Mitsubishi GalEA Four-Door Sportcoupé Design Concept by Gábor Farkas

In the beginning of the year, we showed you a very production-like concept study for a new generation of the Colt sub-compact called the Concept CS, which was created by Gábor Farkas. The independent designer has now sent us yet another Mitsubishi study, this time for a replacement to the Galant sedan.

The concept is named GalEA and is said to draw its inspiration from the previous, sharper-looking eighth generation Galant of the late 1990s, while sharing similar design cues with the smaller Concept CS. In a 180 degree turn, the designer re-imagined the Galant as a more distinct and aggressive looking four-door coupe model with a long hood, sloping roof, pillarless doors and a stumpy rear end.

Follow the jump to read Gábor's description of the project and to get a closer look at the sporty Mitsubishi saloon in our high-res gallery and CGI videos.

Read more »

Mitsubishi Flexis Concept Study: David Cardoso’s Ford C-Max Rival

The current generation Mitsubishi Grandis is a good representation of the Japanese automaker as a whole. Plastic-y interiors, underdone ride and handling and anodyne looks combine to make the Grandis a poor substitute for the vastly superior and better selling Toyota Tarago [Australia]. With its South Korean competition having long ago stepped up to the plate, it’s disappointing to see Mitsubishi lagging so far behind.

David Cardoso, the artist who in the past has brought us design studies such as Renault Twist MPV and Audi Hydron, has envisioned a possible successor to the Grandis in the form of the Flexis. Appearing to be smaller than the Grandis - with seating more likely for five instead of seven - the Flexis takes it’s styling cues from the Opel Meriva, Peugeot 3008 and 2012 Ford Focus.

Read more »

Mitsubishi Releases No-Frills Lancer 1.5 Juro Special Edition for the UK

The Mitsubishi Lancer nobody really wants but almost everyone gets across the pond has become a bit more desirable in the UK with the launch of a new special edition, which as usual translates to additional equipment at a more competitive price. The new edition is called Juro and is based on the Lancer 1.5 GS2 hatchback, which is powered by a 1.5-liter petrol engine gasping out 107-horses and 143Nm or 105 lb-ft of peak torque.

Read more »

No Really, this is a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider and it's Powered by a Subaru Turbo Boxer!

Don't let the Nissan 350Z snout and the Infiniti G35 Coupe (JDM Nissan Skyline V35) rear end design fool you; the glitzy painted roadster model you're gawking at is in fact a JDM Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider - possibly a third generation model. But before you try to digest all that info let us quickly add that Paint Star's Tokyo Auto Salon project car also hides a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine under its 350Z-shaped hood. See the rest of the photos in our image gallery after the break.

Read more »

Mitsubishi to Phase Out Most of its U.S.-made Models by 2014

Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko today announced that the automaker will kill most of its current lineup of U.S.-made vehicles by 2014, as part of the company's “Jump 2013” mid-term business plan. The decision affects the Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder sports cars, Endeavor crossover and Galant sedan, which are going to be replaced with global vehicles built at the manufacturer’s Illinois plant. The Outlander crossover, Outlander Sport small crossover and Lancer sedan will provide the underpinnings for the new models.

Read more »

Mitsubishi Lifts the Wraps on New Global Small Concept before Geneva Salon Debut

It all started with a teaser sketch in early December '10, but today, Mitsubishi released the first real life photo of its Concept Global Small vehicle. The design study previews an upcoming subcompact model that is planned for production in March of 2012 at the Japanese firm's new third factory in Thailand, which will have an initial capacity for around 150,000 units per year.

Read more »

Mitsubishi CS Design Concept for a Sporty-Looking Colt Replacement by Gábor Farkas

What you see here is a very well executed and almost production ready-looking concept study penned as a replacement for the Mitsubishi Colt supermini, which was sent to Carscoop by independent designer Gábor Farkas. Called the Mitsubishi CS, the Ford Fiesta-sized concept model blends select styling cues from the Japanese brand's most recent models such as the Lancer's so-called shark nose with an aggressive body shape boasting curvalicious details. Read more »

Japan’s Economic Future in Doubt: A National Introspective

It’s not been a good year for Japan. China has recently overtaken the Land of the Rising Sun as the world’s second biggest economic power and a recall of over ten million vehicles by one of the nation’s biggest and most respectable companies, Toyota, kicked off a global PR debacle that some analysts predict will take years to recover from.

Add to that Japan’s aging population, its growing national debt and heavy reliance on manufacturing, all of which are effectively killing what was once thought destined to be the world’s leading economic superpower. The departure of its fourth Prime Minister in three years and a nasty diplomatic row with China over the detention of a trawler captain by the Japanese Coast Guard is also hurting.

Read more »

Suzuki Launches New Solio Small Wagon in Japan, will Also be Available by Mitsubishi

Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp. on Friday unveiled its new domestic market Solio, a tall mini wagon that will go on sale in the country in early January. The Solio measures 3,710mm in length and will be available exclusively with a 1.2-liter gasoline engine producing 91HP, linked to a CVT and either front- or optionally, four-wheel drive. The Japanese automaker said it targets domestic yearly sales of around 12,000 units.

Read more »

Nissan and Mitsubishi Plan Deeper Ties, Expand OEM Projects

Japan's Nissan Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors today announced that they plan to deepen their business ties by establishing a new minicar joint venture in Japan and further expanding their OEM projects, to save costs and increase their competitiveness in the global car industry.

Under the new agreement, the automakers will build more cars for each other under what is known in the industry as an "original equipment manufacturer" or OEM partnership.

In particular, Nissan will provide a light van/wagon to Mitsubishi for the Japanese domestic market, while Mitsubishi will offer an SUV to Nissan for markets in the Middle East. In addition, discussions are ongoing for Nissan to provide Mitsubishi with upper-end segment models for the Japanese domestic market.

Read more »

FAIL: 2 Fast, 2 Furious Lancer Evo VII Breaks Free Of Dyno In Puerto Rico [Video]

Dynamometers, or dynos for short, are a useful tool in any racer’s arsenal. By applying some basic physical principles, a dyno can calculate the amount of horsepower and torque being transferred from the wheels to the track, without ever needing to leave the safety of the garage.

So here’s the scoop (according to the posters): some students at Mech-Tech College in Ponce, Puerto Rico were putting a Lancer Evolution VII through its paces on the school’s dyno, when disaster struck. Everything seems normal until 16 seconds in, when the Lancer careens to the left and slides off. Of course, it was all captured on video for our edification.

Read more »

Mitsubishi Sketches New Low Cost Global Small Car

A new small car will soon join the ranks of Mitsubish's passenger car lineup. Teased in these renderings for the first time, the "global small" vehicle will be produced in a new factory currently being built in Thailand and will go on sale at the end of next year.

Read more »

Toyota and Honda Hold Back as the Rest of Japan’s Automakers Go Electric

The electric vehicle market in Japan is now burgeoning. Once the mainstay of small independents building low speed, short range Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), major manufacturers including Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru are now hopping on the EV train in the hopes of raking in some greenie revenue.

With its U.S. launch mere weeks away, Nissan already has 6,000 orders in Japan and a further 20,000 in the United States for its lithium-ion powered Leaf EV. The automaker has so many orders, in fact, that they won’t be taking any more.

As you would expect, Nissan Chief Operating Office Toshiyuki Shiga is one happy man: "We believe this will be the beginning of the new era for the world's automobile industry, as well as a sustainable low-carbon society.”

Read more »

Proton Shows Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X Lookalike Concept of Inspira with 240HP Turbo Engine

The 2010 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show at the Putra World Trade Centre in Malaysia saw local automaker and owner of Lotus, Proton, revealing a host of concept models including a sport prototype of the recently launched Inspira called the Jebat. Needless to say, it's clearly inspired from the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X.

As you may remember, the Inspira is a rebadged Mitsubishi Lancer sedan and is the result of an OEM collaboration between the Malaysian automaker and Mitsubishi Japan. However, we're not so sure if Mitsubishi had this in mind when it was signing the agreement with Proton.

In any case, the Jebat study, which could very well lead to a similar production model, features a wide body kit with blistered wheel arches and splashes of matte black paint all around the car. Power is provided by a turbocharged 4-cylinder MiVEC engine producing 237HP (177kW) at 6,000 rpm and 343Nm of peak torque at 3,000 rpm.

Read more »

LA Auto Show: Mitsubishi i gets westernized by fattening up, Priced from around $30,000

The North American i-MiEV is finally here to help rally the Mitsubishi troops in what has to be one of the company's final attempts to stay afloat here in the the States. The US i will be sold strictly as an electric vehicle and use Mitsubishi's innovative Electric Vehicle system (MiEV).

The company plans to roll out the "i" to West Coast dealers (specifically California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii) in November 2011, with the Northeast getting access by March 2012, followed by nationwide availability by the end of 2012. According to Mitsubishi, the U.S.-spec model's MSRP is expected to be around $30,000, not including Federal and available state financial incentives. For the record, the larger Nissan Leaf EV has an MSRP of $32,780, again, not including any tax cuts.

Read more »

New Proton Inspira: The Malaysian Lancer Officially Launched

Proton has officially unveiled its Mitsubishi Lancer-derived Inspira mid-sizer, after its soft launch to the public and media in late October. Since then Proton has received over 1,800 bookings from customers around Malaysia in anticipation of its market launch this month.

The new model is the result of an OEM collaboration (the word "rebadge" sounds nastier...) between PROTON and Mitsubishi Japan, the latter providing the mechanical and design basis and the former tweaking the model for the Malaysian market.

Among those changes are the signature Proton grille and -according to the Malaysian company- the incorporation of Lotus DNA in the Inspira's ride and handling.

Read more »

Popular Mechanics Compiles List of 1980s and 1990s Dreams Cars Priced under $6,000

Popular Mechanics has put together a list of 1980s and 1990s cars, which it claims, back then could be considered by many as "dream cars", but today can be found on eBay for under US $6,000. We can't say we fully agree with the term "dream cars" for some of PM's choices as they're not exactly the hottest vehicles ever made, but, hey, they represent some weird decades.

Just be sure that you can mend a thing or two under the hood, otherwise you should be wary or better yet, increase your budget. Hit the jump to read about the cars that made it into Popular Mechanic's list and why not, tell us what your choices would be from the era with a budget up to $6,000.

Read more »

Bigger is Better: Mitsubishi's US-Spec Wide-Bodied i-MiEV Revealed Ahead of LA Show

These are the first official photos of the North American version of Mitsubishi's i-MiEV all-electric city, which will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show, to be held from Wednesday, November 17 to Sunday November 28.

Even though big ideas can come in small packages, for most things in America, consumers believe that "bigger is better" and "better is bigger". And seeing what happened with Mercedes-Benz and its Smart Fortwo mini, Mitsubishi decided to "fatten-up" the North American version of the i-MiEV, and make it bigger than its Japanese- and European-spec counterparts.

Read more »

DAMD goes Low-Key with Mitsubishi Outlander Sport [RVR / ASX]

In what could be one of the most subtle proposals to come out of the DAMD tuning shop yet, the Japanese aftermarket company presented a rather tasty styling kit for the new Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, which as you probably already know, is called ASX in Europe and RVR in Japan.

Read more »

Proton Rebadges Mitsubishi Lancer and Calls it Inspira. Too bad it isn't an EVO..

Proton, Malaysia's national carmaker and owners of Lotus, has taken the wraps of its latest model. No, you aren't looking at a cheesy Photoshop and this isn't an April Fools joke come six months late: this is the firm's new mid-sized Inspira sedan.

For those of you fooled by the *cough* deceptive *cough* restyling Proton has done, the Inspira (from the Bahasa Malaysia word 'Inspirasi' which means 'Inspiration') is based on the current generation Mitsubishi Lancer.

Read more »