The Mustang’s continued existence and instances like Mitsubishi’s Japanese rival Toyota, which recently revived the Supra, show that the seemingly unexplained trend towards large, high-riding automobiles still seems to leave little room for sports cars. Then there’s Honda, which brought back the Civic Type R and the NSX after years of neglecting fast cars. Mitsubishi can definitely pull off the same feat, right? Sadly, the answer is no.
In a global sense, the company, which sells 1.2 million automobiles annually, is not that large. It would be challenging to be financially viable if you tried to be in all the different market groups and follow fads, such sports vehicles, says Lindley.
In This Article...
Has Mitsubishi ever produced a sports car?
Mitsubishi is a renowned Japanese automaker with a long history of success in both the consumer and racing markets. Mitsubishi may be in trouble right now, but they used to go head-to-head with the top Japanese and international sports car makers. Although Mitsubishi didn’t produce high-performance supercars, the brand’s output was nevertheless well-regarded.
The Diamond-Star shone the brightest in the area of sports automobiles. Their main business was building rally cars that won races. They adapted all of their weight-saving and engine-tuning expertise from their rally-bred vehicles to their sports cars, which was a fantastic move. Mitsubishi vehicles are renowned for being excellently engineered and enjoyable to drive.
Although the most of us are familiar with and probably adore the Lancer, Mitsubishi also produced other excellent sports cars. Long before the Lancer was created, the brand made waves with the Starion, Colt GTi-16 Turbo, Galant, and Colt Celeste. Even while Mitsubishi hasn’t been the best-selling brand in the sports car class (or any segment, for that matter), they do have a devoted and devoted fan base.
Thanks to the RenaultNissanMitsubishi Alliance, the JDM brand is now anticipating making a competitive comeback in the auto sector as a maker of crossover and electric/hybrid vehicles soon. But since that’s still to come, let’s take a moment to remember some of the best sports vehicles ever created.
Will Mitsubishi ever again produce sports cars?
The Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Alliance released their fresh strategy and Alliance 2022 business plan in May 2020. The new approach had a “Mitsubishi Motors is expected to be the first of the three automakers to introduce a new vehicle, following the Leader pattern. The only issue is that neither Mitsubishi Motors Corp (MMC) nor the carmaker have released any information regarding any impending models. Since the unveiling of the previously unseen Mitsubishi Starion 4WD concept art, there has been a lot of discussion online about this new Mitsubishi vehicle being a sports car and potentially the return of the Lancer Evolution. Unfortunately, Mitsubishi Motors broke their silence at last, and no Lancer is in sight. Electric cars are still the way of the future (EVs).
Many attendees at the Mitsubishi Motors shareholders meeting at the end of June 2021 inquired about the Lancer Evo or a new sports vehicle, particularly in light of the company’s decision to restart its highly successful Ralliart team. The Lancer Evolution, which was developed by the same crew as the original Mitsubishi Lancer and lasted for several generations before its demise, was a potent rally car. Does this sound familiar to you? Ralliart will function as an after-market seller of equipment that consumers can employ to improve the performance of various future models, unlike the Dodge/SRT team, who will take a more prominent role.
“The cost of development for electrification is high, and our company’s strength is still insufficient. Due to a significant deficit in the last fiscal year, we first want to revitalize the company before releasing the small vehicle that fans have been anticipating. Google Translate translation of a Japanese article Japanese Nostalgic Car’s Reaction
Isn’t that just salt in the wound? Not that we want to force the point home. Stings also for us.
But we were aware of this beforehand. After the digital news release in May, when the Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Alliance was being discussed, it was clear that electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) would soon take the lead. Nissan introduced a new EV platform for usage across all three brands, Nissan and Renault have been exploring new EV platforms and powertrains known as ePTs, Mitsubishi has developed a number of concepts over the years. Along with inquiries about the Lancer Evolution, Mitsubishi Motors also frequently receives inquiries about its plans for the Outlander PHEV.
Within the next five years, the Outlander PHEV might be replaced. As the years pass quickly, the plug-in hybrid SUV has enjoyed some success and time in the limelight, but the Outlander PHEV is lagging behind due to new technologies being used in contemporary automobiles. Previously uncommon, plug-in hybrid SUVs are now seeing increased competition. In 2019, Mitsubishi unveiled the Engelberg Tourer concept and the Mi-Tech concept, respectively, at the Geneva International Motor Show and the Tokyo Motor Show. The Mi-Tech was a fresh take on plug-in hybrid technology, whereas the Engelberg Tourer was more of a sportier version of the Outlander PHEV. However, neither vehicle has been the subject of recent news. What is Mitsubishi Motors doing these days? What other EV may Mitsubishi be developing if the Lancer EVO isn’t making a comeback? Follow Miami Lakes Automall Mitsubishi on social media to stay up to speed on all Mitsubishi Motors-related news.
The Eclipse production was discontinued, why?
Mitsubishi announced the retirement of the Eclipse in order to devote more time and energy to developing battery technology as its global focus turned to achieving environmental goals globally.
Does Mitsubishi still produce automobiles?
The Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, which has its headquarters in Tokyo, is a member of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and sells automobiles and crossover SUVs in the United States. It has recently reduced the number of vehicles it offers, similar to several of its rivals. The company got rid of the Lancer compact sedan and the Mitsubishi Evo, which was a favorite among enthusiasts.
The only vehicle left is the tiny Mirage hatchback and the Mirage G4 sedan, which are two of the most reasonably priced new vehicles available. One of the first subcompact SUVs, the Outlander Sport, which debuted in 2011, is still on the market. The standard Outlander is a larger compact SUV with three rows of seating for up to seven passengers. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, a coupe-like SUV with space for five people, fits in between them. Mitsubishi once sold fast cars in this country under the Eclipse moniker.
Why did Mitsubishi discontinue its sports car production?
Mitsubishi discontinued the Lancer and Lancer Evolution for what reasons? Mitsubishi made the decision to concentrate their efforts on crossover vehicles or hybrid automobiles in order to meet customer demand as efficiency and adaptability became more essential to consumers.
Will the Evo be brought back?
Despite investor pressure to bring back the venerable vehicle, which was retired in 2016, Lancer Evolution just doesn’t make any financial sense, according to Takao Kato, CEO and President of Mitsubishi Motors.
The “Evo” will stay in the past, at least temporarily, despite the brand’s intended return to motorsports and the revival of Mitsubishi’s Ralliart Racing Division. This is especially regrettable given that the Evolution’s former opponent is still in the works, with the release of its most recent version scheduled for 2022.
What was the Mitsubishi Evo’s successor?
All may not be bad. The Mitsubishi e-Evolution, which is the next car to use the Evolution nameplate after the Lancer Evolution, is also known as the Lancer Crossover in the image above.
Mitsubishi Evos are still produced?
One of the many stunning vehicles in Mitsubishi’s collection of classic vehicles is the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The iconic moniker played a major role in establishing the Mitsubishi brand in the thoughts and hearts of everyone who followed the company’s rallying efforts or owned a copy of Gran Turismo for their Sony Playstation. Although the Mitsubishi rally racer’s first version made its debut in 1992, the US only saw it from 2003 to 2016. Even though the Lancer Evolution is no longer produced, its supporters and the company’s shareholders don’t seem to have forgotten.
What causes Mitsubishi to fail?
Mitsubishi persisted in its rallying endeavors but changed from the Starion to the Lancer saloon, resulting in the Lancer Evo. The powerful Evo versions would essentially establish themselves as a brand, garnering praise for their performance, technology, and handling. When driven by Tommi Makinen, they dominated the World Rally Championship despite fierce competition from Subaru, Ford, Hyundai, and Skoda.
When the Japanese financial crisis of the 1990s hit, Mazda surpassed Mitsubishi to become the third-largest Japanese automaker, and Mitsubishi would never regain that position.
A manufacturing fault controversy involving failing brakes, gasoline leaks, and malfunctioning clutches that Mitsubishi was embroiled in in 2000 eventually led to the recall of more than 160,000 vehicles. Katsuhiko Kawasoe, the firm chairman, was fired and detained as a result of the controversy.
The electric iMiEV, which is based on the gasoline-powered Mitsubishi I arrived on the market far earlier than most other electric vehicles. Mitsubishi was the first to market, despite the fact that its 100 km range and hefty price make us chuckle today.
Mitsubishi once more gained an advantage over the rest of the auto industry by developing the first truly well-liked plug-in hybrid vehicle. Although the Outlander’s appearance and interior may not have been best-in-class, its engineering is close to unmatched, and it hasn’t experienced any of the battery dependability problems that have plagued some of its PHEV competitors.
Mitsubishi made news for all the wrong reasons once more, this time for exaggerating how inexpensive several important models on the Japanese market may be. In actuality, it was subsequently discovered that Mitsubishi may have cheated on their fuel testing for up to 25 years. More corporate blood was spilled, and the scandal allowed Renault-Nissan to acquire Mitsubishi.
Why doesn’t Mitsubishi manufacture cars?
However, such cannot be stated of a remark made by Lindley. In a global sense, the company, which sells 1.2 million automobiles annually, is not that large. He claimed that it would be difficult to be economically viable if you tried to be in all the different market groups and adhere to fads, such as sports vehicles. In other words, Mitsubishi contradicts itself by claiming it cannot follow trends while also announcing that it will do so. It should all work out in the end.
Although you may feel that we are being overly critical, it is important to remember that Mitsubishi is the same company that produced the Eclipse, the only sports car that, despite being mercifully discontinued, unexpectedly made a comeback as a crossover. The Eclipse was the only one that actually got worse with each new generation.
Indeed, years before Ford made headlines by choosing to do the same thing, Mitsubishi discontinued all of their vehicleswith the notable exception of the deliciously inexpensive Mirage. Most people probably don’t know that Mitsubishi still sells automobiles in the US.