2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Gs 2dr Convertible on 2040-cars

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Mitsubishi ending US production

Mitsubishi is closing the doors on its US production as part of a "strategic move," Japan's Nikkei news service reports. According to Automotive News, the company declined to comment on the factory, and instead said it had "no plans to stop selling" vehicles in the United States. That's not what we asked, folks. According to the Nikkei news, the company is in the process of finding a buyer for is Normal, IL factory, which it opened as part of a joint venture with Chrysler back in 1988. The facility currently employs 918 UAW workers, whose jobs Mitsubishi is attempting to save as part of its negotiations with labor reps. The Normal plant is the only Japanese production facility with UAW representation, Automotive News reports. Normal is responsible for production of the Outlander Sport, building nearly 70,000 examples last year. Production is continuing on, according to the vice president for the local UAW Local, Kyle Young. "We haven't heard anything," Young told AN in a phone interview. "We're supposed to have negotiations coming up" in August. It's not clear how much the Mitsubishi will be selling the Normal plant for, nor is it clear if any parties are interested in picking up the facility, which contributes around $120 million to the local economy each year.

Say Hello to the Kitty edition Mitsubishi Mirage

Japan is the country that gave us the GT-R, the LFA and the STI. But it's also the home of Hello Kitty. We try our best to ignore the commonality, but now Mitsubishi is putting it right in our faces with the new Hello Kitty edition Mirage.
Decked out in pink, the special Mirage arrives on the occasion of the character's 40th anniversary. It comes decked out with Hello Kitty decals on the outside, special hubcaps and unique upholstery. It's even got a Hello Kitty pillow inside, for crying out loud.
Fortunately, only 400 examples will be made, hopefully only for domestic consumption, wearing a sticker price of 116,970 yen (equivalent to about $12k). Now we wish we could say this was a first, but sadly it's not - not even for Mitsubishi.

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport gets another refresh at Geneva

A mysterious electric SUV isn't the only vehicle Mitsubishi is bringing to the Geneva Motor Show. The company is also showing a refreshed 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (or ASX as it's known in some markets). And yes, despite the fact the Outlander Sport hasn't been completely redesigned since its introduction in the 2011 model year, Mitsubishi is only giving it a mild update. Up front, the entire fascia is changed with all-new headlights, grille and front bumper. It's all more angular, and appears to be a blend of the Eclipse Cross and that electric SUV concept teased recently. It's easily the most successful part of the refresh. The sides are unchanged save for some chrome fake fender vents. The back features new LED taillights and a rear bumper with a faux skid plate rather than a faux diffuser. The inside is almost unchanged except for the new infotainment screen. At 8 inches, it's an inch larger than the old model. It also has the ability to play videos from a USB flash memory stick when the car is parked. Powertrain options for the U.S. haven't been announced, but we expect it will use the same 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder currently available, plus its associated drivetrains. The current model can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive, with just a CVT on all-wheel drive models, and an available manual on front-driver versions. One final interesting aspect about the Outlander Sport just getting a refresh again is that it's the best-selling Mitsubishi in America, and the third-best worldwide. It seems strange to give so little love to a relatively successful model. Then again, the crossover has probably mostly paid for itself by now and it keeps selling, so perhaps Mitsubishi is just trying to maximize returns while it works on the smaller next-generation version. Related Video: