Mitsubishi Releases No-Frills Lancer 1.5 Juro Special Edition for the UK

The Mitsubishi Lancer nobody really wants but almost everyone gets across the pond has become a bit more desirable in the UK with the launch of a new special edition, which as usual translates to additional equipment at a more competitive price. The new edition is called Juro and is based on the Lancer 1.5 GS2 hatchback, which is powered by a 1.5-liter petrol engine gasping out 107-horses and 143Nm or 105 lb-ft of peak torque.

The Lancer Juro comes equipped with black leather seats and an integrated Kenwood multimedia system that comprises Garmin Satellite Navigation, Parrott Bluetooth, iPod connection lead and reversing camera as standard.

Other standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, alarm, leather steering wheel with audio controls, electric windows, mirrors and locks, and a color-keyed rear spoiler to keep all those ponies close to the ground.

In the UK, the Lancer 1.5 Juro hatch is priced at £14,749, which includes free metallic paint and VAT.

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Mitsubishi to Phase Out Most of its U.S.-made Models by 2014

Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko today announced that the automaker will kill most of its current lineup of U.S.-made vehicles by 2014, as part of the company's “Jump 2013” mid-term business plan. The decision affects the Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder sports cars, Endeavor crossover and Galant sedan, which are going to be replaced with global vehicles built at the manufacturer’s Illinois plant. The Outlander crossover, Outlander Sport small crossover and Lancer sedan will provide the underpinnings for the new models.

According to Mr. Masuko, these changes won’t affect U.S. sales. In fact, he predicted that sales and production numbers will increase, albeit no target has been specified.

“Our sales in North America will increase”, Masuko said. “We'll still be selling cars brought in from Japan, and we'll be adding the global small car as well”.

When it comes to combined sales, Mitsubishi expects the Japanese, North American and European markets to register a jump of 90,000 units over the next three years.

Furthermore, the company is exploring other possibilities to gain much needed market share as well.

One plan of action will see Mitsubishi rolling out no less than eight electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles by early 2016, including a small commercial truck version of the i-MIEV and plug-in hybrid SUV based on the Px-MiEV concept car shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

Mitsubishi also wants to bring its new global small car to the U.S. and target emerging markets with new models, such as a 1-ton pickup truck that could be jointly developed with Nissan.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Autonews

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FAIL: 2 Fast, 2 Furious Lancer Evo VII Breaks Free Of Dyno In Puerto Rico [Video]

Dynamometers, or dynos for short, are a useful tool in any racer’s arsenal. By applying some basic physical principles, a dyno can calculate the amount of horsepower and torque being transferred from the wheels to the track, without ever needing to leave the safety of the garage.

So here’s the scoop (according to the posters): some students at Mech-Tech College in Ponce, Puerto Rico were putting a Lancer Evolution VII through its paces on the school’s dyno, when disaster struck. Everything seems normal until 16 seconds in, when the Lancer careens to the left and slides off. Of course, it was all captured on video for our edification.

According to the EvolutionM forum, the vehicle was improperly strapped down. It has something to do with the fitting of a Blow Off Valve (BOV) dump tube which changes the way the vehicle behaves both on the track...and on the dyno. Of course, nobody seems to have taken this into account when tying the Evo down.

Check out the vid and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Evolutionm , Via: WFC

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New Proton Inspira: The Malaysian Lancer Officially Launched

Proton has officially unveiled its Mitsubishi Lancer-derived Inspira mid-sizer, after its soft launch to the public and media in late October. Since then Proton has received over 1,800 bookings from customers around Malaysia in anticipation of its market launch this month.

The new model is the result of an OEM collaboration (the word "rebadge" sounds nastier...) between PROTON and Mitsubishi Japan, the latter providing the mechanical and design basis and the former tweaking the model for the Malaysian market.

Among those changes are the signature Proton grille and -according to the Malaysian company- the incorporation of Lotus DNA in the Inspira's ride and handling.

Dato' Sri Mohd. Nadzmi Mohd, the Chairman of Proton parent corporation Proton Holdings Berhad, explains:

"PROTON is ready to move even further ahead to become a recognised player in the global automotive industry. We have been working and collaborating with Mitsubishi for the last 25 years and its a natural step forward for us to continue to work with them in this project. One of our product strategy is to introduce non-core models through strategic collaborations which provides a more efficient, timely, and cost effective product to the market. The Proton Inspira is an excellent example of this strategic collaboration."

Proton Holdings Berhad's Managing Director Dato' Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir is equally enamoured with the new model:

"The enormous level of interest shown since we first announced the introduction of the new model is certainly a big sign of approval from car buyers. PROTON would like to thank all those who have placed a booking for the Inspira and believe me, they will not be disappointed with the new generation of Proton cars coming their way."

The Inspira uses Mitsubishi's existing 1.8 and 2.0 Liter MIVEC engines, the latter of which is only available with the CVT transmission. Scroll down for the image gallery that includes pictures from the official brochure and a video from the presentation.

By Tristan Hankins

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Proton Rebadges Mitsubishi Lancer and Calls it Inspira. Too bad it isn't an EVO..

Proton, Malaysia's national carmaker and owners of Lotus, has taken the wraps of its latest model. No, you aren't looking at a cheesy Photoshop and this isn't an April Fools joke come six months late: this is the firm's new mid-sized Inspira sedan.

For those of you fooled by the *cough* deceptive *cough* restyling Proton has done, the Inspira (from the Bahasa Malaysia word 'Inspirasi' which means 'Inspiration') is based on the current generation Mitsubishi Lancer.

Priced at a tentative RM79,888 (US$25,654), deliveries of the Inspira will start in November. For some comparison, in Malaysia a base model Mazda3 sells for roughly RM30,000 (US$10,000) more.

Managing Director Dato' Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir is very happy with the new model:

"We maintain our stance in making valuable products more affordable for Malaysians. The car's distinctive sporty personality has been further enhanced by us with the injection of the renowned Lotus DNA of excellent ride & handling, while localisation of parts has enabled us to introduce the Inspira at an affordable price. With these combined, what we have here is what we believe to be another right car, at the right price and at the right time by PROTON."

The Inspira gets all the goodies the Lancer gets including a choice of a 1.8-liter or 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines, adaptive CVT with paddle shifters, cruise control, dusk-sending headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, climate control air conditioning and (presumably) 5 star ANCAP safety.

The Inspira is the first tangible result of the new strategic alliance between Proton and Mitsubishi, though the two companies have had close ties for years. In the mid to late '90s, Proton brought three cars to Australia that were little more than rebadges of current generation Mitsubishi models. Suffice to say, only the most cash strapped of buyers saw the Wira, Satria and M21 as anything but knockoff Mitsubishis.

Carscoop will have more details and pictures as they come through.

By Tristan Hankins

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Mitsubishi's Future in America Uncertain, New Small Models Coming as Larger Models Fade

While Mitsubishi works on making a new global small car, any development on the future of its "larger" cars has been put on hold. What does that mean for Mitsubishi Stateside? Well, it doesn't look good.

The small car would possibly be offered here in 2012 (it's said to have sub-1.5 liter 3-cylinder engine), but it's hard to believe a small efficient car (and the Lancer family) could be enough to justify keeping the brand here. There's light on the horizon, but more on that in a bit.

First, about the larger "names" at Mitsubishi: Eclipse and Galant. According to a report from Autoweek, until a decision regarding their futures is made later this year, the PS platform-based Eclipse / Eclipse Spyder, mid-size Galant sedan, and mid-size Endeavor crossover are going to keep being built as they are in Normal, Illinois.

Now, if someone were to come in and provide Mitsubishi with an investment (PSA Peugeot Citroën, I'm looking your way), the plant could be retooled and updated to build some really neat cars. If not, then Mitsubishi may be stuck with less than a decent lineup.

Thankfully, there's that upside: a few new and interesting models will be showing up in the next two years in order to impress upon consumer's Mitsubishi's new brand image. What kind of image? That of a manufacturer of compact, efficient, and electric cars. People will like that, right?

First, there's the Outlander Sport / RVR / ASX that will take on Kia's Soul and Nissan's Juke this fall with the Lancer's 2.0-liter engine, and the i-Miev electric buggy kei car should appear later next year as a 2012 model. If Mitsubishi really expects people to seriously consider a sub-$30,000 i-Miev (good luck with that), consumers would need to be offered more than "a basic stereo system, air-conditioning and heating units and power windows and locks."

Meanwhile, the Lancer lineup and the Outlander should both expect a mild (aka cheap) refresh in the next few years.

What could Mitsubishi do to survive in the States? Any ideas? By now, I'm certain Mitsubishi is listening.

By Phil Alex

Via: Autoweek