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Junkyard Gem: 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante VR-X

Mitsubishi has been selling cars and light trucks under its own name in the United States since the Starion, Tredia, Cordia and Mighty Max appeared here as 1983 models, but only one big luxury sedan has ever been in the Mitsubishi Motors USA lineup: the Diamante. For the last few years of the Diamante's availability here, a factory-hot-rod version of the Diamante known as the VR-X could be purchased. Here's one of those extraordinarily rare cars, now residing in a Denver-area self-service wrecking yard. The Diamante was the successor to the Mitsubishi Sigma, an upscale "pillared hardtop" version of the fifth-generation Galant. The Sigma sold poorly here, but Mitsubishi had hopes of stealing some American-market sales from the strong-selling Lexus ES and Acura Legend. Making a North American version of the swanky Mitsubishi Debonair didn't seem like a wise investment (though some Debonair DNA eventually showed up here, within the Hyundai XG), and so the brand-new Diamante made its North American debut as a 1992 model. The first-generation Diamante was available in both sedan and wagon form, with the wagon getting the axe here after 1995. The second-generation Diamante sedan appeared in American Mitsubishi showrooms as a 1997 model, with sales here continuing through 2004. There was a facelift for the 2002 model year, after several miserable sales years in the United States, and the sporty VR-X version was added to the lineup at that time. The VR-X got some cladding, white analog gauges, a louder audio system, some performance upgrades and a fast-and-furious optional spoiler. The MSRP for the '03 VR-X was $27,557, or about $46,362 in 2023 dollars. The VR-X's engine was a 3.5-liter 6G-series V6, rated at 210 horsepower. This was just five horses better than the regular Diamante's 3.5-liter. All 2003 Diamantes sold in the United States came with mandatory four-speed automatics.  This car, like the Diamante wagons of the middle 1990s, was built in Australia. The leather seats came with VR-X embossing. This is a good example of a rare special-edition car that's not worth much now. Perhaps some Front Range Mitsubishi enthusiast will buy the unique VR-X wheels and other bits before this car goes to the crusher. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 0% interest, zero down payment, zero payments until 2004 on all new Mitsubishis. This content is hosted by a third party.

Mitsubishi scores record global operating profits

In the minds of many auto enthusiasts, Mitsubishi has become an afterthought. It has transformed from a company known for its turbocharged, all-wheel-drive rally machines into an automaker with a very boring lineup. Maybe we are being unfair, though. While the company doesn't have much of a performance presence anymore, the Japanese brand is doing quite well financially.
According to Reuters, Mitsubishi Motors had an operating profit of 123.4 billion yen ($1.2 billion) worldwide for the fiscal year that ended in March. That's twice as much as last year and a new all-time record for the Japanese automaker. It's even paying dividends to investors for the first time in 16 years, and its expected profit of 135 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in the new fiscal year matches a goal it had set for itself to achieve two years from now.
The automaker currently focuses much of its efforts on Southeast Asia, which accounts for about a quarter of its sales. It will put even greater attention there in the coming years with more local production, according to Reuters.

Employee warned Mitsubishi execs about mileage cheating in 2005

A damning report from the committee brought in to investigate Mitsubishi's alleged fuel economy fixing scandal has revealed a new employee stepped forward and implored the company to play it straight on its mileage data... Eleven years ago. The employee, identified in the report as F, pushed for honesty during a company workshop in February 2005, The Asahi Shimbun reports. The then-new worker told 20 company officials, including senior members of the performance testing department, that the way Mitsubishi measured fuel economy was different from the way government's method. Instead of acting on F's protests, officials said they had no memory of them, the report claims. The four-person committee, made up of lawyers and industry experts, isn't buying the excuse. "It is difficult to accept their explanations that they have no recollections because a new employee pointing out such a problem must have had a (strong) impact," the report read. But F's comments weren't the only internal sign that Mitsubishi allegedly ignored. In a 2011 questionnaire, multiple employees submitted responses claiming that the company had been falsifying data. But according to the committee's report, Mitsubishi's development department issued a report denying there was even a problem, which the company's execs accepted without question. According to The Asahi Shimbun, Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko revealed that an internal investigation – which also denied F's remarks – acknowledged that the company hadn't followed government rules regarding fuel economy measurements since 1991. "We lacked unity needed to detect problems within the company and to solve them," Masuko-san said, backing up the committee report's claim that the company was divided. "From now on, we need to decide how to change our way of thinking." Related Video: News Source: The Asahi Shimbun via Motor TrendImage Credit: Toru Hanai / Reuters Government/Legal Green Mitsubishi Fuel Efficiency scandal