wow then I guess these pics are even MORE valuable than EVO X pics eh? I claim ownership! lol.

 

which is what i've been saying without much effect..

 

LOOK at the car. it's primered. it's got a bad 'conversion' on the front of it. big deal. it's bumper is cut out for those dual exhausts. its got enkie rims on it, and the rear is lower than the front. if you really think that's a test car, then that must be some rickety, chinese, copyright ignored version of an american evo. it's just some ricer to be laughed at. that's what you should have done, not think it's some special test car.

 

Well it's not what you're saying doesn't have much effect, it's just that saying it's just a RHD EVO doesn't really make much sense. The interior looks nothing like the current EVO.

And I don't think the EVO-X we're seeing now is final. Yea we know the design and some preliminary specs, but that's about it. No one saw the actual EVO-X driving on the road, maybe DSM doesn't want people to see it yet.

People said that the GT-R Proto was near production, yet the GT-R test mules seen recently have numerous differences from the Proto. When they were testing the GT-R inside the G35 coupe shell, the concept pics were already everywhere. They could well test the actual GT-R, they just chose not to.

Until Tokyo Motor Show reveals the new GT-R and EVO-X, I wouldn't call anything final.

 

I guess you're right. Here's some rickety, chinese copyright ignored version of an american altima coupe by your standards.

 

compare that last picture you posted, to the ones you originally posted. LOOK at the pictures, it's just a busted down evo, or a lancer with evo taillights/headlights. it's NOT a test car. as for rickety chinese knockoff comment, let me get you the thread/pictures.

http://vipstylecars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4632

look in there for all the chinese knockoffs. there's even an "rx330"

 

you made me sign up for a new forum just for that? Anyways, I have no doubt that there are Chinese knock-offs. They blatantly rip of anything they can get their eyes on.

But there's no point for a Chinese company to test a knock-off car HERE in the US, with an EVO shell. They also don't make anything RHD. In fact, I don't think they test their cars at all anyways.

The 2nd pic that I posted, the red EVO-X prototype, was to show how the EVO-X concept had tiny dual exhausts too. I'm well aware that the body is totally different. What I've been trying to say it, the car is probably an EVO-X mechanically, with EVO-VIII body/shell. That's what I said in the first post. I've taken enough looks at the pics, I took them.

The interior 80% resembles the new Lancer, not the old one. If it's just a busted-down EVO then how do you explain the interior. I don't see how it can be anything old Lancer.

 

Right hand drive ???????????

 

the new Evo has a 2.0L turbocharged engine with MIVEC, a 6-speed dual-clutch auto like Audi's DSG and IS finalized for production. and journalists have been driving around in production models not available for purchase, not just one-off prototypes. mitsubishi already released production model photos to the press--not some hokey internet blog, but Motor Trend.

the lancer model the EVOX will be based on has been on sale for a few months already. seriously--that's not a prototype with a shell. they don't need a fake shell when they've already got a working car with everything they need.


from Motor Trend's July 07 Issue::
trust me..if they've got mock-up cars running around with sale dates in january of '08--mitsubishi wouldn't survive in any automobile industry.

 

Yes Mitsubishi released most of the specs for the press, we all know that. Yes Mitsubishi released the OFFICIAL photos of the EVO. But I don't see where journalists got their hands on any drivable EVO-X in production form. They were merely "stating" possible handling improvements and characteristics, basically reading off the spec sheets. Motor Trend were making a big deal out of the official photos they received. They drove no EVO-X.

You got one part right - they're barely surviving in the auto industry

Again I'm not saying this is definitely an EVO-X in disguise, but it might very well be. At least it is a much better explanation than "riced-out EVO" or "wannabe JDM"

 

much better???

lets think about this just for one second

the facts:

the car is RHD - supports riceboy conversion
the car is primer black with a cheap looking body kit - supports riceboy conversion
the car has dual exhaust - could go either way
the car has a hacked bumper for the dual exhaust - supports riceboy conversion
the car has some weird looking dash - could go either way

what state were the "manufacturer" plates from??? AFAIK, Michigan is who uses the blue plates like that for manufacturer plates... Mitsubishi doesn't have anything in Michigan - the old DSM plant is in Illinois, and the EVO's are coming from overseas anyways...

 

Thats definitely a test mule in fact edmunds drove a EVO 8 with the AWD from the evo X not ot long ago also look at the wheelbase and overhangs doesnt look like our evo 8 and look at the test driver and the dummy in the passengers seat there doing last minute testing.

 

riceboy conversion???

lets think about this just for one second

the facts:

Nrice would spend the money to convert their cars to RHD. RHD means it came from Japan or some RHD country, not someone trying to play JDM. Also, sometimes it's near impossible for people to convert RHD to LHD, let along doing it reverse.

What cheap bodykit? That is stock EVO-VIII body kit. They body was modified to fit the EVO-X drivetrain. EVO-X is wider than VIII.

Dual exhausts - Whatever, it's obvious that it can't be EVO-VIII at this point, don't need further explanation. Hacked bumper is obviously for the dual exhaust.

Weird looking dash - no it can't go either way.


FYI Mitsubishi Motors R & D department is in Ann Arbor, MI. Thanks for supporting that this is a test mule

 

Alexander over at EVO forums showed me these pics. They are pics of EVO-X inside an EVO-VIII testing at Nurburgring few months ago. I believe it is probably the same one I saw, or at least very similar.

Check out the bulges on the hood. And they were using EVO-IX bumper at that time.


Same bumper cutouts, same weird-looking dash, not ricer conversion


Further evidence leaning towards this being an EVO-X test mule.

 

those pictures are from january 06...

not a couple months ago.