo brakes with cross-drilled two-piece rotors and four-pot rear calipers. The LED headlamps and taillights will also be swapped out, but the 911 GT3-style Recaro seats (minus the fancy inserts and shiny harness pass-throughs) should make it to production. We're also expecting to see the Lancer's fancy navigation and technology package offered as an add-on, since the two dash configurations are nearly identical.
There's more. For the first time in history, Mitsubishi has designed the Lancer and the Evo with the intention to sell both in the US. This means we will finally get the Active Yaw Control (AYC) system. This second-generation AYC system will be bundled into an entirely new comprehensive handling package called Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) that also encompasses ACD for front-rear torque distribution, Anti Skid Control (ASC) and independent four-wheel brake control. This is a far more refined version of the system we sampled on a test mule last year, though without the active suspension and steering components we were so critical of. Our sources indicate those remain in development and may be applied on later Evolution models.
Not to be confused with passive safety and stability programs, or Honda's SH-AWD program, S-AWC's purpose is to improve dynamic performance by interpreting driver intent (via sensors measuring steering, throttle, brake pressure, wheel speed and yaw rate) to vector rear-wheel torque splits and manage wheel speeds accordingly. The system wasn't fully dialed in on the Prototype X, so we won't really know how good it is until we drive the finished production model. Mitsubishi says it provides the best Evo handling ever. We can't wait to find out.