8th gen or 9th gen?

I've always thought it was the other way around.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Lancer

 

This has been beat to death....some call it 8gen some call it 9gen. There are valid points to both arguments, but we here at LT are right. Cause we're awesome. Period. Period after period.

 

I've already said my piece on the 7th/8th/9th gen topic and I am sticking with it. But If we go by wiki then the base lancer goes along side the evo. Which, according to mitsubishi it never has until the 7th generation of lancer and evo which overlapped. If the 04-06 US lancer is indeed the 8th generation lancer and the 08 to current is the 9th gen. Then what is to be said about the lancer having the 4b11 and 4b12 engines.

Wouldnt that in itself be another lancer. 2008 has the 4b12 engine if im not mistaken and 09and up have the 4b11 in it. So would that one year cause another generation. But if we went on that basis then there is no difference between the 2002-2006 engine except the return fuel system. And if we also went by that then the evos 6/7/and some early 8's are the same generation. Where as the later 8's were the ones that recieved ACD controls.

So the whole generation of lancers is hard because there is no way to tell the with the lancer name being so expansive. Originating from Dodge. Was the original fwd lancer (basically our version). Then Mitsubishi actually bought Dodge and renamed it the colt in Asia. And took the Lancer name and made it for the Evolution. It wasn't called the LANCER Evolution until Mistu got a hold of it. Our cars originate from the Dodge make and not the Japanese make. The evolution however came from japan.

The first American Mitsubishi "Lancer" (not evolution) was actually the Mirage. I'm going to end it right there before I am incarcerated for this. I just put the dots together with this one. All this can be found on the internet but it is a puzzle you'd have to put together. Im far from done figuring it out myself. Do not quote me on any of this as it is just a speculation but it so far is the most logical one I have read or come up with.

 

I don't think engines have any bearing on what generation a car is.

 

I really don't think so either but then when you look at the Mirage and Lancer you basically have the same engine. Only real difference I see is the 1.6 liter vs. the 2.0 liter. So why take away the Mirage name and call it Lancer if it's basically the same vehicle minus the displacement? So would the Ralliart be considered a "Lancer" of the 7th generation? It's a completely different car except the body style from the 04-06. As you said engines dont have any bearing on what generation a car is but look at the 1st generation ralliart and the 2nd generation. I think the only reason those were different generations was because it indeed was a whole completely different car.

So the question I really have is...if the different types of engines don't make it a different generation then what does? Is it the body style or everything else? Such as interior, fwd vs. awd, wheel offsets, suspension?

 

I believe that is usually a MAJOR body change...take the mustang and camaro for example.

Camaro
1st gen: 1967-69
2nd gen: 1970-1981
3rd gen: 1982-1992
4th gen: 1993-2002
5th gen: 2010-present

Mustang:
1st gen: 1964-1973
2nd gen: 1974-1978
3rd gen: 1979-1993
4th gen: 1994-2004
5th gen: 2005-present

 

I think the biggest confusion as far as the Lancer goes is because of the cross branding (Dodge/Mitsu) as well as the numerous countries that the car has been marketed in.