Filed under: Etc., Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota
During a meeting of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association,
Toyota president Akio Toyoda offered a "
Chapeau!" to his fellow CEOs by listing his favorite cars from other makers. He listed just one vehicle from five makers represented on the board, in alphabetical order: the
Honda NSX,
Isuzu Bellett,
Mazda Cosmo,
Mitsubishi Pajero (our
Montero) and
Nissan Skyline.
Toyoda didn't give his reasons for choosing these car beyond each being "memorable." Even so, going through the list any car enthusiast knows the Honda (
Acura in the States) NSX needs no introduction nor explanation. The
Mitsubishi Pajero is probably as well known for it's off-road excellence as it is for its name change in Spanish-speaking lands due to the word "pajero" - all the more intriguing when it's apparently named after an Argentine cat,
Leopardus pajeros. And although the "Skyline" moniker was made famous overseas by the
GT-R, the Nissan Skyline that Toyoda references has a long history and is our
Infiniti G.
The
Mazda Cosmo (pictured) was an Italian-esque little coupe produced from 1967 to 1995, the first series production vehicle with a two-rotor rotary engine. The
Isuzu Bellett was that firm's in-house replacement for the English Hillmans it was rebranding, the first Japanese car to get GT badging (it would also get a GT-R version), and it would cover just about every segment with sedan, coupe, station wagon and pickup truck variants.
Toyota CEO lists favorite cars from other automakers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 May 2012 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Motorsports, Mitsubishi, Electric, Racing
No, that's not a
Mitsubishi i-MiEV in a fat suit, it's the automaker's brand-new all-electric race car, and it's set to take on the
2012 Pike's Peak International Hill Climb in July. This isn't the first time we've seen an EV enter the Pike's Peak challenge -
Nissan commissioned a Leaf for battle last year, a car that set the bar for all future electric racers.
Mitsubishi says that its race car, dubbed i-MiEV Evolution, uses the same motor, drive battery and other major components as the standard, bean-shaped electric car that we haven't quite grown to love. Aside from the additional bodywork, the chassis has clearly been lengthened and widened, and the race car now uses an all-wheel-drive configuration rather than the rear-wheel drive of the standard i-MiEV.
To give you an idea of just how big the racer is, a quick glance of Mitsubishi's specs show that the i-MiEV Evolution's dimensions are within a few inches of the stock
Lancer Evolution. We wouldn't be surprised if the all-wheel-drive system was sourced from the Lancer, as well.
Mitsubishi will also be bringing two more of its EVs to the Pike's Peak event, including an i that has been updated with a more aerodynamic front bumper and new safety equipment, as well as a bone stock model.
Scroll down for the official press blast.
Continue reading Mitsubishi previews bonkers i-MiEV Evolution for Pikes Peak
Mitsubishi previews bonkers i-MiEV Evolution for Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Call me crazy, but as neat as this Mitsubishi i-MiEV Evolution is -- and with three motors it's kind of neat -- I think I'd prefer to watch the conventionally powered Lancer Evolution race pikes peak. Like the Lancer...
Mitsubishi will enter the wild tube-frame, carbon-body AWD electric racecar you see here at this Year's Pikes Peak hillclimb. One electric motor drives the front wheels and two power the rear for a total output of 320 HP.
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How different is it to get behind the wheel of a racecar, compared to that modded Evo (or whatever) in your driveway?
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Certain manufacturers love the idea of getting cozy with the youth market. They chase teens and twenty-somethings by turning out models with trick sound systems and loads of customization options, with the thinking being that the younger buyer can...
