I realize this might be a weird topic for a Cortex post but in one of the reviews I’m writing, I want to include a comparison to the new Eclipse Cross and the original Eclipse. Essentially, how the two are nothing alike.
Not only are they nothing alike, it's also frustrating to think about how downhill Mitsubishi has gone over the years. In my opinion, anyway.
With that in mind, an idea sparked in my head to reflect on some of the fun cars Mitsubishi once had. You know, before they decided to keep the worst car they ever made, the Mirage, and discontinue everything with style and personality.
To reference these vehicles, I’ll be embedding informative videos that go deeper into their history and technical details. Most of these will be from Donut Media, which isn’t intentional in terms of wanting to promote them or anything, they just have a lot of great Mitsubishi coverage.
5 awesome cars Mitsubishi used to have, and should bring back
Mitsubishi EVO
First, one of Mitsubishi’s most popular rally cars, and arguably one of Mitsubishi’s most popular cars in general, the Mitsubishi EVO. The EVOs were (and still are if you can find a used one that won’t cost you a leg and a kidney) some of Mitsubishi’s finest work. Out of any of the company’s discontinued vehicles, this is top of the list for most people, myself included, when it comes to what they should bring back.
Mitsubishi 3000GT
For a brief period of time, I actually owned one of these beasts and let me tell you, there is no worse car to learn how to drive stick in than a Mitsubishi 3000GT. That said, I have some wonderful memories of the process. Driving it, you could just feel the car wanting to fly down the road.
While the EVO is incredibly fast in its own right, the 3000GT (particularly the VR-4) had a few edges over its more famous brother that made it even more suited for racing. While it's true the 3000GT is more niche than the EVO or Eclipse, it’s also one of the most impressive cars Mitsubishi has ever made. It definitely deserves a special re-release one of these days.
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Ah yes, the Mitsubishi Eclipse, made popular by the Fast and the Furious franchise. Unlike the EVO or 3000GT, the Eclipse was a bit more approachable and in many cases affordable.
As a result, a lot more people had access to them, and I think in terms of sales, the Eclipse would be the safest pick to bring back. By bring back, I mean bring the actual car back. The Eclipse Cross is not an Eclipse in my opinion, so it doesn’t count.
Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution
I realize this isn’t a car, and I give Mitsubishi crap whenever the company is brought up to me in conversation for only having SUVs in its lineup (well, mostly, we don’t need to talk about the Mirage), but the Pajero Evolution was actually pretty dang cool.
If Mitsubishi brought the Pajero Evolution back I think it could bridge the gap quite nicely between Mitsubishi’s former sporty legacy, and its current SUV focus. Furthermore, an incredibly small number of street versions of the Pajero Evolution were actually made (approximately 2500 units), so it'd be interesting to see how well the Pajero Evolution would sell if it got a wider release.
Mitsubishi Starion
Last, but certainly not least, one of the lesser known Mitsubishi models, the Mitsubishi Starion. The Starion was also a nice, sporty car that in some ways feels reminiscent in spirit to the aforementioned 3000GT (to me, but I’ve also never driven a Starion so I apologize to Starion owners if I missed the mark there).
That said, design wise, the Starion is extremely unique compared to other Mitsubishi offerings. I think this one would be the hardest to bring back, but there’s also a lot of potential here for a cool, updated redesign and approach as well. So, why not?
