Skunkwerx

Gentlemen,

Newb...here (to Evolution and the forum) .....sorry for the most likely easy question. (I am wearing an antiflame suite just in case)

Again, I am new to the EVO itself and do not have an extensive knowledge of the cars history..... sorry if this a redundant question.

Searched FAQs, and forums and couldn't find a original version of the following questions.

1) Is the US body design entirely new? or is it a modification of VII body?

2) Is the US spec truely considered VIII?

Reason for the question is... if it is a new design to the JDM and US market then my question is answered.

If it is NOT a entirely new version...then what year of the body design's lifecycle would we be in if it were the JDM market?

I'm curious because if it were in year 4-5 of the designs lifespan then a NEWER version should be iminent for release ? no? and would Mistubishi be crazy enough to change designs for 2004 or maybe 2005?

Question 3

3) Does anyone know when 2004's models will start showing up in the US? Or are they already here?

Thank you in advance

kdogg

iTrader: (3)

1) It is a modded VII design with the new 'Pontiac' centerpiece

2) It officially listed as plain EVO, but we do have VIII floormats.

The US '04 Ralliart Lancers have new headlights design. There have been a few passed around photos of the next gen EVO with those new lights. I'm guessin in '05 for the next EVO change.

3) '04 generally arrive in fall - so anytime soon

Skunkwerx

Thanx Kdogg.

Quick and to the point..



I appreciate it..thanx again.

Noize

iTrader: (24)

Make it stop! Some guy at my office asked me why I had a Pontiac-ish front end. At least the VIII lost the VIIs front Z3 style shark gills.

Revolutionary

1) its as new as you will get without a platform change.... same as evo III to evo IV and such.
2) its an 8, just detuned for US muscle heads
3) 2004 evos will be here Jan/Feb 04

umiami80

iTrader: (1)

Check your Owners manual, it says Evo VIII too.

osunick

iTrader: (8)

Also, the VII appeared in 2001 along with the new age Impreza, to answer your JDM lifecycle question.

osunick

iTrader: (8)

I highly highly suspect that the Evo headlights will not change to match the Ralliart, and what we've seen is just a skillful photoshop job. The Evo already has bespoke headlights, in fact the VII was the first Evo to have completely different headlights than the stock lancer. Since they came up with the tooling for the new hood, etc. I don't see why they'd have anything to gain (except perhaps cost) by going to the stock headlight design which, IIRC, don't have an integrated foglamp like our current lights do.

kdogg

iTrader: (3)

Nothing's official nor can I read Japanese... but take a look.


I consider myself a Photoshop novice, but I can't make any pic look like a scanned magazine page

osunick

iTrader: (8)

But even that is speculation. MOst of the japanese magazines run computer enhanced guesses of what they think the car will look like. You should have seen what they had for the Evo 8 before the car was released. Japanese car magazines are tabloid journalism at its best. For instance, when the bug eye new age impreza was in prototype form, the cars were heavily disguised to hide the true front end. All the magazines ran pics that looked like the IS300 front end. Even if MM had an Evo 9 running around japan or on a track to be photographed, they would not be able to get those angles, nor would the car be so shiny and obvious. Mitsubishi does have to sell the existing car, after all .

kdogg

iTrader: (3)

Sorry nsnguyen, I thought you were suggesting pics photoshopped by members. MM has every right show "preview" photos and change them at production, but it gives us a general idea which direction there going.

I think it would lower the value of our car with new designs cycling often. Not to mention inflate aftermarket parts. So lets hope EVO IX don't appear too soon.

RainyEVO

Subaru changed the design of the WRX one year into production, seems to be working for them, not so crazy after all.

osunick

iTrader: (8)

No apologies necessary. As Mitsu says themselves in the brochure, the Evo is not on an annual model cycle. Which is to say a 2003 Evo 8 should be the same as a 2004 Evo 8. If any changes are made, they advance the generation. It may be some consolation to note that for a given platform (i.e. Evo IV-VI) the car does not change very much in appearance, the focus being on the actual go-fast stuff. So I don't think the IX will look all that different from our car, though we may be compelled to trade in anyhow if they manage to cram in any more JDM wizardry.