1999 Mitsubishi Diamante Base Sedan 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

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L200 Absolute Concept is the off-road truck we want from Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi took the wraps off a concept off-road truck called the L200 Absolute at the Bangkok International Motor Show, and we completely approve. The truck isn't just a normal L200 with an appearance package. No, Mitsubishi went in and modified the suspension, added a ton of body cladding and even some carbon fiber. We don't think about Mitsubishi as much ever since the Evo was discontinued here, but this truck provides a bit of hope that one day the Japanese brand could be cool again in America. To begin, Mitsubishi widened the truck's track to make room for the beefy Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires wrapping the black off-road wheels. Then the suspension was modified to give the truck a two-inch lift — it was also given a new shock and spring setup for off-road use, providing more suspension travel. Sadly, Mitsubishi does not say more about it, but we're happy that this truck will be much more capable when the trails get rough. Large and obvious red-accented skid plates are placed in the front and rear to offer some stylish protection. Then check out all the carbon fiber parts on this truck. Mitsubishi uses the material on the tailgate and fender flares. This is not the norm for trucks, nor is it typical of Mitsubishi as of late, but we're totally for it. A big LED lighting package is the last bit that is largely different from the normal L200/Triton pickup truck made in Thailand. We'll hand it to Mitsubishi for this one. The "Absolute" name is even an improvement over the last off-road concept it made called the Engelberg Tourer. Midsize trucks are hot now. This truck in production form could definitely raise some eyebrows in the U.S. with its off-road nature similar to the Colorado ZR2 and Jeep Gladiator. We definitely need something to get excited about Mitsubishi again, especially now with the Evo long in the rearview mirror.

A realistic approach to fixing Mitsubishi

There are going to be a lot of words written about what Nissan needs to do with Mitsubishi in the coming months and years in the interest of turning the brand around. After Nissan's purchase of a controlling stake in the diamond star brand, there's been more interest in Mitsubishi thanks to the potential of platform sharing and plenty of cash from Nissan-Renault to get the juices flowing again. But, while some have been doing their best to advocate for the return of the 3000GT, Evolution, and even the Starion - Many of these posts forget the reality of the market we live in today. As much as we like to look back fondly at the sports coupes of the '90s, a byproduct of the insane cash flows all the Japanese manufacturers had at the time, the reality of today puts a much greater emphasis on what is most-boring; Crossover SUVs, alongside mid-size and compact sedans. We do need to ask a fundamental question, how much Mitsubishi is enough to be able to continue to call the cars Mitsubishis? Aside from slight product revisions and reconfigurations, Mitsubishi (at least in North America) has been largely dependent on the same GS platform and 4B1 engines that date back to their long-time partnership with Chrysler (and Hyundai) in the mid '00s. Admittedly, the chassis and engines have served the company well, underpinning a wide variety of vehicles sold around the world, and seeing quite a few revisions to at least attempt to keep products competitive. But, the GS chassis is old, heavy, and severely out of date - and when matched to the underpowered 4B1 series engines - make for largely uncompetitive offerings in the market. While something like the Outlander Sport is indeed interesting compared to a Honda CR-V, it is by no means the smart choice in the segment. So, going forward, unless Mitsubishi has had a skunkworks of sorts developing their chassis and engine replacements over the past few years, what exactly are they planning to do for their bread-and-butter models? I think the straightforward answer is without a doubt the Nissan North America parts bin. With so many of their models selling well, and for the most part, are reasonably well-reviewed, it would be quite simple to adapt the chassis and powertrain to Mitsubishi's liking to create a high-volume alternative to what is currently available now.

Junkyard Gem: 1995 Mitsubishi Diamante Station Wagon

Chrysler sold Dodge- and Plymouth-badged Mitsubishis in the United States starting in the early 1970s, but it wasn't until the 1983 model year that Mitsubishi sold cars under their own name on this side of the Pacific. The Diamante made its American debut for the 1992 model year, but it proved unable to steal many sales from the likes of Lexus and Infiniti and not many were sold. Sure, it was big and comfortable, but SUV and minivan sales soon squeezed most wagons out of the American marketplace. Here's a rare '95 station wagon, spotted in a California yard recently. 240,664 miles on the clock, which is much higher than the not-very-trashed interior might suggest. The owner or owners of this car got their money's worth out of it. The 6G72 3.0-liter V6 went into Chrysler minivans, Mitsubishi 3000GTs, and many members of the extended Chrysler K-Car family; production of this versatile engine continued well into our current century. This one was rated at 175 horsepower. Technically, this isn't a Japanese car, since the Diamante wagons were built in Australia. Rumor has it that some 5-speed Diamante wagons were sold in the United States, but I have never seen one. 1995 was the last year for the Diamante wagon in the United States, and the Camry and Accord wagons soon got the axe as well. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. US-market Diamante ads went for a gauzy-focus Infiniti Q45-ish look. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Meanwhile, Japanese-market Diamante ads got roaring engines, macho voiceovers, and dramatic music. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1995 Mitsubishi Diamante Station Wagon View 14 Photos Auto News Mitsubishi Wagon Classics