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Macron and Abe seek to avert messy Renault-Nissan breakup

TOKYO/PARIS – France and Japan's leaders met for bilateral talks to avert a diplomatic row over the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance on Friday following the surprise arrest of its Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Japan. With the carmaking alliance facing its biggest test after the ousting of Ghosn at Nissan and affiliate Mitsubishi over financial misconduct allegations, President Emmanuel Macron sat down with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires. Ghosn's arrest to face accusations including the under-reporting of income has triggered new attempts by Nissan to weaken Renault's control of the Franco-Japanese alliance, adding to challenges facing Macron at home. Macron, whose government has repeatedly pressed Japan to share evidence unearthed by Nissan's internal investigation into Ghosn, "restated his firm wish that the alliance should be preserved, along with the stability of the group," an Elysee official said after Friday's meeting with Abe. Abe said it was important to "maintain a stable relationship," according to a spokesman for the Japanese leader. "However, he said the future of the alliance is up to the private-sector shareholders. The government of Japan does not prejudge the future of the alliance," the spokesman said. The French official quoted Abe as telling Macron that "the legal process must be allowed to take its course." LEADERLESS Tokyo authorities on Friday extended Ghosn's detention for a second time, by the maximum-allowed 10 days, local media reported. Prosecutors must file charges by Dec. 10 or arrest Ghosn for new crimes to hold him beyond that date. Tokyo prosecutors declined to comment. Nissan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ghosn's detention has left the global auto alliance without its leader and main interlocutor with the French government, which owns 15 percent of Renault and wants to maintain the ownership structure enshrining its control of the partnership. But Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa has made clear that Nissan wants to weaken the control of its smaller parent as it carries out a governance review. Renault's 43.4 percent Nissan stake ensures an effective voting majority at shareholder meetings, while Nissan's reciprocal 15 percent Renault holding carries no voting rights.

Mitsubishi exec says Evo 'will be replaced in spirit' by high-po hybrid SUV

Stop us if you've heard this one: According to Autocar, the current generation will be the last Mitsubishi Evolution we will ever see.
That, while unfortunate for driving enthusiasts, is a reality we've had plenty of time to digest. The days of wanton fuel burning for the sake of speed and power will soon come to an end. But that doesn't mean the days of performance have to die, too. "Green is still fun to drive," said Mitsubishi UK boss Lance Bradley in a conversation with Autocar. "It's a challenge to make it fun, but not a particularly difficult one. Electric vehicle performance is very good."
So, should we expect a new hybrid sedan to take up the mantle left by the Evo? Not so much. The British magazine quotes Kanenori Okamoto of Mitsubishi as saying, "It will be replaced in spirit by an SUV with high performance," which will apparently incorporate lessons learned in the automaker's efforts at Pikes Peak. The Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution III, which handily broke the EV record at the famed mountain course, will donate much of its high-performance, zero-emissions technology to the project, including its Super All Wheel Control four-wheel-drive system.

Mitsubishi planning high-performance Outlander PHEV under revived Ralliart banner

Mitsubishi is finally getting some of its mojo back with its redesigned — and competitive — Outlander. The company reportedly plans to build on that momentum with a high-performance variant of the SUV, bolstering its newly revived Ralliart performance division in the process.  Wait, a non-luxury performance SUV? Well, if any company can pull it off it would be Mitsubishi. It has the history of its WRC victories and Paris-Dakar Rally dominance to build on. Nearly its entire racing heritage has been forged on dirt, not tarmac, so a hotted-up Mitsu SUV doesn't seem so farfetched.  According to Japan's Best Car magazine, the all-out Outlander will be based on the Outlander Vision Ralliart concept shown over a year ago at the 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. The model will supposedly be called the Outlander PHEV Ralliart, and will feature extensive tuning to set it apart from the standard version. Best Car reports that the chassis will be reinforced to increase body rigidity. Mitsubishi will also strengthen the suspension and visually distinguish it with unique aero bits. What that may be isn't specified, but the Auto Salon concept had wider fenders in front and rear, a new front grille and bumper, and big diffuser beneath a redesigned rear fascia. The concept also came with larger rotors and six-piston calipers in front. The Outlander PHEV Ralliart's drivetrain, says Best Car, will based on the 2.4-liter plug-in hybrid setup on the base car. However, combined power between gasoline and hybrid systems will total an estimated 286 horsepower. Finally, the magazine predicts that the Outlander PHEV Ralliart will arrive in 2024. Japanese pricing is approximated at JPY5.5 to 6.1 million, which converts to $40,300 to $44,700 at current exchange rates, but we expect it to be closer to the high end of that range. With crossovers and SUVs as the de facto car these days, it was only a matter of time before mainstream marques began souping up such daily drivers. If Honda can create an 800-horsepower CR-V race car, a sports Outlander seems only natural. We'll just be here waiting for the first crossover racing league. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.