Mitsubishi Starion

Thursday 29 March 2012
The Mitsubishi Starion is a two-door, turbocharged four-cylinder rear-wheel drive fourseat sports car that was in production from 1982 to 1989. It was also marketed in North America as the Conquest under the Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth names; both the Starion and Conquest came to an end in 1989. Although preceded by earlier turbocharged designs such as the Porsche 930 (1975), Saab 99 (1978) and the Mitsubishi Lancer EX 2000 Turbo (1980), it is considered to be one of the originators of the modern Japanese turbocharged performance automobile genre.
The "Starion" name is claimed by Mitsubishi to be a contraction of "Star of Orion", although an urban legend claims that it was intended to be stallion, as a result of an "Engrish" mistranslation.
The Starion's appearance in 1982 occurred during a period in which a number of Japanese Grand Tourer (GT) sports cars were increasing in popularity. Nearly every major Japanese manufacture put their hats into the ring. Mitsubishi produced the turbocharged Starion as their entry into the competition. Its most direct competitors were the Nissan Z cars, Mazda RX-7 and Toyota Supra. The car is often compared to the Porsche 924 and 944 turbo models, with which it shares many qualities.

Engine: L4
Capacity: 200 cc
Power: 150 HP
Gearbox: 5+1
Top Speed: 210 km/h

Mitsubishi Colt GL

Thursday 17 March 2011
The Mitsubishi Colt is a vehicle built by Mitsubishi Motors since 1962. It was first introduced as a series of kei cars and subcompact cars in the 1960s, and then as the export version of the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback in the 1980s and 1990s. The Chrysler Corporation, Mitsubishi's longtime partner, also used the name in the 1970 when it rebadged the second generation Mitsubishi Galant as Dodge Colt and Plymouth Colt captive imports for the United States market. The most recent version is a supermini manufactured in Japan at Okazaki and in Europe at their NedCar plant in the Netherlands, using the same underpinnings as its sister car, the now discontinued Smart Forfour.
Mitsubishi launched the Mirage (marketed as the Colt in many countries) as a three-door front wheel drive hatchback in 1978, as a response to the first fuel crisis some years before. It had a distinctive design with large windows and Mitsubishi's 'Supershift' transmission (four speeds, but two modes). A five-door joined the range in 1979. This car was exported to the United States as the Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ from 1979 and received the highest United States Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy rating that year.
A 1,600 cc engine joined the range in 1979.
In 1981, the Lancer Fiore, not to be confused with the regular Lancer, was launched. The Fiore was a four-door version of the Mirage/Colt and was sold as a Colt in Australia. At the same time, the range was facelifted.
In 1982, a turbocharged, 105 PS (77 kW) version of the 1,400 cc engine was made available.
In many countries, this car was known as the Mitsubishi Mirage. In the UK, where Colt was the marque, it was called the Colt 1200 and Colt 1400, after the size of the engines, which it shared with the larger Lancer.
Since most overseas markets did not have the Minica kei car, the Mirage/Colt was usually sold as Mitsubishi's entry-level model.
Local CKD assembly of the Colt took place in New Zealand by the Todd Motor Corp., where there was a sports equivalent called the Mirage Panther in the early 1980s. The replacement Mirage Turbo had the distinction of being that country's first locally assembled turbocharged car from 1982.
The facelifted Mirage/Colt was also built by Mitsubishi Motors Australia at their Tonsley Park plant in Adelaide from 1982 to 1990. The Australians offered the Colt with the 1.4 L engine, and a larger 1.6 L, in either four-door sedan (Lancer Fiore) or five-door hatchback versions. This model was also briefly exported to New Zealand in the late 1980s, where it shared showroom space with the locally assembled third generation models.

Technical data:
- engine: 4L
- capacity: 1400 cc
- horsepower: 70 HP
- gearbox: 4+1
- top speed: 160 km/h

Mitsubishi Pajero

Thursday 15 October 2009
The fourth generation was introduced at the Paris Motor Show on September 30, 2006. New interior and exterior styling were accompanied by enhanced safety with dual-stage SRS front airbags as well as new side-impact and curtain airbags. The Super-Select 4WD II system was retained, complemented by an improved Active Stability & Traction Control (ASTC) system and electronic brakeforce distribution. The engines were upgraded with the 3.2 L Diesel now producing 125 kW (167 hp/170 PS) and the 3.8 L V6 gaining MIVEC variable valve timing to boost power to 184 kW (247 hp/250 PS). Both engines meet new Euro IV emissions standards. The 3.0 L V6 is retained for the Japanese and GCC markets.

Technical data:
- engine: V6
- capacity: 3800 cc
- horsepower: 250 HP
- gearbox: 5+1
- top speed: 190 km/h

Mitsubishi L200

Wednesday 30 September 2009
The Mitsubishi Triton is a compact pickup truck produced by Mitsubishi Motors. It was originally known as the Mitsubishi Forte in Japan from 1978 to 1986, when the name was discontinued in favour of the Strada. For most export markets the name L200 is used, while Storm was used for Malaysia during the early 2000s. It was previously known as the Rodeo in South Africa until 2007. Cumulative sales of the first three generations now exceed 2.8 million units around the world. In the United States two captive imports of the Forte were sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1979, as the Dodge Ram 50 and Plymouth Arrow Truck. Mitsubishi itself imported it as the Mighty Max when it began selling directly in the U.S. from 1982, at which point the Plymouth ceased to be available. The fourth generation Triton, built in Mitsubishi's subsidiary in Thailand and launched in 2005, was designed by Akinori Nakanishi and is exported to 140 global markets.

Technical data:
- engine: 4 cylinders
- capacity: 2500 cc
- horsepower: 136 HP
- gearbox: 6+1
- top speed: 200 km/h

Mitsubishi Outlander

Wednesday 30 September 2009
On October 17, 2005, Mitsubishi launched the second generation model, dropping the Airtrek in Japan in favour of adopting the global name. It features a new DOHC 2.4 L 16-valve MIVEC engine; INVECS-III continuously variable transmission (CVT), Mitsubishi's AWC system which features electronically controlled four wheel drive and stability control, on a stretched Mitsubishi GS platform. The North American version, powered by a newly designed 6B31 3.0 L V6 SOHC MIVEC was shown in April 2006 at the New York Auto Show prior to its release in October the same year. The Outlander, which features Mitsubishi's RISE safety body, received a four star rating from the Euro NCAP car safety performance assessment programme. In Chile, where both generations were on sale simultaneously, the new model was badged Outlander K2.

Technical data:
- engine: 4 cylinders
- capacity: 2000 cc
- horsepower: 140 HP
- gearbox: 6+1
- top speed: 200 km/h