1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse Rs Hatchback 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1983 Mitsubishi 4WD SPX Truck

Mitsubishi began building the Forte small pickup in 1978, and Chrysler quickly started selling the Forte in North America with Dodge D-50/Dodge Ram 50/Plymouth Arrow Truck badging. Mitsubishi-badged vehicles first showed up on our shores as 1983 models, with four models available: the Cordia liftback coupe, the Tredia sedan, the Starion sports car and the Truck. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of the very first of those Mitsubishis to be sold in the United States, found in a Denver self-service car graveyard recently. This series is all about gems of automotive history, and we've got a really rare bit of Mitsubishi Motors history here with this August 1982 build date. I've documented six discarded (Mitsubishi-badged) Mitsubishis from the 1983 model year prior to now, and none had build dates earlier than January of 1983. This pickup may have been on the first shipload of new Mitsubishis to arrive at San Pedro (while the town's most legendary band was just becoming known outside of Southern California). Even my discovery of one of the very first Camrys sold in North America (in the same junkyard a few years back) isn't as cool as this. The commonly used name for all of the first-generation (1983-1986) Mitsubishi pickups is "Mighty Max," but a look through contemporary price guides (of which I have an extensive library) and Mitsubishi Motors USA's own marketing materials shows that the official name for this truck was "Truck," available in Mighty Max, Turbo Diesel and SPX sub-designations. Other Japanese manufacturers also sold vehicles named Trucks and Vans here, with the Toyota Truck (aka Hilux everywhere else in the world) being the best-known. Later on, Mitsubishi fully embraced the Mighty Max trim level as the model name for all the Forte/Triton-based pickups it sold here. For the 1983 model, the Mighty Max was the cheapest Mitsubishi Truck, sold only with 2.0-liter engine, rear-wheel-drive and four-on-the-floor manual transmission. This is a 4WD SPX with automatic transmission, the most expensive Mitsubishi Truck available in 1983. It has the 2.6-liter Astron SOHC four-cylinder engine, rated at 108 horsepower and 142 pound-feet. The Astron went into a wide variety of U.S.-market vehicles over the years, including Chrysler K-Cars and Dodge Challengers. Such luxury! The Dodge-badged version of this truck, the Ram 50, remained available all the way through the second generation of Forte and the 1994 model year.

Mitsubishi readies trio of hybrid utility concepts for Tokyo

Mitsubishi has announced a trio of concept cars it will bring to the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, set to kick off later this month. The three concepts all sport new, edgy styling that is quite a departure from the Mitsus we see here in the states.
First up, we have the Concept GC-PHEV, which we're guessing is the middle vehicle in the photograph up top, as it's supposed to be a larger SUV - think Outlander for this one. From a powertrain standpoint, it sounds quite impressive. A 3.0-liter, supercharged, MIVEC V6 syncs up with an electric motor and a plug-in battery pack, while an an eight-speed automatic transmission dispatches power to all four wheels.
Next, we have the Concept XR-PHEV. We're taking a step down from the GC here, as the XR is meant to compete in the compact-crossover market, which means this could pre-sage the next Outlander Sport. Like the GC, though, it takes advantage of a hybrid powertrain, with a turbocharged, 1.1-liter direct-injection engine providing the grunt. The front-driver also sports a lightweight motor and battery, although specific details about both are scarce. We're thinking the XR-PHEV is the smaller, red vehicle on the right of the image up top.

FCA-Renault revival may hinge on willingness to cut Nissan stake

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault are looking for ways to resuscitate their collapsed merger plan and secure the approval of the French carmaker's alliance partner Nissan, according to several sources close to the companies. Nissan is poised to urge Renault to significantly reduce its 43.4% stake in the Japanese company in return for supporting a FCA-Renault tie-up, two people with knowledge of its thinking also told Reuters. It is still far from clear whether any concerted effort to revive the complex and politically fraught deal can succeed. FCA Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew his $35 billion merger offer in the early hours of June 6 after the French government, Renault's biggest shareholder, blocked a vote by its board and demanded more time to win Nissan's backing. Nissan representatives had said they would abstain. The failure, which FCA and Renault blamed squarely on the French government, deprived both companies of an opportunity to create the world's third-biggest carmaker with 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in promised annual synergies. It also shone a harsh light on Renault's relations with Nissan, which have gone from frayed to fried since the November arrest of former alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn, now awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges he denies. REVIVAL TALKS Italian-American FCA — whose brand stable encompasses Fiat runabouts, Jeep SUVs, RAM pickups, Alfa Romeo luxury cars and Maserati sports cars — has so far turned a deaf ear to suggestions by French officials that its merger proposal could be revisited. But since the breakdown, Elkann and his French counterpart Jean-Dominique Senard have had talks about reviving the plan that left the Renault chairman and his Chief Executive Thierry Bollore upbeat about that prospect, three alliance sources said. Renault and a spokesman for FCA declined to comment. One of Elkann's senior advisors on the Renault merger bid, Toby Myerson, was expected at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama on Monday for exploratory discussions with top management, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa is likely to attend. Myerson did not respond to a message from Reuters seeking comment. The meeting comes amid mounting strains that may preclude compromise, after Senard warned Saikawa that Renault was prepared to block key Nissan governance reforms in a dispute over board committees.