Nissan and Mitsubishi Plan Deeper Ties, Expand OEM Projects

Japan's Nissan Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors today announced that they plan to deepen their business ties by establishing a new minicar joint venture in Japan and further expanding their OEM projects, to save costs and increase their competitiveness in the global car industry.

Under the new agreement, the automakers will build more cars for each other under what is known in the industry as an "original equipment manufacturer" or OEM partnership.

In particular, Nissan will provide a light van/wagon to Mitsubishi for the Japanese domestic market, while Mitsubishi will offer an SUV to Nissan for markets in the Middle East. In addition, discussions are ongoing for Nissan to provide Mitsubishi with upper-end segment models for the Japanese domestic market.

The two companies added that they are studying the establishment of a 50:50 joint venture for product planning and engineering of mini cars for the Japanese market, as well as the manufacture of the current generation of Nissan Navara pickup truck at Mitsubishi Motors' plant in Thailand.

Further down the line, the two companies said they are evaluating the manufacturing and engineering collaboration of a new generation one-ton pickup truck.

Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said: "This agreement is important for Nissan as it supports our expansion in emerging markets, meets immediate capacity needs overseas, and enables us to grow our mini car business in Japan. Our relationship with Mitsubishi demonstrates the ability of the Renault-Nissan Alliance - with its network of global partnerships - to constantly evolve and create new win-win relationships with other companies in function of specific needs and shared objectives".

Mitsubishi Motors President Osamu Masuko said: "Amid the drastically changing economic and market environments, Mitsubishi Motors is in partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroën in the areas of SUVs and EVs, and is always searching for other optimal solutions suited for each area of our business. This agreement to expand our business cooperation with Nissan is founded on our good business relationship since 2003, through several OEM agreements of mini cars and commercial vehicles. I believe that the expansion of our OEM agreement will complement each others' regional characteristics and product lineup, and the one-ton pickup and mini car projects will be the best solution to strengthen each others' competitiveness".

FAIL: 2 Fast, 2 Furious Lancer Evo VII Breaks Free Of Dyno In Puerto Rico [Video]

Dynamometers, or dynos for short, are a useful tool in any racer’s arsenal. By applying some basic physical principles, a dyno can calculate the amount of horsepower and torque being transferred from the wheels to the track, without ever needing to leave the safety of the garage.

So here’s the scoop (according to the posters): some students at Mech-Tech College in Ponce, Puerto Rico were putting a Lancer Evolution VII through its paces on the school’s dyno, when disaster struck. Everything seems normal until 16 seconds in, when the Lancer careens to the left and slides off. Of course, it was all captured on video for our edification.

According to the EvolutionM forum, the vehicle was improperly strapped down. It has something to do with the fitting of a Blow Off Valve (BOV) dump tube which changes the way the vehicle behaves both on the track...and on the dyno. Of course, nobody seems to have taken this into account when tying the Evo down.

Check out the vid and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Evolutionm , Via: WFC

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Mitsubishi Sketches New Low Cost Global Small Car

A new small car will soon join the ranks of Mitsubish's passenger car lineup. Teased in these renderings for the first time, the "global small" vehicle will be produced in a new factory currently being built in Thailand and will go on sale at the end of next year.

The subcompact hatch will make use of a new platform and will be offered with 1.0-1.2-liter engines. Mitsubishi said that the "global small" will be positioned as an entry-level model in MMC's model lineup, and plans are to export the vehicle from Thailand to markets worldwide, though the Japanese automaker did not get into any details about country-specific availability.

The low-cost city car will most likely be revealed at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March 2011.

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Toyota and Honda Hold Back as the Rest of Japan’s Automakers Go Electric

The electric vehicle market in Japan is now burgeoning. Once the mainstay of small independents building low speed, short range Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), major manufacturers including Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru are now hopping on the EV train in the hopes of raking in some greenie revenue.

With its U.S. launch mere weeks away, Nissan already has 6,000 orders in Japan and a further 20,000 in the United States for its lithium-ion powered Leaf EV. The automaker has so many orders, in fact, that they won’t be taking any more.

As you would expect, Nissan Chief Operating Office Toshiyuki Shiga is one happy man: "We believe this will be the beginning of the new era for the world's automobile industry, as well as a sustainable low-carbon society.”

The Leaf follows the 2009 launch of the Subaru plug-in electric Stella and Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV EVs. Heavyweights Toyota and Honda are also planning similar vehicles for 2012.

Shigeru Matsumura, an automotive analyst for Japan’s SMBC Friend Research Center believes that the high price of EVs and the lack of recharging infrastructure are the biggest hurdles to profitability the major automakers face. Lengthy recharge times and limited range are also an continuing issue for many consumers and automakers alike.

Toyota and Honda appear to agree, with both companies keeping their focus on hybrids and fuel cell vehicles until EVs have a greater presence on the market.

Matsumura, however, believes the market is unlikely to flourish unless Toyota and Honda get in on the party:

"Japan's big three all need to join to develop the market. This is the likely scenario which will bring down high EV prices and help EVs become more common.”

Toyota’s Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada, however, is standing his ground:

"EVs will spread first for short-range runs. We do not expect a fast spread of EVs."

The Nissan Leaf, which will be unleashed onto the U.S. market on the 11th of December, has an effective EPA fuel economy rating of 99 mpg and a range of 117 km. It will go head to head with GM’s locally produced Volt, which launches nine days later on the 20th of the month.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: The Japan Times

Proton Shows Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X Lookalike Concept of Inspira with 240HP Turbo Engine

The 2010 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show at the Putra World Trade Centre in Malaysia saw local automaker and owner of Lotus, Proton, revealing a host of concept models including a sport prototype of the recently launched Inspira called the Jebat. Needless to say, it's clearly inspired from the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X.

As you may remember, the Inspira is a rebadged Mitsubishi Lancer sedan and is the result of an OEM collaboration between the Malaysian automaker and Mitsubishi Japan. However, we're not so sure if Mitsubishi had this in mind when it was signing the agreement with Proton.

In any case, the Jebat study, which could very well lead to a similar production model, features a wide body kit with blistered wheel arches and splashes of matte black paint all around the car. Power is provided by a turbocharged 4-cylinder MiVEC engine producing 237HP (177kW) at 6,000 rpm and 343Nm of peak torque at 3,000 rpm.

No word if the pseudo-EVO (that does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?) comes with the real EVOs four-wheel drive system, but Proton has announced that the Jebat completes the standard 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 5.6 seconds and tops out at 232 km/h or 144 mph.

Via: Proton and CBT

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Mitsubishi Lancer Gallery

For 2009, the Ralliart is unoccupied solely with the TC SST transmission, admitting that Mitsubishi has prescribed the conceivability of a 5 speed transmission at a later date. The TC SST transmission provided in the Ralliart offers 2 modes (Normal, Sport) instead of the 3 modes the same transmission offers in the Lancer Evolution X MR (Normal, Sport, S Sport).

Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer

The auto likewise combines a simplified rendition of the Evolution X's AWD framework (taken straightforwardly from the EVO IX), with a basic "mechanical restrained slip" rear differential. Consistent with Edmunds. Com the Ralliart model underperformed the GTS in certain tests, considering the skidpad, slalom, and braking separation. Then again, the Ralliart outperformed the GTS in other tests, combining 0 60 and the quarter mile.
Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer




Mitsubishi Lancer


Mitsubishi Lancer

Mitsubishi Eclipse History

The first generation Mitsubishi Eclipse was sold as an entry to mid-level four-cylinder sports coupe. Four trim levels were available: the bottom three were front wheel drive and the very top was all wheel drive. The top FWD and the AWD model were equipped with turbocharged engines.
Mitsubishi Eclipse




Mitsubishi Eclipse


Mitsubishi Eclipse




Mitsubishi Eclipse




Mitsubishi Eclipse





Mitsubishi Eclipse


Mitsubishi Eclipse




Mitsubishi Eclipse


Mitsubishi Eclipse


Mitsubishi Eclipse


The car underwent minor changes throughout its production; 1992–1994 models (1Gb) have updated sheetmetal and are easily distinguishable from previous vehicles (1Ga). The most notable of these changes is that the 1Ga models have pop-up headlights. The Eclipse was revised into a new vehicle for 1995.



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2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Japanese models

The engine is the 4B11-type 2.0 litre inline-4 turbo engine. Evolution X can get to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Aluminum is used in the roof panel, front fenders and the rear spoiler frame structure. Launch model's engine was rated 280 PS (210 kW; 280 hp)@6500rpm and 422 N·m (311 lb·ft)@3500rpm. Following the repeal of 280 horsepower law in Japan,[24] engine power was raised to 300 PS (220 kW; 300 hp)@6500rpm beginning in 2009 model year.


Mitsubishi's British branch

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo MR

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo MR

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer

New 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

mitsubishi lancer evo x fq-400

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

The new 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

New for 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer

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