Perhaps the Maya were right and the world will come to an end in December 2012. In which case we’ll never get the chance to see what a Lancer Evolution hybrid-diesel looks like in 2015.
But let’s take it from the beginning. The hybrid part of the story is not just another one of those crazy rumors that pop up on the net. In fact, it is as official as it gets since it comes from the mouth of Mitsubishi president, Osamu Masuko.
Masuko revealed to British magazine Autocar that the next generation of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo will ditch the regular 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, which has become a mainstay of the 10 previous versions, in favor of a hybrid powertrain.
That, in itself, is not a surprise: an electric motor was more or less expected due to the tightening emissions regulation. The real shocker is that the British magazine says there’s a very good chance it won’t be a gasoline-electric hybrid, but rather a diesel-electric hydrid. A diesel powered Evo XI? Where exactly is this world heading to?
Masuko says has set specific targets and a quite tight timeline: “I have set the goal of developing a sporting car featuring electric power. We will start work on the project next year, and it will be ready within three”, he told Autocar.
The radical powertrain switch is being forced on Mitsubishi as the company needs to reduce CO2 emissions to less than 200 g/km, while still offering a sub-five seconds 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration.
Thankfully, the 11th version of the supercar-killing Evo won’t go all eco-friendly and thrill-free on us: it will still transmit torque to all four wheels through a new version of the awesome tarmac-hugging S-AWC four-wheel drive system.
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