1999 Mitsubishi 3000gt Sl Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1992 Plymouth Laser

Chrysler began selling rebadged Japan-built Mitsubishis beginning with the Dodge Colt in 1971, with plenty of Arrows, Champs, Challengers, Ram 50s, Conquests, Raiders, Stealths and Sapporos following those cars across the Pacific. Starting with the 1983 model year, Mitsubishi Motors began selling vehicles with its own badging in the United States, and that caused Chrysler and Mitsubishi to crash into the voluntary import quota that Japanese carmakers imposed on themselves in 1981 as a means of avoiding tougher restrictions threatened by the Reagan Administration. To get around the quota, the two partners created Diamond-Star Motors in Illinois, where Rivians are now built. The very first product to be assembled by DSM was a liftback sports coupe that debuted as a 1990 model under three different names: the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those cars, found in a Denver car graveyard recently. The Laser name had been used on Chrysler-badged Dodge Daytonas for the 1984 through 1986 model years, and the name seemed futuristic enough to revive on a Plymouth. The cheapest of those three DSM siblings in 1992 was the Eclipse, which started with a list price of $10,859 ($24,120 in 2024 dollars). The cheapest Laser had an MSRP of $11,206 ($24,891 after inflation), while the most affordable Talon cost $13,631 ($30,277 in today's money). The reason the Eclipse and Laser were so much cheaper than the Talon was that the base Talon came with the 2.0-liter Mitsubishi 4G63 engine and its 135 horsepower, while the entry-level Eclipse and Laser were equipped with the 1.8-liter 4G37 and its 92 horses. This Laser is a base model with few frills, so it has the 1.8 engine. It also has the five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic was available, for $701 extra ($1,557 now).  Like the Talon and Eclipse, the Laser was available with turbocharging and all-wheel-drive. Those cars were genuinely quick by the standards of the time. This one probably was purchased as a fun-enough-to-drive commuter that was easy on the gasoline budget, and it put in just over 150,000 miles during its life. In 1992, federal law required that news cars be equipped with either driver's-side airbags or the universally loathed automatic shoulder belts. This car has the latter. Someone installed aftermarket multi-bolt-pattern wheels on this car, probably during the early phase of the Fast and Furious Era.

Consumer Reports says these are the worst new cars of 2014

Consumer Reports has announced its annual list of worst vehicles, a cringe-inducing contrast to its list of top vehicles. Ignominiously leading the way in 2014 is Chrysler, which has a staggering seven models listed.
Jeep nearly sweeps the small SUV segment by itself, with its Compass, Patriot and 2.4-liter version of the new Cherokee, while the only midsize sedans listed by CR were the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger. The new Dodge Dart and the Dodge Journey round out CR's condemnation of Chrysler.
Ford is taking heat as well, with the Taurus, Edge and their counterparts from Lincoln all listed as the worst vehicles in their respective segments. Toyota doesn't fare much better, with its Lexus IS, Scion iQ and tC also making the list.

Mitsubishi signals the return of its Ralliart performance line

Mitsubishi is reportedly reviving its long-dormant Ralliart performance line, giving longtime fans of the rally-inspired nameplate hope that some fun models may one day return to the Mitsubishi lineup as part of the company's efforts "toward the realization of Mitsubishi Motors-ness," whatever that means. Per Forbes, Mitsubishi dropped this nugget during an investor call in Tokyo on Tuesday. The return of Ralliart after more than a decade in mothballs would be a pleasant surprise for Mitsubishi fans, but don't expect this to indicate a return of the old-school Lancer Evolution lineup — or anything else with four doors and a traditional trunk, for that matter. Don't believe us? Check out Mitsu's own materials: After all, rallying is largely an off-road endeavor, and with modern consumers thirsting for high-riding crossovers and SUVs, it should come as no surprise that Mitsubishi's Ralliart revival will come from that direction. In better news, it appears that Ralliart's return will include new branded parts (and accessories, we imagine), which could mean that even non-Ralliart models will get some post-delivery love.  We also wouldn't be shocked (sorry) if the new vision for Ralliart is grounded (OK, we're not really sorry) in an electrification strategy. Ralliart? Perhaps more like Rall-e-art. As a matter of fact, from looking at Mitsubishi's presentation, the Ralliart news followed that of updates regarding the company's plug-in hybrid strategy. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.