Motorsports: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Evolution crashes on first practice day of Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Filed under: Motorsports, Mitsubishi, Electric, Racing

Mitsubishi had high hopes for this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, entering a production i-MiEV and a radical racing version called the i-MiEV Evolution into the ever-growing Electric Division. We had our eye on the Evolution model in particular, as the car was specially developed for the hill climb with a tube-frame chassis, sleek carbon fiber body and an all-wheel-drive system.

Things haven't started quite as Mitsubishi planned, though, with the i-MiEV Evolution crashing during today's second practice session on the lower third of Pikes Peak. The car overshot one of the many hairpins on the course, ending up in a ditch several feet off the road. There's no word on whether the incident was due to a mechanical problem or driver error, but the car looks to be pretty heavily damaged. Fortunately, driver Hiroshi Masuoka, one of Mitsubishi's test drivers and two-time Dakar Rally winner, was unhurt in the accident.

We don't know whether the crew at Mitsubishi will be able to repair the car in time for this weekend's race, but we hope to see it on the mountain come Sunday.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Evolution crashes on first practice day of Pikes Peak Hill Climb originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mitsubishi still mulling selling Mirage in U.S.

Filed under: Budget, Japan, Hatchback, Mitsubishi

Let's be honest: The current Mitsubishi lineup here in the United States is mediocre at best. More to the point, its small car offerings like the aging Lancer and miserable i-MiEV are some of the slowest-selling cars in two of the most highly shopped segments. And with no replacements or updates for either in sight, things indeed look bleak.

But that doesn't mean new Mitsu metal won't be hitting our shores. Automotive News reports that the Japanese automaker is once again mulling bringing its new Mirage small car to the U.S., especially in light of its lofty goal of producing 500,000 examples of the small car around the world next year.

The Mirage indeed has attributes that would make it attractive to U.S. small car buyers. For starters, its 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission work together to achieve the equivalent of 64 miles per gallon. And with its low price of ¥998,000 - about $12,550 based on current exchange rates - it could easily slot into the super-small car segment now occupied by the Scion iQ and Chevrolet Spark.

If the Mirage does get the green light for U.S. sales, it's hard to say exactly how quickly the cars will make their way Stateside. In speaking to Automotive News, Mitsubishi's president, Osamu Masuko, only said that, "We have to make a decision soon."

Mitsubishi still mulling selling Mirage in U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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