2005 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gts Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi celebrates 100-year-old car with PHEV re-creation

Back in 1917, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. made its foray into the automotive world with the Model A. It had a production run of just 22 units, but it was enough to make Mitsubishi Motors possible as a car company. Now, 100 years later, Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) is revisiting its roots, but with a contemporary touch, by re-creating the car with the help of West Coast Customs. The California-based shop will build a Mitsu Model A with its original, century-old looks, but with a modern, advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain and a host of current technology. The custom Model A will celebrate a century of Mitsubishi by building the Model A on the Outlander PHEV platform. Despite its 21st-century capabilities, the centennial celebration vehicle "will feature all the distinctive aspects of the 1917 vehicle," according to MMNA Senior Director of Marketing Francine Harsini. The original Model A was powered by a 2.8-liter four-cylinder engine making 35 horsepower. The Outlander PHEV, upon which the new Model A will be based, uses a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and two electric motors providing power to all four wheels. West Coast Customs will build the plug-in Mitsubishi Model A at its facility in Burbank, Calif., with plans to finish it this summer. An episode of the Inside West Coast Customs show on the Velocity channel will feature the build of the centennial Model A. Related Video: Related Gallery 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: New York 2016 View 15 Photos News Source: Mitsubishi Green TV/Movies Mitsubishi Automotive History Electric Hybrid PHEV

Mitsubishi looks to crossovers and EVs for US success

Say what you will about Mitsubishi, but the Japanese automaker is slowly seeing a resurgence here in the United States. December 2015 marked the company's twenty-second consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases, and looking at last year as a whole, Mitsubishi's sales were up 23 percent over 2014. Ken Konieczka, Mitsubishi's vice president of sales operations, says that in order to stay successful, the company will bet big on crossovers and electric vehicles in the coming years. And that means a relatively aggressive product plan here in the US. First up, a brand-new CUV will launch in early 2018, previewed by the eX Concept that debuted at last year's Tokyo Motor Show (pictured). Konieczka says Mitsubishi is making room for this new crossover in its lineup – the Outlander will slowly get bigger, and the Outlander Sport will get smaller. The production version of the eX will slot between those two. Speaking of the Outlander siblings, both will be replaced in the next five years. A new, larger Outlander will arrive in 2019, and the smaller Outlander Sport will arrive in 2020. To fulfill the electric side of the business, Konieczka confirms the next Outlander Sport will sprout an EV variant, and the Outlander plug-in hybrid will launch in the United States later in 2016, as a 2017 model. As for the rest of the company's portfolio, Mitsubishi will offer the updated Mirage hatchback and new G4 sedan later this year. The future for the Lancer, however, looks grim. Konieczka says Mitsubishi still can't find an OEM partner to help create and produce a new Lancer, and our gut says the compact sedan will be phased out in the very near future. "We made a lot of mistakes," Konieczka admits, saying Mitsubishi was "spread too thin [and] had too many models" in the past. This new, more focused approach on EVs and crossovers certainly sounds promising, and will hopefully help Mitsubishi continue its slow growth here in the US market. Still, we won't know for sure until the new products actually reach showrooms. But for now, at least, things are steadily on the rise.

Mitsubishi to showcase Outlander PHEV Concept-S in Paris

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is rumored to finally come to the US next fall as a 2016 model. In the meantime, the Japanese brand is showing off a concept for an Outlander plug-in at the Paris Motor Show in October with a massive improvement in styling and material quality that the automaker calls the "Sporty and Sophisticated" design theme.
With just a nip and a tuck, Mitsubishi's stylists have made the Outlander PHEV look a whole lot better. Instead of the narrow, squinting look of the current model, the concept shows a more vertical design that puts a big X right on the front end. In the center, there is an updated version of the horizontal grille leading to reshaped headlights. The big changes are found somewhat lower, with an air dam that is much better integrated thanks to black and chrome accents to draw the eye. The company claims that the rear gets similar upgrades with new lights and shining trim running across the tailgate.
The improved styling gets carried inside, as well. According to Mitsubishi, the design features black wood grain trim and silver accents throughout the cabin, and the center console is inspired by Japanese black lacquer boxes. The seats are also covered in hand-stitched leather with horizontal ribs.