1995 Mitsubishi 3000gt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV production restarts after five-month delay

Back in March, production of both the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid and the all-electric i-MiEV ground to a halt over a pair of incidents where overheated lithium-ion batteries caused vehicle fires. Following the rocky start, The Japan Times is reporting that production of the Outlander PHEV has recommenced following the five-month stoppage.
The battery fires were tracked down to a supplier issue before more than 4,300 vehicles were recalled in June, but Mitsubishi received heavy criticism from the Japanese government for the delayed recall. According to the report, though, that hasn't slow down enthusiasm for the plug-in crossover - Mitsubishi has received close to 18,000 for the Outlander PHEV. To keep up with demand, the automaker is planning to double production to 4,000 units a month.

Junkyard Gem: 1993 Mitsubishi 3000GT

Mitsubishi is down to just three models in the United States now: the Eclipse Cross, Mirage and Outlander (and the Outlander is sibling to the Nissan Rogue). Back in its glory days of the 1990s, however, Mitsubishi offered American vehicle shoppers a comprehensive line that included minivans, wagons, sedans of all sizes, pickups, econoboxes, sport coupes, SUVs and an evil-looking sports car called the 3000GT. Today's Junkyard Gem is a first-generation 3000GT, found in a Northern California wrecking yard. Known as the Mitsubishi GTO in its homeland, the 3000GT was available in the United States from the 1991 through 1999 model years. For 1991 through 1996, a Dodge-badged version called the Stealth was sold in North America. There was a turbocharged all-wheel-drive VR4 version of the 3000GT, but this one is a naturally-aspirated front-wheel-drive base model. The engine is a 3.0-liter DOHC V6 rated at 222 horsepower and 205 pound-feet. The transmission is a five-speed manual. A four-speed automatic was available for an additional $840 ($1,807 in 2024 dollars). The MSRP for the base front-wheel-drive 3000GT for 1993 was $23,659, or about $50,893 after inflation. The much faster VR4 listed at $37,250 ($80,128 in today's money). This car has had an interesting life, evidence of which can be seen in the replacement VIN tag riveted on by the State of California. Home-market ads for Japanese cars from this period are more fun than their American counterparts. It appears that the FWD version didn't get much attention in TV commercials. Mitsubishi. The word is getting around.

Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru expand global Takata recalls by 715k [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Subaru of America spokesperson Michael McHale tells Autoblog that the company is recalling 78,000 Imprezas from the 2004 and 2005 model years in the US. This is a national expansion of the company's previous regional recall for the Impreza. The Takata airbag inflator recall just keeps growing. The latest expansion encompasses 715,000 vehicles from Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru. Many of the affected models are in Japan. The largest expansion from these three automakers comes from Mitsubishi. According to Reuters, the company is adding 100,000 vehicles in Japan and 412,000 outside of the country without identifying any specific regions. Mazda is issuing safety campaigns for 112,000 vehicles in Japan, and some of these include models that the company produces there for Mitsubishi and Nissan, according to Reuters. In statement to Autoblog (embedded below), Mazda said that it is still evaluating the situation in terms of a possible effect on the US. Finally, Subaru is calling in 91,000 Imprezas in Japan. At this time, it isn't clear whether Mitsubishi's or Subaru's expansions affect the United States, but Autoblog has reached out to them for more information. According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, exposure to moisture can cause the propellant in these inflators to ignite too quickly and cause these dangerous ruptures. Takata has also been investigating the problem. Related Video: Mazda statement "We are aware of the NHTSA/Takata announcement, and are evaluating the effects of it on Mazda. As soon as we have had a chance to fully evaluate the situation – number of vehicles affected, age of those vehicles, where they're located, etc. – we will be able to share those details."