1993 Mitsubishi 3000gt Vr-4 Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Automakers drop support for Trump effort against California emissions

WASHINGTON — Toyota, Fiat Chrysler (now known as Stellantis following its merger with Peugeot) and other major automakers said on Tuesday they were joining General Motors in abandoning support for former President Donald Trump's effort to bar California from setting its own zero emission vehicle rules. The automakers, which also included Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Mazda and Subaru, said in a joint statement they were withdrawing from an ongoing legal challenge to California's emission-setting powers, "in a gesture of good faith and to find a constructive path forward" with President Joe Biden. The automakers, along with the National Automobile Dealers Association, said they were aligned "with the Biden administrationÂ’s goals to achieve year-over-year improvements in fuel economy standards." Nissan in December withdrew from the challenge after GM's decision in November shocked the industry and won praise from Biden. On Monday, the Justice Department asked the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia to put the California emissions litigation on hold to "ensure due respect for the prerogative of the executive branch to reconsider the policy decisions of a prior administration." Biden has directed agencies to quickly reconsider TrumpÂ’s 2019 decision to revoke CaliforniaÂ’s authority to set its own auto tailpipe emissions standards and require rising numbers of zero-emission vehicles, as well as Trump's national fuel economy rollback. Asked to respond to the automakers' action, White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy said in a statement that "after four years of putting us in reverse, it is time to restart and build a sustainable future, grow domestic manufacturing, and deliver clean cars for America." California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the automakers on Twitter for "dropping your climate-denying, air-polluting, Trump-era lawsuit against CA" and urged them to join the voluntary framework. TALKS WITH BIDEN Separately, an industry trade group on Tuesday proposed to start talks with Biden on revised fuel economy standards that would be higher than Trump-era standards but lower than ones set during the prior Democratic administration. The Trump administration in March finalized a rollback of U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to require 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026, well below the 5% yearly boosts under the Obama administration rules it discarded.

Mitsubishi celebrates 40 years in the U.S. with special-edition Outlander

Mitsubishi's North American division is celebrating its 40th birthday by releasing a special-edition Outlander called the Anniversary Edition. The commemorative SUV receives a specific two-tone paint job, "40th Anniversary" emblems, and more equipment and features. Dodge and Plymouth sold Mitsubishi models as captive imports for over a decade before the Japanese company established an American division in Fountain Valley, California, in 1981. Sales started in 1982 for the 1983 model year with a range that consisted of the Cordia, the Tredia, and the Starion. Fast-forward to 2023 and the Outlander gets the honor of celebrating 40 years of Mitsubishi in the United States. You don't need to be a seasoned car-spotter to tell the Outlander 40th Anniversary Edition apart from the regular-production model. Visually, it stands out with Black Diamond paint, a bronze-painted roof, a bright "OUTLANDER" emblem on the hood, and a rear bumper protector. Inside, it offers scuff plates on the door sills and an illuminated center console. It's based on the range-topping SEL Premium Package trim, so it's relatively highly-equipped: The list of standard features includes leather upholstery, a Bose sound system, and a head-up display. On sale now across the nation, the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander 40th Anniversary Edition carries a base price of $41,340 including a $1,345 destination charge. For context, the Outlander SEL Premium Package that the Anniversary Edition is based on costs $38,190. The plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander 40th Anniversary Edition offers the exact same list of equipment and edition-specific features but costs $51,340. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mitsubishi considering a small pickup for the United States

Mitsubishi hasn’t sold a pickup truck in the United States since the Mighty Max in the late 1990s, but there is mounting evidence that the brandÂ’s dry spell may end. At a recent vehicle launch, Carson Grover, the brandÂ’s director for product planning, said the company is considering a new pickup for the U.S. market but acknowledged the challenges involved with doing so. Reported by The Drive, Grover said pickup trucks were “another one of those things we want to try to figure out.” The problem with those ambitions is the Chicken Tax, a heavy 25% tariff on imported trucks. That insane percentage is why Toyota and Nissan build trucks here, and itÂ’s why we donÂ’t see cool foreign-market trucks like the Volkswagen Amarok. Mitsubishi will need a partner if it plans to bring a truck here, which it conveniently has in its Alliance partner, Nissan. The Frontier could form the basis for a Mitsu pickup, but GroverÂ’s comments suggest the automaker could have other plans. “The Ford Ranger, the old ranger, that was much smaller, had so much volume and was around so long.” He went to namedrop the Ford Maverick as well, which he said fills the small, affordable gap that the Ranger used to occupy. As The Drive pointed out, it might be possible for Mitsubishi to repurpose the existing Rogue platform for a small pickup, but Grover was careful to note that the company isnÂ’t making any announcements on the subject. As is the case with the vast majority of requests for comment on future product, Grover declined to elaborate but did say the company has taken notice of other trucksÂ’ popularity. A new American-market truck could further revitalize the Mitsubishi brand in North America. The automaker recently revived another of its iconic nameplates in late 2022 with Ralliart versions of all its vehicles. MitsubishiÂ’s motorsports arm made a name for itself in the World Rally Championship starting in the late 1980s, and some of the coolest cars to wear the brandÂ’s badge have also been stamped with the Ralliart name. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.