2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Gts on 2040-cars

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Spectator killed in seventh stage of Dakar Rally

Not surprisingly, tragedy has struck at the Dakar Rally this year. A vehicle hit a spectator in the seventh stage of the rally on Saturday, along the stretch between Uyuni, Bolivia, and Salta, Argentina. Running in 52nd place, the Mitsubishi Lancer driven by French contestant Lionel Baud hit a 63-year-old spectator. Emergency medical personnel responded to the accident, only to declare the man dead on the scene. This was the second time a competing vehicle collided with spectators in this year's event. During the Prologue stage a week ago, Guo Meiling drove her Mini into a crowd of spectators, injuring eleven – including a father and son who were hospitalized in critical condition. This is the first time, however, that a death occurred as part of the rally since 2013, when a support vehicle collided with two taxis in Peru and killed two. Though still in progress, this year's rally has been dominated thus far by the Peugeot team. All but the opening Prologue stage have been won by the French team, with Sebastien Loeb winning three out of six full stages run so far. His teammate Stephane Peterhansel has won another two, while Carlos Sainz won the tragic seventh stage on Saturday. Following Sunday's rest day, there remain another six stages before the rally concludes in Rosario on January 16.

Mitsubishi recalling i-MiEV models for brake problem

Mitsubishi is issuing a recall for the 2010-2014 i-MiEV that affects 1,810 units of the little electric car, because it's possible for the brake vacuum pump to stop working. If this happens, the result would be longer stopping distances, according to the company. The affected models were built between September 15, 2009, and March 25, 2014.
While this is just a single recall, there are actually two things that can cause this brake problem on the i-MiEV, according to Mitsubishi's filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. First, bad programming in the EV-ECU could cause the system to "falsely judge that the relay contact point is stuck," according to the full NHTSA defect notice PDF. Second, the vacuum pump exhaust hole could be corroded and blocked due to being splashed with road salt. However, the company says that if either fault happens, the brake warning lamp would illuminate, and there would be an audible alarm.
Depending on which issue is affecting an owner's i-MiEV, Mitsubishi is going to reprogram the software, replace the pump or both. Scroll down to read the recall report from NHTSA.

Mitsubishi e-Evolution concept EV has AI that can teach you to drive better

Following a teaser last month, Mitsubishi has revealed additional details, and a couple more images of the e-Evolution concept. The new teasers show a car with a pretty wild profile. The windshield is incredibly long and raked, and it generally has an angular, wedge-like shape. It's also an extremely cab-forward design, which is possible because it is fully electric, and there isn't an engine up front to take up lots of space. That's bad news for anyone hoping Mitsubishi might just hybridize a high-strung turbo engine. But it is still all-wheel drive, courtesy of a trio of electric motors. There's one motor up front for the front wheels, and a pair at the back for the rear wheels. These rear motors can apply different amounts of power for torque vectoring. The e-Evolution also has a unique feature in its artificial intelligence ( AI) system. Mitsubishi didn't go deep into the details of how it works, but by using many sensors, the AI can adjust how the car drives and reacts based on road conditions, traffic, and driver preferences. It can make you a better driver by silently assisting you, but it can also make you a better driver by teaching you. Apparently it can assess your driving skills and advise you on how to improve. Hopefully the e-Evolution, or whatever production model takes inspiration from it, will be fun enough to drive that you will want to improve your skills. The e-Evolution will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show. It will only be on display for one of the press days, so if you happen to be able to get to the show then, make sure you catch it. For everyone else, stay tuned to Autoblog for more photos and info when it's fully revealed. Related Video: