Mitsubishi, a niche car company long popular with the import tuner crowd, is rumored to be finally jumping into the hybrid game. And, supposedly, they will be doing what Toyota and Honda have not been able to do. Namely, build and sell a plug-in hybrid from the get go.

The more the merrier, I say. Of course, it would be even better if some car manufacturer were to make a performance hybrid of some sort. And Mitsubishi, starting with a clean sheet and given their performance background, could be a good company to do it.

Mitsu is will be rolling out a plug-in hybrid concept Outlander-based SUV at this month’s Tokyo Motor Show. In addition to the hybrid Outlander, there are persistent rumors that Mitsubishi could be planning to use the green tech from the upcoming hybrid SUV in the next-generation of its top performance car.

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It looks like Mitsubishi is getting very serious about it’s i-MiEV EV that caused such a splash at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The diminutive, all electric city-car is headed not only for production, but will be for sale to any Joe Schmoe off the street with the money and the desire to buy one of the little guys. As long as they live in Japan (for now).

Mitsubishi is starting off small, and being nice and logical and methodical about the first sales of its i-MiEV. The initial sales targets are aiming to move only 1400 of the little guys in fiscal year 2009, but that seems like a good way to go about it.

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Mitsubishi representatives officially announced that the i MiEV electric vehicle - already a hit in test drives and closely involved in joint programs with power companies across the world - will be coming to the U.S. This move has been hinted at for a long while, but now we know for certain that the electric jellybean, based on the “i” minicar, is coming.

Official details are scarce, but company representatives told us ahead of schedule that the car would be available here sometime “before 2012.” The problem isn’t the technology (a left-hand drive model should go on sale in Europe in 2011 after the right-hand model hits Japan this summer and the UK, maybe in 2010), but guaranteeing a supply of lithium. If GS Yuasa can’t produce the batteries, Read the rest of this entry �

By Kevin Bowe

Pros

• Quickness
• Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC)
• Nice components (Recaro seats, Rockford-Fosgate stereo, BBS wheels, Brembo brakes)

Cons

• Rear wing creates blind spots making it hard to look out for cops
• Cheap looking plastic gauges
• Poor MPG

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By Derek Mau

First Impressions:

• Mitsubishi’s All-Wheel Control System rules!
• Automatic shifting of the 6-speed twin-clutch transmission is sooo very smooth
• Racer-bling — real Recaro sport seats, 18 inch forged BBS wheels, and Brembo brake kit
• X-gen suspension is stiff compared to normal everyday driving standards
• Rockford-Fosgate audio system is pretty dang loud

Verdict: The Evo X is fast and loves to be driven hard

Mitsubishi has stepped up its game with the Lancer Evolution MR. Fans of the Lancer Evo and new followers will appreciate the 291 hp turbocharged, 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder mated to a new Getrag six-speed twin-clutch “TC-SST” transmission that delivers power to all four wheels. Managing the power distribution is the Super All-Wheel Control system that encompasses an Active Center Differential, stability control, Sport ABS, and AYC (Active Yaw Control), which apportions torque between the rear wheels.

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File this under “Uh-oh!”.

In another worrying sign, and hot on the the heals of Suzuki, Nissan has just announced it is pulling out of the North American International Auto show in Detroit. not only that, they’re also pulling out of the Chicago show too. So that now gives us a list of Porsche, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce, and Nissan that aren’t interested in showing at Detroit.

What none of these car companies, or journalists have been able to explain is: Why? Why pull out of the biggest car show in the biggest car market in the world?

Some companies have simply scaled back and reprioritized things; a lot of them shuffled big debuts off to the Los Angeles show, but that’s only a half-answer at best.

Frankly, I don’t have a handle on it. It’s not like Detroit is going to disappear. Even in some ultra-free market/Stephen Colbert nightmare, the Earth isn’t going to open up and swallow Detroit whole. Say things get as bad as they could. By this time tomorrow, GM, Ford & Chrysler have completely shut down operations and fired everybody. Sure, huge economic catastrophe, but the city, and the workers and the factories will still be there. Something would be done with them, it’s not like Detroit (and Lansing and Flint et al) would just dry up and blow away like some mining boom down in Nevada, circa 1892.

So, Porsche, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce, and Nissan, what gives?

Source: AutoBlog

By Derek Mau

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city’s buzzing hive of urban workers, a quiet ceremony was taking place in front of Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) San Francisco offices. A handful of reporters, the occasional curiosity seeker walking by, and a few employees on break were around to witness the delivery of Mitsubishi Motors (MMC) all-electric vehicle, the i MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle), to PG&E for some extensive testing over the next few years.

The i MiEV is an all-electric powered vehicle based on the Mitsubishi i sold in Japan.The original i is a sub-compact car that has the size and dimensions of a “light car” (classified in Japan as “keijidousha” class) with an engine displacement of up to 660cc. The car looks tiny on the outside but is fairly spacious on the inside. Looking somewhat like a jellybean on wheels, it’s a tad over 133 inches from end to end. With the car’s 15-inch wheels pushed all the way out to the corners, the overhangs are zero. As a result, it has a 100-inch wheelbase and a very stable ride. For the sake of comparison, the 5-door VW Rabbit’s wheelbase is 101.5 inches. This translates into a surprising amount of interior passenger room — much more than you’d expect from such a small car.

(Video and photos if the Mitsubishi i MiEV below the jump)

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By Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• Engine
• Engine
• Engine

Dings:

• Fit and finish
• Rear seats don’t fold
• Horrible turning radius

Ruling: The Galant Ralliart’s engine comes close to negating its shortcomings. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

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Electric cars from Mitsubishi are getting a test run in the United States.

The automaker has signed a deal with two California utility companies, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), to begin testing the i MiEV, an electric car based on the “i” mini cars Mitsubishi sells in Japan. Tests will start late this year.

According to Tohru Hashimoto, Corporate General Manager of the i MiEV Business Promotion Office of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, “The small, four-passenger Mitsubishi i MiEVs will enter into SCE and PG&E’s prototype testing and evaluation programs. This collaboration with two of the nation’s leading utility supporters of electric vehicles will provide us technical feedback on i MiEV vehicle and battery performance, as well as vehicle connection and integration into the electrical system.”

Extensive testing with the i MiEV has been occurring over the past two years with seven major utility companies in Japan. The success of these programs quickened the pace and prompted Mitsubishi Motors to begin selling the electric vehicle in the Japan market in summer of 2009.

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Advanced MR Offers More Technology than Traditional Entry-Level GSR Model

CYPRESS, CA, May 21, 2008 –

On the heels of the successful introduction of the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR, Mitsubishi Motors announces the availability of the more technologically-advanced 2008 Lancer Evolution MR, the newest and most sophisticated version of the model series that began 16 years ago.

Shown coming off the production line in Japan, the Lancer Evolution MR arrives at showrooms in the U.S. in June and is available for a suggested retail price of $38,290. The MR features more user technology and a broader market appeal than the entry level GSR, including an advanced 6-speed Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission.

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November 27, 2007 — Tokyo –

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. (MMNA, based in Cypress California) will premiere MITSUBISHI Concept-RA to the world at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS or the Detroit Motor Show). MITSUBISHI Concept-RA fuses a passion for dynamic, exciting driving with a heightened sensitivity for the environment thanks to clean, efficient high performance diesel power. The 2008 NAIAS runs from January 13 to 27 at the Cobo Center in Detroit and opens to the general public on January 19.MITSUBISHI Concept-RA shows that thrilling performance and environmental responsibility need not be mutually exclusive concepts. This coupe concept features the S-AWC vehicle dynamics control system driveline and the Twin Clutch SST automated manual transmission used in Lancer Evolution^*1, and is powered by a new high-output, high-efficiency clean diesel engine.

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SEMA: 2008 Honda Accord Coupe HFP

Albeit less impressive than the Accord Coupe HF-S Concept that we showed you yesterday (click here), the Accord Coupe HFP is a nicely customized vehicle that’s sporty but not flashy. It is equipped with dealer-installed Honda Factory Performance (hence the name “HFP”) components including a sports suspension package, 19-in. alloy wheels in 245/40R-19 rubber and a full aerodynamic body kit (front, sides and rear).

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TOKYO — One look at Mitsubishi’s unimaginative Concept-ZT should convince any doubters that this Japanese automaker just doesn’t design great sedans. Under the skin, it’s a different story.

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