Set for a release at the Tokyo Motor Show this fall is the new Evo X, which is scheduled to appear in the firm’s showrooms across Europe early next year, with U.S. and Canadian sales to follow. It will be offered with the option of a conventional five-speed manual gearbox or a brand new two-pedal clutchless set-up.

Bosses in Europe are expecting 80 percent of Evo X models to be specified with the paddle shift box, which operates in three modes.

Although drivers always have manual control, they can choose from Normal, Sport and – most severe of all – Super­sport settings. The final mode has been designed for use on track days, allowing changes to higher gears only when they are absolutely necessary to keep the revs near the red line at all times.

Standard Evo X models will be more expensive than the outgoing IX, with entry-level 300bhp variants costing more than 42,000 euros (around $56,000 U.S., although European car prices are hard to translate into U.S. dollars).