Is this what a next-gen Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ‘XI’ could look like?

We’re seeing a revival for legendary Japanese sports cars at the moment, with the Honda Prelude the latest to be confirmed for a full reboot. The likes of Mazda, Nissan and Toyota have also hinted at wheeling out the greatest hits. Where's Mitsubishi been? 

Quiet. Too quiet. To fill in the silence, here’s a totally unofficial, quite excellent render of a next-gen Lancer Evolution ‘XI’ penned by British automotive artists Roman Miah and Samiul Choudhury.

Looks mean, no? There’s a sleek carbon-tipped body kit, super sharp light signatures and Hadron Collider-sized exhausts. The roof is also made of carbon and has a set of vortex generators that do… many sciences to make it more aero-friendly.

We dig the metallic grey and red caliper combination too, which seems to be a strong nod to the Evo VIII FQ400. You remember that fire-spitting, turbo-tastic, completely inappropriate saloon which once monstered a bright green Murcielago around Dunsfold?

Speaking to TopGear.com, Choudhury said: “We took most of our design inspiration from the IX but underpinned it with the chassis from the X. In terms of the bodywork, we lowered the nose and took a more wedged approach. The lines are very streamlined and angled downwards, which simplifies the look and brings it closer to the design of the IX.”

C’mon Mitsubishi, bring the Evo back already - and get these guys to design it.

Image credit: Roman Miah and Samiul Choudhury