RideLust

I’m not too sure how I feel about Mitsubishi’s newest marketing campaign. Apparently they’re somewhat disappointed that they haven’t received a cavalcade of awards for their rather boring vehicles, so to combat this they’ve decided to invent some new (and completely pointless) ones of their own. To do this Mitsubishi contacted the Guinness Book of World Records and had them monitor a group of challenges that no one had ever attempted before so that they, and they alone could get into the record books. The idea was to take a 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Sport up to a frozen lake in Alberta, Canada and show off how well their new all-wheel control system works. Click through for the video.
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Aside from the EVO, Mitsubishi as a car company is just about as boring as they come. The Galant is bland and old, the Eclipse should have been taken out to pasture and shot years ago and the Endeavor, well, I actually kinda’ like that one so we’ll give it a pass. As a brand Mitsubishi is in desperate need of an overhaul which is something that if the rumor mills are true, may be happening sooner than we think. Autoblog is now reporting Mitsubishi is thinking of selling a rebadged version of Infiniti’s M car as they have nothing that is considered to be a premium class vehicle in their line-up. The Infiniti M would be rebadged as the new Diamante, a car that last saw production in 2005. Back then it was actually quite a nice vehicle, but slow sales and a lack of marketing unfortunately helped lend to its demise.
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The Evo X, still drool-worthy...

Twenty years ago, Mitsubishi looked like an automotive brand that was going places. Their U.S. product lineup ranged from stout-but-affordable compact pickups, through luxury sports cars (the 3000GT VR4) and family sedans. The Eclipse GSX offered enthusiasts the best bang for the buck, and was an incredible track car that could be built to ridiculous levels of horsepower. Mitsubishi even cranked out an AWD, turbocharged performance sedan (the Galant VR-4), just in case you needed to get to the grocery store in a hurry, in any weather. In the years since, their product line has grown smaller by the year, their dealer network has all but evaporated and their only real sports car offering is the Evo X. Despite having some entertaining cars (like the Lancer Ralliart Sportback) and crossovers (the Outlander), Mitsubishi has almost no marketing presence in the United States. Either they’ve stopped producing ads or the ads they do run are utterly forgettable, and neither is an effective way to move inventory. Read More…

Dyno’s – I get nervous every time I’m around them. I understand they’re necessary and act as a wonderful tool for tuning automobiles, but so many of them are operated improperly that I’m amazed accidents like this don’t happen more frequently. The above video shows a Mitsubishi EVO strapped to a dyno by one strap and one strap only, something that is simply gross negligence in my opinion. Lets think about this for a moment. If you haul a car on a trailer then odds are you anchor it down in at least 4 places. Two straps in the rear and two up front. You may also anchor them cross hatch to prevent any side to side movement. So why wouldn’t you anchor your car down on a machine where you KNOW your car is going to move? It simply makes no sense. Thankfully it looks as though no one was hurt. I have a feeling next time though whatever car is up there will be bolted to the platform.

Source: Youtube.com

When I was learning to race cars, my instructor was adamant about one thing: in a race, no matter what happens, you keep going unless you’re on fire or don’t have any oil pressure. I came close to rolling a car once, and wanted to keep driving even after the corner worker ordered me to pit; thus, I understand the perspective of Croatian rally driver Dražen ?uri? and his co-driver, Albert Horn of Hungary. The pair was running a rally stage last April, in a heavily modified Mitsubishi Pajero, when the combination of a jump and rut caused the truck to roll on its left side. It looked like it was game over, but somehow ?uri? managed to right the truck with the steering wheel.

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Want your electric car to have a three-diamond logo on the front? Mitsubishi will launch the U.S. version of its i MiEV (called the Mitsubishi “i” on these shores) in 2011, but they’ve rolled it out on display at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show. What works in Tokyo doesn’t necessarily work in the United States, so U.S. i models received a thorough reworking to meet federal crash standards and the preferences of U.S. customers. In Japan, the i MiEV is 134 inches long and 58 inches wide; for the U.S. market, it grows to 145 inches long and 63 inches wide. U.S. customers will get more amenities and safety features as well, including tire pressure monitoring, air conditioning, advanced airbags and electronic stability control.

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Mitsubishi Pajero Flip over

So let’s say you’ve finally saved enough rubles to treat yourself to the off-roader of your dreams, a Mitsubishi Pajero (similar to our Montero Sport). Fueled by vodka and the human desire to explore parts unknown, you set off for your local Jeep trail. When this doesn’t prove exciting enough, you decide to go off on your own, like a true pioneer. After all, the Pajero has won Paris Dakar, so it should be able to climb a dirt slope, right?

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Mitsubishi is a brand that has been selling cars in the United States since the mid-1970′s. They’ve managed to establish a great reputation for reliability and comfort, however in recent years the company has lost a little of its import glow. Their biggest seller, the Mitsubishi Lancer, is a favorite amongst the import tuner crowd and has a deep an loyal following. Now it seems that the company wants to get creative with the release of their new crossover vehicle the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, or in some markets, the ASX. Beginning on November 1st, 2010 Mitsubishi will be offering the public the worlds first virtual test drive from the comfort of their own home.
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We all know how the MTV reality show Jersey Shore has popularized the crap out of the New Jersey Guido. Sure it’s a fun place to go and hang out and to people watch there is probably no better place on earth. The guys and gals that populate this area of the stinky state show up around June 1st and don’t leave until the end of the Labor Day weekend. One aspect of the Jersey shore that some people fail to take into consideration are the cars in which these wonderful individuals showcase themselves in. Just like Los Angeles the Jersey shore is all about show and bling. Sure, most of the beach and club goers live at home in their parents basement in real life, but once the sun comes out it’s all about rolling heavy and showing off. Here is a listing of some of the Jersey Shore’s rolling hardware.
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Want a new Eclipse? I'd buy it soon. Photo: IFCAR

It’s no secret that Mitsubishi has been underperforming in U.S. sales for the past several years. It’s not that they build a bad car, it’s just that they spend precious little on marketing their vehicles and don’t follow the industry formula of a fresh new look every two years or so. When was the last time you saw a Mitsubishi TV or print ad, or heard of a new Mitsubishi dealership opening up?

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