1994 Mitsubishi 3000gt Base Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Why a Renault-FCA merger could be good news for Nissan, Mitsubishi

TOKYO — Nissan's advanced technologies including platforms and electric powertrains could give it leverage in a merger involving Renault and Fiat Chrysler, thanks to a royalty system it has with the former, two people with knowledge of the matter said. A merged Renault-Fiat Chrysler could face an extra hurdle each time it uses technology developed by Nissan or Mitsubishi Motors, while the two Japanese automakers stand to gain a client in Fiat Chrysler (FCA), one of the people said. Both sources declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Nissan's technology, particularly in electrification and emissions reduction, could give it some sway in the $35 billion potential tie-up between Renault and FCA, even as its stake in the newly formed company would be diluted. Currently Renault SA pays less for technology developed by Nissan than the Japanese automaker pays for French technology, a third person said. This has long been a sticking point for Nissan, and an area where Nissan could seek more favorable terms. "Whenever Nissan transfers platform, powertrain or other technology to Renault, there is a margin or royalty which Renault has to pay for use of that tech," one of the people said. "In that sense, FCA, if everything went well, would become another 'client' of ours and that's good. More business for us." A Nissan spokesman declined to comment on its royalty system. The potential Renault-FCA deal has complicated the Japanese automaker's already uneasy alliance with Renault. A further deal with Fiat Chrysler looks likely at least in the near term to weaken Nissan's influence in the 20-year-old partnership. Renault owns a 43.4% stake in Nissan and is its top shareholder. Nissan holds a 15% non-voting stake in Renault and would see that diluted to 7.5% after the FCA deal, albeit with voting rights. The imbalance between the two has long rankled Nissan, which is by far the larger company. Alliance imbalance Renault had previously angled for a merger with Nissan but has been rebuffed by CEO Hiroto Saikawa. Securing benefits from the merger deal will be important for Saikawa, who is grappling with poor financial performance while he struggles to right the company after the ouster of former chairman Carlos Ghosn last year.

Junkyard Gem: 1987 Dodge Ram 50

Chrysler began selling Dodge-badged Mitsubishis way back in the 1971 model year, when the Mitsubishi Colt Galant became known here as the Dodge Colt. Later in the decade, a Plymouth Arrow-badged version of the Mitsubishi Triton small pickup appeared here, along with a Dodge version known as the D-50 and — a few years later — the Ram 50. Once Mitsubishi began selling the same trucks here as Mighty Maxes, starting in the 1983 model year, the Ram 50 didn't seem quite so specialÂ… and then the Dakota made its debut for the 1987 model year. Still, when the Triton went to its second generation that same year, Chrysler continued selling it as the Ram 50. Here's one of those second-generation trucks, found in a Denver-area self-service yard last month. At this point, GM had long since stopped selling Isuzu Fasters with Chevrolet LUV emblems, as had Ford with the Courier-badged Mazda Proceed (after developing the all-American S-10 and Ranger, respectively). The decision-makers at Chrysler, however, calculated that the Ram 50 could grab some sales from Dodge truck shoppers who felt that the Dakota was too big for their needs; as a result, the Ram 50 stayed on sale here through 1994. The last Mighty Maxes rolled out of American Mitsubishi showrooms in 1996. The 6G72 V6 engine became available in four-wheel-drive Ram 50s a few years after this truck was built, but in 1987 all Ram 50s came with either the 2.0-liter 4G63 Sirius or 2.6-liter Astron four-banger. This truck has the base Sirius, rated at 92 horsepower. Remember when new trucks came with double-digit horsepower ratings? Most American-market small pickups still had manual transmissions during the middle 1980s, though that would change in a hurry with the dawn of the 1990s and the drop in slushbox prices. This one has the base five-speed. Just barely 100,000 miles on the clock, very unusual for a junkyard pickup of this age (especially one with a thick coat of brush-applied white house paint on the tailgate). Maybe the speedometer cable broke 25 years ago. You don't see many rear-wheel-drive pickups with roll bars. You'll find one in every car. You'll see. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Dodge Ram 50 Commercial 1987 Those other Japanese imports hallucinated the Ram 50 in alarming ways. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2023 Mitsubishi Triton detailed with new frame, new diesel engine

The new 2023 Mitsubishi Triton is around the corner, and the Japanese company has outlined some of the many changes it's making to the truck. The more rugged-looking exterior design hides a new ladder frame, and the pickup will be powered by a new turbodiesel engine. Sold as the L200 in some parts of the world, the Triton needs to be a lot of things to a lot of different people; it can be seen towing cattle in Australia, performing rescue operations in the Alps and being used as a daily driver in rural Chile. Catering to these different audiences isn't easy, but Mitsubishi has largely retained the tried-and-true formula that has made the current-generation truck relatively popular. Mitsubishi kept the outgoing truck's tough body-on-frame construction, though it designed a new frame rather than making updates to the old one. It developed a new double-wishbone front suspension system but kept the rear leaf springs as a compromise between ruggedness and on-road comfort. And power for the next-generation Triton will come from a new turbodiesel engine designed to deliver "a higher output." 2023 Mitsubishi Triton View 3 Photos We'll need to be patient to find out what effect these changes will have on the Triton's ride quality, off-road capacity and towing figures, and technical specifications haven't been released yet. For context, the current-generation Triton's base engine on the Australian market is a 2.4-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder rated at 178 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. Buyers can choose between rear- and four-wheel drive and between a manual and an automatic transmission. Single-cab, club-cab and double-cab models are part of the range in Australia. The 2023 Mitsubishi Triton will make its global debut in Thailand on July 26 at 10 a.m. local time, which is 11:00 p.m. on July 25 in New York and 8:00 p.m. on the same day in California. The truck will be sold in numerous global markets, but the United States isn't one of them. Elsewhere, the Triton will compete in the same hotly-contested segment as the new Ford Ranger and the perennially popular Toyota Hilux. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.