2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gts Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi launches, prices 2018 Outlander PHEV for U.S.

We've been waiting on this one a long time. Mitsubishi has been selling the plug-in hybrid version of its Outlander crossover for a while now, just not here in the U.S. It has seen popularity overseas, though, and is Europe's best-selling plug-in hybrid. It surpassed the 100,000 sales mark back in early 2016, thanks to Europe and Japan. Now, Mitsubishi is looking to electrify our shores, and will bring the all-new Outlander PHEV to the U.S. by the end of the year. The Outlander PHEV is powered by a 2.0-liter engine and two 60-kW electric motors, one situated at each axle, for a total estimated output of 195 horsepower. That makes it all-wheel-drive as well, using Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system borrowed from the Lancer Evolution, and it has already proven itself in off-road competition. A 300-volt, 12-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is located in the subfloor between the front and rear axles. It can be charged via plug (including DC fast-charging capability), or via the car's regenerative braking system (adjustable using paddle shifters). The vehicle features three different, automatically selected drive modes. EV Drive Mode makes use of the electric motors for all-electric driving. Parallel Hybrid Mode uses the gas engine to drive the front wheels, and provides added power from the electric motors as necessary (mainly at high speeds, where this mode is the most efficient). Series Hybrid Mode uses the gasoline engine as a generator to charge the battery and provide power to the electric motors, which are doing the propulsion work. There are also three driver-selected modes. Eco Mode reduces fuel and electricity consumption. Battery Save Mode conserves charge, operating in hybrid mode. Battery Charge Mode keeps the engine running to generate electricity and recharge the battery pack to make sure you'll have power for driving uphill or towing, for instance. EV driving range and fuel economy figures will be released soon, but Mitsubishi says it expects to exceed the premium competition (which offer about 14 miles of EV range). The Outlander PHEV is also big on technology. It offers a suite of safety systems, including blind spot and lane departure warnings, multi-view camera, adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, and forward collision mitigation. The vehicle offers a smartphone app that allows the owner to remotely control the charging schedule, climate control, lighting, vehicle settings, and monitor vehicle status.

What $40k worth of lights and chrome does to a JDM truck

Japan's dekotora truck culture allows big rig drivers to express themselves by decking out their vehicles with a plethora of blinking lights and shining chrome. While we occasionally catch glimpses of this automotive lifestyle in the US, this short documentary called Dekotora, Another Roadside Attraction takes viewers inside the dekotora truck scene with someone who actually drives one everyday. Takuya Sosogi carries fresh vegetables between markets and claims he has covered the over 2 million kilometers (1.2 million miles) in his dekotora. He also has spent around 5 million yen ($46,200 at current rates) to make his Mitsubishi Fuso light up the night. At this point the truck has become among the most important parts of his life. Sosogi believes that taking good care of his rig is akin to looking after himself. Despite the blinking lights and polished metal, Sosogi's truck is almost subdued by dekotora standards. Some of the rigs feature lighting rigs that rise high into the sky and sport crazy body modifications. Watch the entire documentary above for a look into this fascinating Japanese automotive subculture. Related Video:

Yes, the Mitsubishi Evo could become an electrified crossover, but don't panic

By now, many of you have seen that Mitsubishi will reveal a concept with the Evolution name at the Tokyo Motor Show, and it will be an electrified crossover. On the surface, that sounds like heresy when the Evolution name has always stood for an uncompromising, rally-bred, turbocharged sports sedan. But don't jump to the conclusion that this will be a terrible, halfhearted product that ruins the Evo name. It's a smart move for Mitsubishi, it could be the only way we get a performance vehicle from the company, and there's no reason it can't be good. Creating an Evo version of a crossover, or even a standalone Evo model, simply makes the most sense for Mitsubishi right now. There's no sign that people are getting tired of little lifted automobiles, which means that's where the sales and money are. Because of that, crossovers are the only product that Mitsubishi can safely afford to invest in right now. As much as we'd like to see another Evo sedan, the company can't afford to sink a big development budget into a one-off sedan for the very small enthusiast market. Investing in a basic sedan to use as a base isn't a good idea either, since that market also continues to shrink, and it's populated with very competitive models. Those facts won't comfort Mitsubishi fans, but looking at it another way could. Rather than looking at this concept as Evolution blasphemy, consider it a sign that the company wants to make something exciting again. Since most of the news from Mitsubishi has been the discontinuation of really old models, and updates to the less-old models still in the lineup, it's been hard to tell if any of the Mitsubishi that fans loved was left. Look at this crossover as a gateway to getting a fun Mitsubishi again. And this possible future Evo could genuinely be fun. We're not exactly raving fans of crossovers, either, since they're often heavy, expensive, slow and inefficient compared with similarly sized hatchbacks and sedans. But that's not a hard and fast rule. Nissan proved this with the Juke Nismo. Despite its tall body, it had a healthy amount of power and entertaining dynamics. There's no reason Mitsubishi couldn't do the same with a small crossover. It might even be better, because Mitsubishi clearly has some wizards when it comes to weight and cost, as evidenced by the one-ton, ultra-affordable Mitsubishi Mirage. The same goes for electrification.