2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gs Coupe 2-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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MotorWeek remembers a better time for Mitsubishi performance

Dodge still knows how to create an capable performance car – look at the Hellcats, for example – but the same isn't true for Mitsubishi. With the Lancer Evo's demise, we don't expect driving enthusiasts to clamor for any of the Japanese automaker's other products. Things used to be different, though. As MotorWeek found in its new Retro Review, the 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 and its sibling, the Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo, were impressive sports coupes in their day. Dodge and Mitsubishi packed a bevy of cutting-edge tech into the coupes. In these trims, both sported all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, an adjustable suspension, active exhaust, and automatic climate control. The 3000GT VR4 upped the ante even more with active aero parts at the front and rear. Their 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 was good for 300 horsepower and 307 pound-feet, which were good numbers at the time. This pair put all their gizmos to good use, too. MotorWeek compares the all-wheel-drive system's grip levels to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4. When was the last time you heard any favorable similarity between a Mitsubishi and a Porsche? The Stealth R/T Turbo and 3000GT VR4 came from a special time for Japanese sports coupes, when every brand had a halo model. Whether you were looking at Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX-7, Toyota Supra, or even the Acura NSX, there was a lot to like on the market. MotorWeek's latest Retro Review offers a great reminder of that period.

Nissan didn't have much say in merger talks, but it had what FCA wanted

TOKYO — Nissan wasn't consulted on the proposed merger between its alliance partner Renault and Fiat Chrysler, but the Japanese automaker's reluctance to go along may have helped bring about the surprise collapse of the talks. While Nissan Motor Co. had a weaker bargaining position from the start, with its financial performance crumbling after the arrest last year of its star executive Carlos Ghosn, it still had as its crown jewel the technology of electric vehicles and hybrids that Fiat Chrysler wanted. The board of Renault, meeting Thursday, didn't get as far as voting on the proposal, announced last week, which would have created the world's third biggest automaker, trailing only Volkswagen AG of Germany and Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. When the French government, Renault's top shareholder with a 15% stake, asked for more time to convince Nissan, Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew the offer. Although analysts say reviving the talks isn't out of the question, they say trust among the players appears to have been broken. "The other companies made the mistake of underestimating Nissan's determination to say, 'No,' " said Katsuya Takeuchi, senior analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo. The Note, an electric car with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan beat Toyota and Honda. Renault and Fiat Chrysler highlighted possible synergies that come from sharing parts and research costs as the benefits of the merger. But what Fiat Chrysler lacks and really wanted was what's called in the industry "electrification technology," Takeuchi said. With emissions regulations getting stricter around the world, having such technology is crucial. Yokohama-based Nissan makes the world's best-selling electric car Leaf. Its Note, an electric car equipped with a small gas engine to charge its battery, was Japan's No. 1 selling car for the fiscal year through March, the first time in 50 years that a Nissan model beat Toyota and Honda Motor Co. for that title. Nissan is also a leader in autonomous-driving technology, another area all the automakers are trying to innovate. "Although Nissan had no say, its cautionary stance on the merger ended up being very meaningful," Takeuchi said.

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV arrives in the US after a long wait

After years of delays, the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will finally go on sale in the US this fall, and the plug-in hybrid crossover will make its debut to the US public at the New York Auto Show. The model was originally supposed to arrive here in 2014, but various problems kept pushing back the date. The Outlander PHEV uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor at each axle. A 12-kWh lithium-ion battery stores the energy. Depending on what the driver demands, the system can operate in three modes: full EV, series hybrid where the combustion engine acts as a generator for the battery, and parallel hybrid where the engine and motors work together. Mitsubishi isn't discussing US output or economy yet. Compared to the version in Europe and Japan, the company plans to tweak the Outlander PHEV for this market. The changes include things like removing support for CHAdeMO charging to due a lack of support here. When Mitsubishi showed the PHEV to journalists earlier this year, the styling was nearly identical to the standard Outlander. The only minor changes were the addition of the charging port and different badges. The Outlander PHEV will also be available with an array of safety and infotainment tech. For example, customers will be able to order a multi-camera system, Forward Collision Mitigation with pedestrian detection capability, Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV MAKES U.S. DEBUT AT THE 2016 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW • 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to go on sale in United States in fall 2016 • Already the top-selling PHEV in Europe, Outlander PHEV is the world's first plug-in hybrid SUV • Outlander PHEV delivers SUV capabilities and EV fuel economy NEW YORK, NY March 24, 2016 – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today showed the much-anticipated production model of the all-new 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. The Outlander PHEV is a perfect culmination of Mitsubishi's history of automotive excellence: 50 years of electromobility and decades of four-wheel drive technology honed on the international rally circuit. Featuring a highly efficient 2.0-liter gas engine and two high-performance electric motors, and Mitsubishi's superior Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a very capable PHEV.