Custom 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse Show Car New Engine W/ 5k Miles No Reserve on 2040-cars

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Ever wonder how to really pronounce Japanese automaker names?

People tend to get very set in their ways when it comes to the pronunciation of words. Just look at the endless debates over whether or not to say the final 'e' in Porsche (which you should in terms of correct German enunciation). Or the argument about whether to follow the British convention and give the 'u' in Jaguar a special delivery or to say the 'ua' diphthong as more of a 'w' sound, as usually happens in the US.
This short video doesn't answer either of those automotive questions, but it does allow a native Japanese speaker to demonstrate the accepted pronunciations for several, major automakers from the country. One benefit is that it clears up the occasional debate over whether Nissan should be said with a long or short 'i' sound. Also, listen closely to how the female host says Mazda as Matsuda, the way it's actually said in the language. Even if this doesn't change the way you enunciate these brands, at least now you know the accurate way in Japanese.

Mitsubishi HQ raided by the Japanese government

Mitsubishi's fuel economy scandal continues to grow, and the Japanese government wants answers. According to Reuters, the Japanese Transport Ministry raided the company's headquarters and a factory in Nagoya today. This raid comes soon after the company revealed that a number of its SUVs were also being sold with incorrect fuel economy ratings. The Japanese government issued a stop-sale on those vehicles a few days ago. This raid also follows an internal investigation conducted by Mitsubishi to discover how this fuel economy scandal happened, and how the practices that led to it were able to continue for 25 years. The internal investigation revealed a few contributing factors that all fell under issues with the company's culture. There was significant pressure throughout the company to reach fuel economy targets and missing them wasn't readily accepted. Questioning decisions of management was also discouraged, and it seemed the different divisions of the company weren't working well together. The findings of this raid have yet to be revealed, but it will be interesting to see how they compare with those of the internal investigation. The Japanese Transport Ministry seems intent on preventing a repeat of this with another company considering that, according to Reuters, it "sent documents to other automakers to enforce compliance with rules for calculating mileage ." Related Video: News Source: Reuters via Automotive News EuropeImage Credit: Julien Amado / Autoblog Quebec Government/Legal Green Mitsubishi Fuel Efficiency investigation

Junkyard Gem: 2006 Mitsubishi Raider DuroCross 4WD

Chrysler began selling Mitsubishi Triton pickups with Dodge D-50 and Plymouth Arrow badging in the 1979 model year, followed by the Mitsubishi Pajero aka Montero with Dodge Raider badges for 1987 through 1989. That Raider name sounded so good that Mitsubishi Motors decided to revive it when they began selling a new pickup based on the Dodge Dakota in the United States. Today's Junkyard Gem is a first-year Mitsubishi Raider, found in a Denver car graveyard recently. The Raider was mechanically identical to its same-year Dakota counterparts and it was built alongside the Dakota at Warren Truck Assembly, but it had its own body and interior designs. The Raider was built for the 2006 through 2009 model years, after which it was discontinued due to poor sales (just under 22,000 total). It wasn't as humiliating for Mitsubishi as the Ascender and I-Series (both thinly disguised Chevrolet models) were for once-proud Isuzu, but that isn't saying much. There's no need for us to bring up the puzzling Suzuki Equator here, is there? This one is a DuroCross, which came with lower suspension, black plastic wheel flares and a front bumper that looked skid-plate-like. It also has the most powerful engine available in the '06 Raider: a 4.7-liter V8 rated at 230 horsepower.  The 4.7 is a member of the Chrysler PowerTech engine family, which has an ancestry stretching all the way back to the American Motors Corporation. AMC began development of new overhead-cam V6 and V8 engines just before Chrysler purchased the company in 1987, and the 4.7-liter V8 made its debut in the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The 2009 Raider was the last new Mitsubishi pickup sold in the United States, though Mexican truck shoppers can still enjoy mas poder de aventura by buying a new Mitsubishi Triton with L200 badges. Who knows, if it's possible to find Mexican-market Peugeot 407s, Dacia Logans, Dacia Dusters and Opel Corsas in Colorado junkyards, I may yet find a discarded Mitsubishi L200. It was much more intimidating than an ordinary Dakota.