2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Gts Carbon Hood Air Intake Wing on 2040-cars

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Carlos Ghosn's jail time extended, as family says he was framed

TOKYO — Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn will be detained at least through Jan. 11, the Tokyo District Court said Monday, as the once-revered auto industry figure faces allegations that have marked a stunning downfall. Ghosn, who led Nissan Motor Co. for two decades and helped save the Japanese automaker from near bankruptcy, was arrested Nov. 19 on suspicion of falsifying financial reports. He also faces a breach of trust allegation, for which his detention had been approved previously through Jan. 1. The Tokyo District Court said in a statement that it had approved prosecutors' request for a 10-day extension. Ghosn has been charged in the first set of allegations, about under-reporting Ghosn's pay by about 5 billion yen ($44 million) in 2011-2015. Related: Top 10 automotive stories of 2018 Those close to Ghosn and his family say he is asserting his innocence as the alleged underreported amount of money was never really decided or paid, and Nissan never suffered any monetary losses from the alleged breach of trust. It is unclear when Ghosn may be released on bail. Tokyo prosecutors consider Ghosn, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, a flight risk. In Japan, formal charges can mean a suspect will get detained for months, sometimes until the trial starts, because of fears of tampered evidence. Some experts are puzzled that the allegations against Kelly and Ghosn are about underreporting income from Nissan. Nissan is in charge of filing such financial reports, not individual executives. Over the weekend, The New York Times published an article, "The Rise and Fall of Carlos Ghosn," describing his arrest as well as his almost legendary ascendance as the outsider who saved Nissan: "He was a person who was above the clouds," said one Nissan employee. But it's clear from the article that his autocratic style has long rankled the Japanese. In a sidebar, the NYT also covered accusations from Ghosn's daughters that Nissan had set him up for a fall, part of a mutiny against his explorations of a merger between Nissan and Renault. They point out that Hiroto Saikawa, the chief executive of Nissan, complained about the nature of the alliance in the first news conference following Ghosn's arrest. "Wow," daughter Caroline Ghosn said. "He didn't even waste a breath. He didn't even try to cover up the fact that the merger had something to do with this." The NYT articles included Ghosn family photos showing a softer side to the stern auto executive.

Feds say Americans' bid to avoid extradition in Ghosn escape is 'flawed'

BOSTON — U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday said a former Green Beret and his son, wanted by Japan for helping former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn flee the country, were advancing a "flawed" interpretation of Japanese law to fight their extradition. Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, were arrested in Massachusetts last month at Japan's request for allegedly smuggling Ghosn out of the country on Dec. 29, 2019, in a box while he was out on bail awaiting trial on financial charges. Ghosn fled to Lebanon, his childhood home, after being charged with engaging in financial wrongdoing, including by understating his compensation in Nissan's financial statements. He denies wrongdoing. Lawyers for the Taylors in a motion last week asked a federal judge in Boston to quash the provisional warrants issued in May for their arrests, arguing that "bail jumping" is not a crime in Japan. Defense lawyers argued that helping someone jump bail was also not a crime. While Japan issued arrest warrants for the Taylors in January, the lawyers said the crime stated in the warrants is an immigration offense and a non-extraditable misdemeanor. But U.S. prosecutors in a brief filed on Tuesday said it would be "unprecedented" for the extradition case at this junction to be tossed based on a "flawed interpretation of Japanese law and a mischaracterization of the facts." While Japan has not yet formally sought their extradition, the country has confirmed that Taylors' conduct constitutes a felony, U.S. prosecutors said. "The purported loophole through which the Taylors seek to evade justice simply does not exist," U.S. prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors added that neither Taylor, including Michael, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and private security specialist, should be released from jail as they are flight risks. Abbe Lowell, the Taylors' lawyer, said he was reviewing the filing. Related Video: Government/Legal Mitsubishi Nissan Renault Carlos Ghosn

Mitsubishi's rally-inspired Triton XRT previews next-gen pickup

The Triton pickup just might be the most interesting thing in Mitsubishi's lineup. The midsize pickup is available in approximately 150 countries, though the U.S. isn't among them. Overseas it's a serious contender against the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, so the next version is very important for the company. As such, Mitsubishi is drumming up excitement for the next-generation pickup with the Triton XRT Concept, unveiled today at the Bangkok Motor Show. The truck features a more blocky, upright grille than the outgoing model, a trend we've seen on full-size pickups in the past few years. The bulked-up XRT features wears flared fenders, a snorkel and mud-terrain tires that likely won't be found on run-of-the-mill Tritons when the model debuts.  It's possible, however, that Mitsubishi plans to offer its own interpretation of an off-road rig similar to Toyota's TRD Pro line of trucks. The Triton XRT concept wears the logo of Ralliart, Mitsubishi's motorsports division that racked up many victories in the WRC and Paris-Dakar Rally. Mitsubishi recently relaunched Ralliart after over a decade of dormancy. Though initially Ralliart appears to be peddling only cosmetic upgrades, the Triton XRT could change that. Ralliart entered and won the Asia Cross Country Rally last year and plans to do so again for 2023. Helming the program was Hiroshi Masuoka, a Mitsubishi factory driver that won the Dakar Rally twice. While the dearly departed Lancer Evolution doesn't appear to be anywhere on the horizon, a truck-based Ralliart program might be just what Mitsubishi needs to rekindle the brand in enthusiasts' hearts. These days 4x4s and overlanders are arguably more popular with customizers than all-wheel-drive sedans, and Mitsubishi is well-poised to capitalize on that with its many off-road motorsports accomplishments. Unfortunately, the Triton has huge hurdles to overcome if it's to make it to U.S. shores. Foreign pickups are still subject to the Chicken Tax, a 25% tariff on trucks that aren't assembled in the U.S. Toyota and Nissan build their trucks in America to bypass the tax, but Mitsubishi doesn't have the manufacturing base to do that. Still, it's something Mitsubishi execs are trying to figure out, as our insatiable appetite for pickups isn't going away anytime soon.