The company started with a Lancer EVO 9 with just 1,500 miles on the odo and stripped it down to the bare bones. The body shell of a London Taxi Cab was then dropped on top creating the most innocent EVO we have ever seen to date. Follow the jump to watch it in some awe-inspiring donut action.
The EV obtained an overall four star rating, the same score being awarded to the i-MiEV's sister models, the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn, which have the same design and safety equipment. The result was judged as "creditable" by the Euro NCAP.
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In the beginning of the year, we showed you a very production-like concept study for a new generation of the Colt sub-compact called the Concept CS, which was created by Gábor Farkas. The independent designer has now sent us yet another Mitsubishi study, this time for a replacement to the Galant sedan.
The concept is named GalEA and is said to draw its inspiration from the previous, sharper-looking eighth generation Galant of the late 1990s, while sharing similar design cues with the smaller Concept CS. In a 180 degree turn, the designer re-imagined the Galant as a more distinct and aggressive looking four-door coupe model with a long hood, sloping roof, pillarless doors and a stumpy rear end.
Follow the jump to read Gábor's description of the project and to get a closer look at the sporty Mitsubishi saloon in our high-res gallery and CGI videos.
MITSUBISHI GALEA [From Gábor Farkas]
Mitsubishi GalEA is a design study that uses styling elements of the recent Mitsubishi 'jet-fighter' design language. It was born to revive the 1997 Galant EA as a four-door coupé. The EA inspired the 'jet-fighter' design language and now it returns as a four-door sportcoupé.
This time, the design of the car was teased via the Mitsubishi GalEA Facebook page and the final result has been refined at some point according to user-reactions.
At the front you can recognize some details that were borrowed from the Mitsubishi Concept RA but the other parts of the body have an individual new styling with waving lines which have already been introduced on the Mitsubishi Concept CS.
The wheelbase and the proportions of the body also hint at a front engine with rear wheel drive layout. In the inside you can see premium materials and four individual seats. The dashboard has clear and elegant styling.
About the name: it refers to the Galant EA but also has another meaning. A galea was a Roman soldier's helmet. Some gladiators also wore a bronze galea with a face mask and a decoration, often a fish on its crest.
Main dimensions
length: 4745 mm (186.8 in)
width: 1948 mm (79.7 in)
height: 1343 mm (52.9 in)front track: 1722 mm (67.8 in)
rear track: 1706 mm (67.2 in)
wheelbase: 3070 mm (120.9 in)
length/wheelbase ration: 1.55
wheels: 205/40 R 18
The current generation Mitsubishi Grandis is a good representation of the Japanese automaker as a whole. Plastic-y interiors, underdone ride and handling and anodyne looks combine to make the Grandis a poor substitute for the vastly superior and better selling Toyota Tarago [Australia]. With its South Korean competition having long ago stepped up to the plate, it’s disappointing to see Mitsubishi lagging so far behind.
David Cardoso, the artist who in the past has brought us design studies such as Renault Twist MPV and Audi Hydron, has envisioned a possible successor to the Grandis in the form of the Flexis. Appearing to be smaller than the Grandis - with seating more likely for five instead of seven - the Flexis takes it’s styling cues from the Opel Meriva, Peugeot 3008 and 2012 Ford Focus.
Overall it’s a good expansion on Mitsubishi’s current design language, and a far sight better than when Mitsubishi tried applying its new corporate face to the aging Colt. You can check out our full gallery below or voice your opinion in the comments section below.
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.
Mitsubishi's European division has launched the 2010MY Pajero, which is also known as the Shogun and the Montero in some markets in Europe as well as other parts of the world. The minor model year facelift brings a prepped up version of Mitsubishi's 3.2-liter inline four turbo diesel engine that now makes 200HP and 441Nm or 325 lb-ft of torque, up from 160HP and 381Nm respectively.
Despite the 25 percent increase in performance, Mitsubishi claims that along with the introduction of a new 5-speed automatic transmission, the 2010 Pajero 3.2-liter DI-D achieves greater fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions compared to the outgoing model.
In particular, the combined consumption of the Pajero 3-door with a 5-speed manual gearbox has been reduced from 9.2 to 8.5 lt/100km with corresponding C02 emissions of 224g/km, down from 244g/km while the Pajero 5-door with the new auto box consumes on average 9.6 lt/100km instead of 10.6lt/100km.
Furthermore, the new Pajero 3.2 DI-D's towing capacity has been increased from 2,800kg to 3,000kg in the three-door model and from 3,300kg to 3,500 kg in the five-door version.
Other improvements for the 2010 model year include a thicker windshield and additional insulation that help reduce noise levels, new 17- and 18-inch alloy wheel designs and an upgraded version of Mitsubishi's Multi Communication System (MMCS) with a disk capacity of 40GB.
