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Spectator killed in seventh stage of Dakar Rally

Not surprisingly, tragedy has struck at the Dakar Rally this year. A vehicle hit a spectator in the seventh stage of the rally on Saturday, along the stretch between Uyuni, Bolivia, and Salta, Argentina. Running in 52nd place, the Mitsubishi Lancer driven by French contestant Lionel Baud hit a 63-year-old spectator. Emergency medical personnel responded to the accident, only to declare the man dead on the scene. This was the second time a competing vehicle collided with spectators in this year's event. During the Prologue stage a week ago, Guo Meiling drove her Mini into a crowd of spectators, injuring eleven – including a father and son who were hospitalized in critical condition. This is the first time, however, that a death occurred as part of the rally since 2013, when a support vehicle collided with two taxis in Peru and killed two. Though still in progress, this year's rally has been dominated thus far by the Peugeot team. All but the opening Prologue stage have been won by the French team, with Sebastien Loeb winning three out of six full stages run so far. His teammate Stephane Peterhansel has won another two, while Carlos Sainz won the tragic seventh stage on Saturday. Following Sunday's rest day, there remain another six stages before the rally concludes in Rosario on January 16.

Nissan, Mitsubishi confirm plans to invest in Renault EV unit Ampere

PARIS — Renault's longstanding alliance partners Nissan and Mitsubishi confirmed plans to invest in the French car maker's electric vehicle unit Ampere and use it to develop EVs for the European market, the companies said on Wednesday. After years of contentious partnership, the announcement on Wednesday confirms that the new alliance between the three automakers is smaller and more pragmatic, focusing on regional cooperation. Nissan and Mitsubishi confirmed they would invest respectively up to 600 million euros ($647.46 million) and 200 million euros in Ampere, which has been carved out from the rest of Renault and is due for a public listing next year. Nissan will become "a strategic investor" in Ampere, Makoto Uchida, CEO of the Japanese car marker told reporters, adding the company may use the EV unit's software and connectivity innovations in other markets outside Europe. "Developing electric vehicles all over the world alone would be very challenging," he said. Ampere will develop and manufacture an electric version of the compact Nissan Micra for the European market and a medium-sized electric SUV for Mitsubishi. Renault CEO Luca de Meo said Ampere will cut the costs for the Micra for Nissan by 50%. The alliance partners also confirmed their joint projects in Latin America and India. In September, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi ended their common purchasing agreement, which they said would allow them to focus on individual projects and adapt more quickly to regional differences in automotive markets. At the end of July, Renault and Nissan finalised the terms of a restructured alliance after months of negotiations. Talks dragged on for months longer than expected due in part to Nissan, which was concerned about protecting its intellectual property in future collaborations. Related video: Earnings/Financials Green Mitsubishi Nissan Renault Electric

Not a dry eye in the house for last Mitsubishi Evo X video

Say what you will about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution; we're going to miss this one when it's gone. Japan's rally car for the street is officially being phased out, and production is ending in Japan. But not before one Final Edition, and a final video showing the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive wonder being built. In Japan, the Final Edition is limited to a run of just 1,000 units. It's based on the GSR model with the five-speed manual transmission, but comes with performance goodies like Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, Recaro seats, Brembo brakes, and more. See it for yourself in the gallery, below. Over the course of 23 years, there have been 10 generations of the Lancer Evolution. And while Evo X might not be our favorite (this author much prefers Evo IX, for what it's worth), it's still sad to see Mitsubishi's iconic, winged sedan head to the grave. A sign of the times, Mitsubishi says the Evo "will be replaced in spirit" by a high-power, hybrid SUV. That's a tall order, and doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense, but we'll see. For now, say goodbye to the Evo X by watching the final production video, above. And just be thankful Subaru still makes its lovely WRX STI.