TOKYO ??” Mitsubishi announced today that its high-performance four-wheel-drive sedan will officially be called the 2008 Lancer Evolution X (pronounced "ten") in Japan and Lancer Evolution in the U.S. The announcement follows months of speculation about the name of the 10th generation Evo as enthusiasts wondered whether the sedan would be named Evo X (pronounced "X") after the Prototype X concept car , which debuted earlier this year at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, or continue the numbered sequence from its predecessor the Evo IX.

Although the Evolution X name will be used in Japan, each region's marketing team gets a say, and the U.S. group is sticking with the simple Lancer Evolution moniker, claiming that's always been its official name here, and the Roman numeral system was only used by enthusiasts and media.

No matter the name, the photo released today depicts the global 2008 Lancer Evolution that will go into production late this year, and battle an all-new 2008 Subaru WRX for street supremacy. Inside Line has already captured track footage of the 2008 Evo testing several times in California.

The 2008 Lancer Evo was expected to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but Mitsubishi said this week that the unveiling has been pushed back to the Toyko Motor Show in October. Expect to see more Evo info and photos trickle into the media during the next several months as the competitive auto show season heats up.

The all-new 2008 Evo features Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control traction and handling system, a new lightweight and high-performance 2.0-liter turbocharged MIVEC engine with aluminum cylinder block and a six-speed manual transmission.

What this means to you: No matter the official name, the all-new Lancer Evolution is expected to be the best-handling Evolution ever, and enthusiasts will still call it the Evo X.

Source: [url=http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=115886?imw=Y]Edmunds.com/Inside Line[/url]