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Mitsubishi EVs manage 1-2 division win at Pikes Peak *UPDATE

*UPDATE: Monster's time has now officially been posted as 9:43.9. Looks like coming back for a third crack at the mountain was the right move for Mitsubishi. At the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this past weekend, the two all-electric Mitsubishis, one piloted by Greg Tracy, the other by Hiroshi Masuoka came in first and second, respectively, in the Electric Vehicle division. The EVs were the third iteration of the MiEV Evolution prototype racer, which until now has had a tough time getting to the top of the podium. The first version crashed in 2012 and came in second and third – behind Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima – last year. This year, Monster suffered a transponder glitch and his final time could only be estimated at 9:46 was 9:43.9. That's pretty much the same as last year, when he finished with a 9:46.530. Last year, the Mitsubishi duo finished with times of 10:21.866 (Masuoka) and 10:23.649 (Tracy), So, if Monster equaled his time from last year, then the Mistubishi drivers must have improved their times up the hill to beat him. They did more than that, though, dramatically lowering their times to 9:08.188 (Tracy) and 9:12.204 (Masuoka). What's most impressive is that Tracy's low time was just 2.4 seconds behind overall winner Romain Dumas, who drove a gasoline-powered Le Mans sports car prototype up the hill. Find more details below. MITSUBISHI MOTORS SCORES AN IMPRESSIVE 1-2 FINISH IN THE 2014 PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB Drivers Greg Tracy and Hiroshi Masuoka dominate the Electric Vehicle division in the innovative Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution III racing prototype Mon, Jun 30, 2014 - Colorado Springs, Colorado - A pair of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) technologically advanced MiEV Evolution III all-electric prototype racecars placed first and second within the Electric Vehicle division in the 92st running of the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) on Sunday, June 29th in the skillful hands of six-time PPIHC motorcycle champion Greg Tracy and two-time Dakar Rally winner Hiroshi Masuoka, respectively. Finishing a mere 2.4 seconds behind overall 2014 Pikes Peak race winner Romain Dumas and his gasoline-powered Le Mans sports car prototype, the stage has been set for highly energy-efficient and sustainable electric-powered vehicles like the Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution III to soon become the dominant force in this challenging one-of-a-kind motorsport competition.

Mitsubishi ready to pull Evo's plug

We have all manner of unofficial metrics in the auto industry. No doubt you've heard some of them, like the butt dyno. Another popular measure is the smiles-per-dollar index - how entertaining is a car versus its price. Cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Scion FR-S and Mini Cooper S, for example, score quite highly, while vehicles like the BMW M5 or Audi RS7 are great to drive, but score lower because of their much higher price tags. For a long time, the king of the smiles-per-dollar index was arguably the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, which blended hair-raising thrills for the price of a well-equipped Ford Fusion Titanium.
Now, it looks like the Evo will need to hand over its title, as this generation of the rally-derived rocket is likely to be Mitsubishi's last - at least for a while. There's been no mention of just when production of the current car will end, so if you're in the market, we'd suggest trying to find a dealer with inventory ASAP. The news comes from the automaker's Japanese mothership, which says the brand will instead focus on utility vehicles and EVs. While there are no direct plans for a successor, an Evo XI as it were, the door remains open for a different kind of beast, according to Mitsubishi.
"Mitsubishi Motors does not have any plans to design a successor with the current concept, as a high-performance four-wheel drive gasoline-powered sedan," said Namie Koketsu, a spokesperson for Mitsubishi, according to Automotive News. "Mitsubishi Motors will explore the possibilities of high-performance models that incorporate electric vehicle technology."

2016 Mitsubishi Outlander has fresh design and a bump in refinement

Mitsubishi hopes to have the delivered the big finish to this year's New York Auto Show, with its new midsize, three-row Outlander. The company seems oddly emphatic in pointing out that the SUV is "not just a cosmetic 'refreshing'" at the top of its press release; we thinks you doth protest too much, Mitsu. The real freshness starts with the exterior styling, which is said to break ground on a new design language for the brand. The half-chrome, half-blacked out front fascia is certainly the most eye-catching part of the SUV, though taut, conservative details make up the rest. We don't expect a lot of love-it / hate-it comments based on this Mitsubishi (though you guys do surprise us sometimes). But however the company may draw attention to the "over 100 engineering and design improvements" made to the SUV, what's under the hood feels familiar. No mention is made of the 2016 engine lineup, so we expect the 2.4-liter four and 3.0-liter V6 to carryover unchanged from last year. There is a new CVT, however, said to come with improvements to acceleration and "shift feel." Other updates include a more composed chassis, rigid body structure and improved levels of NVH thanks to sound insolation and noise-deadening glass. Pricing and new technical specs (such as they might be) are soon to be out in the near future. In the meantime, feast your eyes on the new Outlander's style in our gallery from the show floor. Mitsubishi Motors New 2016 Outlander Makes World Debut at the 2015 New York International Auto Show The 2016 Outlander showcases Mitsubishi's new design language for the first time on a production vehicle The new Outlander features over 100 engineering and design improvements The 2016 Outlander marks a new era for the Mitsubishi brand relating to style, refinement and overall driving experience Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today unveiled the new 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander seven-passenger crossover at the 2015 New York International Auto Show. The 2016 Outlander is the first Mitsubishi production vehicle to showcase the brand's new design language. The 2016 Outlander is not just a cosmetic "refreshing," however, and features an unprecedented number of important engineering and design improvements that increase the level of refinement and overall driving experience. The 2016 Outlander is a segment-leading vehicle that will appeal to buyers wanting value, quality and safety.