1997 Mitsubishi 3000gt Sl Coupe 2-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Facts point to legal violations by Carlos Ghosn, says Nissan external review

YOKOHAMA, Japan — An external committee reviewing governance at Nissan Motor Co said on Wednesday there were enough facts to suspect violations of laws and the private use of company funds by ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn. Following a three-month audit of Nissan's governance after a scandal that shook the global auto industry, the committee put the blame squarely on what it called Ghosn's concentration of power. It also acknowledged Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa's role in Ghosn's salary arrangement at the heart of the scandal. Twenty years to the day since French automaker Renault SA agreed to rescue Nissan, the committee described a corporate culture at Nissan "in which no one can make any objections to Mr. Ghosn," who was "in a way deified within Nissan as a savior who had redeemed Nissan from collapse." A representative for Ghosn replied in a statement that the allegations made against the former Nissan chairman "will be revealed for what they are: part of an unsubstantiated smear campaign against Carlos Ghosn to prevent the integration of the Alliance and conceal Nissan's deteriorating performance." The group issued 38 recommendations to bolster Nissan's governance, including that top executive positions at the Japanese car maker should not be held by people serving in executive positions at Renault or junior partner Mitsubishi Motors. It also proposed that the majority of directors, including the chairman of the board, be independent, outside directors and that the role of company chairman be abolished. Responding to the committee's comments, Saikawa told reporters on Thursday that Nissan would seriously consider the committee's recommendations, which he characterized as "tough." Saikawa, who was speaking outside his home, did not specifically address his responsibility in the scandal but has previously said that top management, including himself, were responsible for weak governance which led to the misconduct. The recommendations from the external, seven-member committee came weeks after Nissan and Renault said they would retool their alliance, one of the world's biggest automaking groupings, to break up the all-powerful chairmanship previously held by Ghosn. "There are facts sufficient to suspect violations of laws and regulations, violation of internal rules and private use of company funds and expenses ... by Mr. Ghosn," the committee said in its report.

Mexican police seize engine-powered drug cannon

It seems like we're always hearing about new ways in which people are trying to smuggle things into the US from Mexico - including simply driving over the wall. Case in point? Mexican police have found yet another way criminals are attempting to get drugs over the border. Mexicali police have seized what looks to be either a Mitsubishi Mighty Max or Dodge Ram 50 pickup, equipped with what is essentially an oversized spud gun in the bed used to shoot marijuana over the border.
Constructed from a metal tank and a large plastic pipe, The Guardian reports that this drug cannon actually uses a car engine to build up enough air pressure to launch up to 13 kilos of marijuana at a time. Mexicali police were alerted to this truck when their US counterparts found drug packages on this side of the border. As of yet, there is no word as to how the vehicle was caught and whether any arrests resulted.

Mitsubishi profits in North America for first time in seven years

Well, this is a change of pace. Mitsubishi has actually made some money in North America. It's the company's first operating profit in seven years, and while it might only be $4.18 million – yes, Mitsubishi made less in 2014 than some professional athletes – it's definitely a start. Sales in the US were up 19 percent between January and March, to 32,000 units, while 2014's overall sales jumped 21 percent to 117,000 units, Automotive News reports. Perhaps more impressively, the company is predicting a bountiful 2015, with sales up to 128,000 units and operating profits climbing to $58.5 million. If Mitsubishi is doing this with cars like the ancient Lancer and the awful Mirage, we should probably expect some good things when newer, more competent vehicles like the new Outlander hit dealers.