Evo MR Premium. photo credit: Mitsubishi Motors |
In the world of Mitsubishi, the Evo is the exception, and the other three are the rule. That's bad news for the company, when the exception is automotive excellence, and the rule is hardly worth mentioning. That strategy made sense once upon a time, when the company could almost be seen as a challenger in the family car market. It was looking to blend in with the Hondas and Toyotas. Today, with a lineup that really comprises 3.5 models and sold 41,000 units in North America in 2012, Mitsubishi needs to find itself a niche to live in and dominate.
To find that niche, they should be looking no further than the Evo. Its performance has been compared to a Porsche. Its raw, visceral characteristics make it a fan favorite with the boy-racer types, and its closest competitor, the Subaru Imprezza WRX STi, cannot compete with its numbers. This is the kind of car that Mitsubishi should be making across the lineup.
2007 Mitsubishi Baja Raider. photo: topspeed.com |
Before you say, "that's crazy!" remember the specs on the Evo: 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds and back to 0 again in 109 feet. It has competed with cars way outside its class and with two fewer doors and still triumphed. The Evo proved that at $35,000, Mitsubishi could offer prospective buyers an alternative to BMW and Audi. With a little courage and imagination, Mitsubishi could do the same thing and build other cars that compete in ways never before imagined.
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