> Could a New Mitsubishi 3000GT Save the Brand?<
#1
11-10-2014, 05:27 AM
> Could a New Mitsubishi 3000GT Save the Brand?<
Could a New Mitsubishi 3000GT Save the Brand?
Member's, have you ever owned a Mitsubishi ?
Tell us about it ?
By Tim Healey November 8, 2014 9:30 AM
Mitsubishi’s struggles are well-documented. But a rebirth of the 3000GT could possibly renew interest in the besieged brand.
I’m not crazy enough to suggest a new 3000GT that’s done well would be an instant sales booster— the rest of the lineup would need to be good, too, especially since a two-door sports coupe with high-end pricing wouldn’t sell in volume numbers. But it is an interesting idea, to say the least.
RELATED: See photos of the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X Carbon Series
A new 3000GT could get people talking about the brand again. And while no one from Mitsubishi has brought up the idea, at least as far as I can tell, one Carscoops reader, Abdelaziz Dhailia, who hails from the United Arab Emirates, has drawn a rendering that looks as good as any that might come from the factory.
Dhailia based his rendering on the Acura NSX Concept, and that makes sense, as a real 3000GT would compete against that car. The rendering does look cool—I hope Mitsubishi decides to get its act together and build a twin-turbo version that gets the brand back on everyone’s radar. It’s not likely to happen, but hey, you never know.
RELATED: See Photos of the 2015 Mitsubishi Eclipse R Concept < Click 2 check it out (WoW) What do you think ?
Member's, have you ever owned a Mitsubishi ?
Tell us about it ?
By Tim Healey November 8, 2014 9:30 AM Mitsubishi’s struggles are well-documented. But a rebirth of the 3000GT could possibly renew interest in the besieged brand.
I’m not crazy enough to suggest a new 3000GT that’s done well would be an instant sales booster— the rest of the lineup would need to be good, too, especially since a two-door sports coupe with high-end pricing wouldn’t sell in volume numbers. But it is an interesting idea, to say the least.
RELATED: See photos of the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X Carbon Series
A new 3000GT could get people talking about the brand again. And while no one from Mitsubishi has brought up the idea, at least as far as I can tell, one Carscoops reader, Abdelaziz Dhailia, who hails from the United Arab Emirates, has drawn a rendering that looks as good as any that might come from the factory.
Dhailia based his rendering on the Acura NSX Concept, and that makes sense, as a real 3000GT would compete against that car. The rendering does look cool—I hope Mitsubishi decides to get its act together and build a twin-turbo version that gets the brand back on everyone’s radar. It’s not likely to happen, but hey, you never know.
RELATED: See Photos of the 2015 Mitsubishi Eclipse R Concept < Click 2 check it out (WoW) What do you think ?
Last edited by Space; 11-10-2014 at 05:32 AM.
#2
11-10-2014, 06:28 AM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 5,611
Mitsubishi is done cuz they are crap cars. Nobody I've known got 10 years out of a Mitsubishi. They had a pretty good niche market with small displacement turbo'd engines and AWD, but now everybody does that and Mitsubishi has nothing. They need more models to be successful, but its to late now
#5
11-10-2014, 06:49 AM
Hi `Brent, yes I think their new concept is a great design.
Beach Bum `Mike had a Eclipse G.T. with the 3.8L stick, & he didn't have any major problems with his. It ran great!
Yes, their Turbo Model AWD were the best of the breed.
I know I raced @ a few @ the track with my Honda si & there ate me. They were a amazing 4banger with their Turbo & off the line AWD...
Thanks for your post
#6
11-11-2014, 10:40 PM
Interesting thread for sure! Can't say I'm a huge Mitsubishi car fan, but I definitely like the old 4G63. I had a buddy in college with a rather heavily modded 2G DSM (GSX) that is still the hardest launching car I've ever been in.
This got me thinking though- what if I were asked to name the cars in the Mitsubishi lineup. I honestly could only think of the Lancer. I popped on their website to find their current lineup (obviously some show multiple sub-models to make it appear like a wider range of offerings):
-I-Miev
-Mirage
-Outlander
-Lancer
I've never heard of an I-Miev, and have definitely never seen one on the road in real life. That's pretty odd for them being sold here for about 3 years now. I see Leafs every day on my daily commute- I wonder what this car does so much worse?
The Mirage rang a bell, but the picture they show looks nothing like I was expecting. I remember the late 90's mid-size mirage. This new one looks like a cheapo tiny 4 door econobox. I'll admit, I'm certainly not the target market for this kind of car- and it definitely isn't visually different like the I-Miev to make me notice one on the road. I guess every car company needs one cheap compact. This thing doesn't even look rental-car grade to me though.
The Outlander also rings a bell. I can't say I've seen this specific model, but I definitely remember some of the recent predecessors. Can't say I've ever know anyone who had one though. I did some quick looking at the specs and was blown away by the engine choices. The 'sport' model makes LESS than 150 hp. The biggest engine available in this chassis is a 3.0L V6, but even that barely makes over 220hp. Those numbers are mind blowing to me in 2014, almost 2015. I know power isn't the focus in this segment, but these have to be nearly the lowest output in this class. The vehicles aren't particularly light either- the top model is 3500 ish lbs, so they aren't exactly superlights.
The Lancer was the only one I remember, and other than the EVO- I can't say it's particularly exciting either. Again, the base model comes with an UNDER 150 hp 4 cyl which seems awfully low for mid-low 3000 # 4 door these days. Sure the EVO is neat, but IMO it's too bloated over the 8/9. Regardless, it's been out for quite awhile, I definitely think it's time for a refresh.
Could a 3000GT save the company? I dunno. Hard to save the company when the rest of the lineup sucks. I think they need changes across the board:
-The electric car either needs a hybrid powertrain to go after the prius/volt market, or needs to be modified to go after the Leaf. They need some serious advertising to get it more mainstream. 1500 units in 3+ years is miserable.
-Their subcompact is OK, but is rather bland- and again is way down on power. It's only like 70 hp. The Spark is almost 10% more, and the Sonic is nearly double for not a whole lot more money. MPG isn't that much greater on the Mirage either. I think with a facelift, a little more power, and way more advertising- this could probably do decently.
-I would add a new compact / midsize platform (to replace the Lancer). Offer it in 2 and 4 door versions, and offer your sport (EVO) package with the 2 door. The 2 door EVO model would draw attention, and the 4 door sharing the same general chassis could be your bread and butter for commuters. I think this model could use the money to develop an all new engine- DOHC, turbo, DI, robust. Tune it down for the 4 door and gear it for fuel economy, and do the opposite for your sporty models.
-I think they need to ditch the Outlander for a larger crossover or a small SUV. Americans like SUVs if done right, and this could cover the gap of not having a larger car available. Thier Montero was pretty miserable though, so they would have to have a radically different approach to capture market share. I would suggest partnering up with another OEM to source a powertrain for this to avoid developing a new engine for one model.
This got me thinking though- what if I were asked to name the cars in the Mitsubishi lineup. I honestly could only think of the Lancer. I popped on their website to find their current lineup (obviously some show multiple sub-models to make it appear like a wider range of offerings):
-I-Miev
-Mirage
-Outlander
-Lancer
I've never heard of an I-Miev, and have definitely never seen one on the road in real life. That's pretty odd for them being sold here for about 3 years now. I see Leafs every day on my daily commute- I wonder what this car does so much worse?
The Mirage rang a bell, but the picture they show looks nothing like I was expecting. I remember the late 90's mid-size mirage. This new one looks like a cheapo tiny 4 door econobox. I'll admit, I'm certainly not the target market for this kind of car- and it definitely isn't visually different like the I-Miev to make me notice one on the road. I guess every car company needs one cheap compact. This thing doesn't even look rental-car grade to me though.
The Outlander also rings a bell. I can't say I've seen this specific model, but I definitely remember some of the recent predecessors. Can't say I've ever know anyone who had one though. I did some quick looking at the specs and was blown away by the engine choices. The 'sport' model makes LESS than 150 hp. The biggest engine available in this chassis is a 3.0L V6, but even that barely makes over 220hp. Those numbers are mind blowing to me in 2014, almost 2015. I know power isn't the focus in this segment, but these have to be nearly the lowest output in this class. The vehicles aren't particularly light either- the top model is 3500 ish lbs, so they aren't exactly superlights.
The Lancer was the only one I remember, and other than the EVO- I can't say it's particularly exciting either. Again, the base model comes with an UNDER 150 hp 4 cyl which seems awfully low for mid-low 3000 # 4 door these days. Sure the EVO is neat, but IMO it's too bloated over the 8/9. Regardless, it's been out for quite awhile, I definitely think it's time for a refresh.
Could a 3000GT save the company? I dunno. Hard to save the company when the rest of the lineup sucks. I think they need changes across the board:
-The electric car either needs a hybrid powertrain to go after the prius/volt market, or needs to be modified to go after the Leaf. They need some serious advertising to get it more mainstream. 1500 units in 3+ years is miserable.
-Their subcompact is OK, but is rather bland- and again is way down on power. It's only like 70 hp. The Spark is almost 10% more, and the Sonic is nearly double for not a whole lot more money. MPG isn't that much greater on the Mirage either. I think with a facelift, a little more power, and way more advertising- this could probably do decently.
-I would add a new compact / midsize platform (to replace the Lancer). Offer it in 2 and 4 door versions, and offer your sport (EVO) package with the 2 door. The 2 door EVO model would draw attention, and the 4 door sharing the same general chassis could be your bread and butter for commuters. I think this model could use the money to develop an all new engine- DOHC, turbo, DI, robust. Tune it down for the 4 door and gear it for fuel economy, and do the opposite for your sporty models.
-I think they need to ditch the Outlander for a larger crossover or a small SUV. Americans like SUVs if done right, and this could cover the gap of not having a larger car available. Thier Montero was pretty miserable though, so they would have to have a radically different approach to capture market share. I would suggest partnering up with another OEM to source a powertrain for this to avoid developing a new engine for one model.
Last edited by bumpin96monte; 11-11-2014 at 10:45 PM.
#7
11-12-2014, 03:44 AM
Hi `Chad,
Yes, its' a very interesting thread (What we do to bring mixed auto topic's + to our forum in hopes it gives member's something new & maybe interesting to check out) plus our attempt to keep our forum active, informative & fun
Thanks for your detailed opinion & thoughts + some super points on this fading automotive company.
We should forward your words & thoughts to Mitsubishi (lol)
I think they should hire you to revive their company
* I hope life is good for you & family & it's always great to see your posts & contributions to our MCF > Thank You <
#8
11-12-2014, 05:55 AM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 5,611
Hey Chad - that I-Miev is the worst electric car on the road hands down. That's why it has no success. You can only get about 80kms (maybe 50 miles) out of a change (long recharge time too), and even that is under "ideal driving conditions". Snow or inclement weather reduce the range. Drive it hard and it won't make a 15 mile commute and back. Besides, it is incredibly ugly as hell and make the Smart ForTwo and Scion iQ look awesome (they are not)
#9
11-12-2014, 06:40 AM
Thanks `Brent to adding your thought + activity to our MCF
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10. Mitsubishi iMiEV
The small and oddly shaped four-door i-MiEV is an all-electric car that’s rated at the equivalent of a meek 66 horsepower with an EPA-estimated operating range of just 62 miles on a charge (or less, depending on vehicle speed, ambient temperature and use of accessories). Mitsubishi hasn’t released 2015 model information as of this writing, but the automaker lowered the price by $6,000 last year, which makes it one of the most affordable EVs on the market. Unfortunately, it not only receives a rock bottom rating for residual value from ALG, Consumer Reports gives it one of the publication’s lowest overall performance scores.
New Cars To Avoid
« Previous
Next »
10 of 15
« Previous Next » Mitsubishi/Wieck
10. Mitsubishi iMiEV
The small and oddly shaped four-door i-MiEV is an all-electric car that’s rated at the equivalent of a meek 66 horsepower with an EPA-estimated operating range of just 62 miles on a charge (or less, depending on vehicle speed, ambient temperature and use of accessories). Mitsubishi hasn’t released 2015 model information as of this writing, but the automaker lowered the price by $6,000 last year, which makes it one of the most affordable EVs on the market. Unfortunately, it not only receives a rock bottom rating for residual value from ALG, Consumer Reports gives it one of the publication’s lowest overall performance scores.
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