Mitsubishi Montero Ls 1996 on 2040-cars

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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."

Mitsubishi wants to bring a plug-in hybrid Montero to the US

As Mitsubishi's turnaround takes hold, we can talk less about the company's survival in the US market and more about what kinds of products we might see in the future: there's a hybrid Evo on the way and its joint venture with Renault-Nissan will deliver a C-segment sedan. Furthermore, it might even deliver a dividend to its shareholders next year.
In addition to Mitsubishi announcing its intent to focus on SUVs, pickup trucks and crossovers, company president Osamu Masuko gave an interview to Automotive News saying that the plan is for model lines to have two or three power train options: gas, plug-in hybrid, diesel. Believing that fuel economy standards will force the expansion of the plug-in hybrid market, Masuko wants to bring a PHEV Pajero to the US (the Montero in our market) because it will restore the brand's place in the full-size SUV segment with a well known nameplate, and help the company reach its goal of making PHEVs 20 percent of its product offering.
We love the idea of a new Montero - and we hope there's a traditional gas model that would come with the PHEV - the question is what would it look like? The Concept GC-PHEV we saw at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show could offer clues, but with Masuko listing the SUV as the company's second most popular model behind pickups, how daring could designers get with it? On the other hand, if you compare the Concept PX-MiEV shown at Tokyo in 2011, the similarity to the production Outlander is more than one might expect for a crossover that's become a major seller for the brand. With an introduction due in 2015 or 2016, we shouldn't have to wait long to find out. Regrettably, there's still no word on the return of a Mitsubishi pickup truck.

Mitsubishi Evolution Final Edition goes out with a bang

The end of a long era - one we got to experience too little of - is just about at an end, and this car is its gravestone. The 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Final Edition is the last breath of ten generations of Lancer Evos, three of which came to the US. Mitsubishi launched a Final Edition Evo X in Japan earlier this year, after teasing a 473-horsepower concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon, now it's our turn. Built on the lower GSR trim, our model gets 303 hp, a bump of 12 hp, and torque goes up by five pound-feet to 305 lb-ft. The bigger modification is arguably the fitment of Bilstein shocks wrapped in Eibach springs all around, plus two-piece Brembo calipers on the front axle, all of which come standard on the upper-level MR trim. Dark chrome Enkei wheels match the dark chrome front grille surround. Like the grille, other changes for the Final Edition appear to be ornamental: black aluminum roof, black interior with red accent stitching, and special badging. Mitsubishi is putting 1,600 on sale here, each one with a numbered plaque just ahead of the shifter for the five-speed manual transmission. A second badge makes an appearance on the decklid. Final Edition Evos come in one of four colors, new Pearl White, Rally Red, Mercury Gray and Octane Blue, and cost $37,995. That price puts it $700 above the GSR Premium trim, and $1,000 below the entry MR trim. There are two press releases below with more information. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: THE 2015 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION FINAL EDITION: LIMITED-PRODUCTION MODEL BIDS FAREWELL TO LEGENDARY SPORTS SEDAN • The Final Edition is based off the current GSR model featuring new enhancements and increases to horsepower and torque • Only 1,600 units will be sold in the U.S. market, each marked by a numbered plaque CYPRESS, Calif. Oct. 5, 2015 – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today announced the details of the limited-production 2015 Lancer Evolution Final Edition. Arguably the originator of the four-door sports car genre, the Lancer Evolution has seen ten generations – three of which were sold in the U.S. over 12 years. To send it off in style, Mitsubishi Motors will offer 1,600 numbered Final Edition models to the U.S. market with a MSRP of $37,995. The Lancer Evolution Final Edition is based off the current GSR model, with exterior and interior enhancements not previously offered on the GSR.