Suzuki SX4 WRC Rally car

Suzuki’s mild-mannerd SX4 has an alter ego; a race-engineered evil brother which the company hopes will do more than just win races.  While not a production model, yet, Suzuki is out to prove that they can build a race winner with something that has more than two wheels. 

The new LEV lithium ion battery in a Mitsubishi iMiEV

Most of the lithium ion batteries used in electric cars today are custom made or put together from batteries meant for some other use. Starting in the first half of 2009, the Japanese company Lithium Energy Japan will be producing new rechargeable high performance lithium ion batteries built specifically for automobiles. The company, which is co-owned by Mitsubishi motors, is building a new manufacturing plant in central Japan.

We apologize for the gratuitous Britney jab, we know it’s below our usually impossibly-high standards of thinly-veiled sexual references. Unfortunately, in light of recent reports that the Detroit 3 have largely fallen out of favor with the American public, we’re feeling rather listless in the face of the exciting new arrivals to the import sports car market. So we admit we’re picking the low hanging fruit, but we’re too depressed to care. Anyway, about the car…

The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is heralded as the next greatest thing to enter the sports-car-on-a-budget arena, and is expected to retail around $25,000 while still featuring many of the same qualities as its powerful $35k big brother, the Lancer Evolution. Some of the new Ralliart’s more obvious design cues are surface-oriented, featuring the same aluminum hood layout, vents, and scoops as the Evo. Underneath the hood, the Ralliart also features the Evo’s 2.0L I-4 engine, but with a smaller, single-scroll turbocharger and intercooler. Still respectable in its own right, the Ralliart’s shrunken Evo engine boasts a net power output of 235-hp and 253 lb-ft of torque.

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Unionized employees of a Mitsubishi manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois have reached a decision regarding strike-authorization, but won’t offer any comments on the matter until August 28, their contract deadline [ah, very resourceful union workers, very resourceful indeed]. Although downplayed as a “standard procedure of contract negotiation”, the Illinois plant’s future is looking grim. 

Mitsubishi has been floundering on a slippery slope since it first met American soil back in 1988, and today’s economy is certainly not helping their plight. Built with the capacity to employ 3,000 workers and produce 240,000 cars, the plant currently employs 1,366 workers and has an expected production output of about 68,000 for 2008.  In 2006, the union agreed to reduce the hourly wage by $4 an hour, and in 2007 Mitsubishi began offering voluntary buy-outs to reduce the number of employees.

Just ahead of its unveiling at the Geneva Auto Show Mitsubishi has released their media teasers to hopefully build a bit of anticipation in the going public for the Lancer Prototype S. Building off the well-received styling of the Lancer Evolution X, the Prototype S was designed by Mitsubishi with specific targets in mind. With a 240-hp Evo-Lite 2.0 turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and all the time 4WD this hatch is giving the Subaru WRX the stink-eye from across the room. Also, Mitsubishi believes that the design of the Lancer Prototype S will be a real winner for them in the UK in particular.

The spice that makes the Prototype S look so nice on the outside does not stop there. The interior of this concept goes out the extra mile to promote a true sensual grip on the senses. With a black suede finish on the upper dashboard and tops of the doors there is bound to be a whole new sensation to that new car smell. The seats for the Prototype S concept are a light brown leather combined in 3 different finishes: plain, perforated and weave. While that may not sound all that appealing in print, the sight of it is quite intriguing.     …Official Press Release and Photo Gallery after the leap…

With so many cars lined up for their first public unveiling’s to occur in the final auto shows of the season the buzz competition is tight. While we spend months covering speculations, renderings and masked test mules any lull in that coverage can cause a trail to grow cold. So just in time to keep interest high and curiosity peeked an official brochure of the new Mitsubishi Evo X has been leaked out via a Lancer Forum and is building the buzz anew for the new car.

The brochure itself is in Japanese so some of the details will require translation. However with any familiarity with auto brochures the visual story and stimulation from the leaked brochure develops the Evo X into quite an interesting action packed-drama. Increasing the action are the reports of the horsepower and performance within.

Mitsubishi Lancer 2008 is the exciting latest model introduced by Mitsubishi Motors, North America. In early 2008, Mitsubishi Lancer will be ready for sale. This new model is extremely attractive with its charming but sporty look and impressive features.

Lancer is available in 3 trim levels. First is the base DE, the second is the mid level ES, the third is the sport tuned top level GTS. The highlighting features of Mitsubishi Lancer 2008 are:

• 2 liter aluminium four cylinder engine
• magnetic steering wheel paddle shifters
• 5-speed manual or 6-speed sportronic paddles
• 152 horse power

Lancer looks very pretty with its shark nosed front end, long wheelbase and wider track. Mitsubishi is releasing Lancer in Detroit at a North American International Auto Show in January. There is no doubt that the new Lancer 2008 is a boon for the new generation.