2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Es Sedan 4-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Japan readying first stealth fighter for 2016 test

This post is appearing on Autoblog Military, Autoblog's sub-site dedicated to the vehicles, aircraft and ships of the world's armed forces. The nation of Japan is somewhat unique in terms of the world's militaries. Following its loss in World War II, the country was stripped of its ability to wage war, and its military was reestablished nearly a decade later not as an aggressive force but as a self-defense force. Today, the Japanese constitution forbids the country from maintaining anything but its Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces. Since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe first took office in September 2006 and continuing in his second term, which began in late 2012, Japan's military has seen something of a renaissance. Earlier this year, the country's legislature officially approved a new law that allowed Japan to use its military in international conflicts, even if there's no direct threat to the Home Islands. And even earlier still, Japan announced a desire to increase its drone capability. Now, like the US, Russia, and China, the country is preparing its own stealth fighter. Slated to take to the skies for its maiden flight in early 2016, the Advanced Technology Demonstrator X is a Mitsubishi-built plane that looks like the lovechild of an F-22 Raptor, an F-16 Falcon, and an F/A-18 Hornet. According to the attached video from Bloomberg, the ATD-X carries all the stealth fighter hallmarks. Its shape is designed to minimize its radar cross-section, while the body is coated in radar-absorbent material. And of course, the weapons systems are stored within underbelly bays. But why is Japan even testing it, especially when you consider the company placed an order for 42 F-35 Lightning IIs way back in 2011? Well, for one, it's going to be a lot more affordable than the F-35, which is the single most expensive weapons platform in human history. Where individual F-35s cost around $100 million, depending on what source you're looking at, Bloomberg reports that the ATD-X could be developed for just $324 million. Even if there are some utterly absurd cost overruns and the per-unit cost is closer to astronomical than affordable, putting together a fleet of production ATD-X's is probably going to be cheaper overall. You can hear more about why Japan is considering the ATD-X in the video down below. Check it out.

Mitsubishi recalls 82,426 vehicles for CVT hesitation issues

The Basics: Mitsubishi is recalling 82,436 vehicles from the 2015 and 2016 model year. The recall affects the continuously variable transmissions, or CVTs, in 2015-16 Outlander Sports, 2016 Outlanders, and 2016 Lancers. Mitsubishi calls their Jatco manufactured CVT a constant velocity transmission. The Problem: According to the document Mitsubishi submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the CVTs in certain vehicles can momentarily lose signal and delay acceleration. This can increase the risk of an accident. Injuries/Deaths: It is unknown if there are any injuries or deaths related to this issue. The Fix: Dealerships will reprogram affected CVTs for free. If you own one: Mitsubishi Motors North America began the recall on August 15. If you own an affected vehicle, contact MMNA customer service at 1-888-648-7820. MMNA's number for this recall is SR-16-006. Mitsubishi dealers should be able to update the CVT's software and resolve the issue. Related Video: News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Recalls Mitsubishi Crossover Sedan

Mitsubishi hopes to raise $2.5B with stock sale

Mitsubishi, which dates all the way back to 1870, is one of the oldest business collectives in Japan. Today, the various businesses that share the Mitsubishi name are largely independent of each other. The automotive unit, however, has fallen on hard times over the past few years.
Back in 2004 and 2005, Mitsubishi Motors sold billions of preferred shares to sister companies like Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Corp. Now the automaker is preparing to buy back those shares, only to raise the capital, it's selling $2.5 billion worth of shares, simultaneously paying stock dividends for the first time in over 16 years.
The stock issue will reportedly include as many as 241 million shares at a value of $10.73 each. The move is part of a long-term reorganization being implemented by the automaker's president Osamu Masuko, and is expected to help the company double its net income and eliminate all outstanding preferred shares by the end of the fiscal year closing in March.