Merge

[optical illusion]

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009...fx7178802.html

Disgusted.

[Dragonheart]

Link doesnt work but I presume its the merge between Mitsi & Citreon is it?

[Muad_dib77]

Link es non functionado.. or something..

[Wildhound]

The whole link isn't there, look at the three dots in the middle

Edit: Here's the correct link http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/12/02/afx7178802.html

Can't say I'm too bothered really. The FTO is long out of production and with the environmental and economic times we're in, Mitsubishi would never have been planning to make anything like it again one way or another. The only interesting car they produce at the moment is the Evo and weirdly enough, the PSA cars (as ugly as they are imo) usually beat it anyway.

[Dilogoat86]

http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/03/peugeo ... maker.html

Is that the link?

[Dragonheart]

The only interesting car they produce at the moment is the Evo

Going to throw a spanner in the works and say that I actually like the Eclipse as well, its a shame they didnt make them in RHD though. And the fact that the power output, as in horsepower per litre, is nothing as good as the FTOs which is a much older car.

[Muad_dib77]

Saw a few rather nice looking eclipses in California there not too long ago.. I tried getting a picture.. but the thing hid behind a sign just as I got the pic..

new new shap is rather appealing.. Black, lowered, tinted lights..mmh..

[Wildhound]

I would agree the Eclipses do look really good and seem to have some styling based in the same vein as the FTO. BUT their hp/litre is all too reminiscent of a certain Korean Coupe.

[Dilogoat86]

The only interesting car they produce at the moment is the Evo

Going to throw a spanner in the works and say that I actually like the Eclipse as well, its a shame they didnt make them in RHD though. And the fact that the power output, as in horsepower per litre, is nothing as good as the FTOs which is a much older car.

They're made in the US too by a sub company iirc. Not even a true Mitsubishi.

[optical illusion]

Sorry for the dud link, its the pug and mitsi merge.

[Mustang]

I wouldn’t be getting too bothered. Remember Mitsi were in bed with Volvo. What was the outcome –The Charisma- Dull as dishwater a non-event, both in terms of the car and the sales volumes. No big deal.

If you strip out the lancer Evo, -which really only exists as a marketing tool to sell hum drum lancer variants, the only thing that mitsi are really recognised for, and done well, and consistently well is the Pajero. It is a credible contender in the market.
The lancer in an also ran, when compared with it’s competitors, The gallant while nice, has been out of production for far too long now to even register.
The late 90’s colt was a good car and a sound choice as’ the poor mans civic’ without the chav image. Look what they replaced it with – a complete nonsense car –again the sales volumes don’t even register. Mitsi are doing a very good job of making boring cars all by themselves.

The FTO was a breath of fresh air and let’s be honest here –a completely out of character chapter in the very dull history that is Mitsubishi.

Peugeot, have been making ever increasingly dull cars for the last decade or so.
They are not desirable, sporty, luxurious or reliable. They are hum drum bread and butter cars. They are the ‘Jap cars’ of Europe without the reliability. Peugeots party piece was always handling, and to a lesser extent diesel engines. I’m not even sure if they do the handling thing anymore….

At least Citroen make some effort –the C6 in particular –which is a quintessentially cool non conformist slice of French motoring as it should be. What is Peugeot’s answer –the 607 –Oh dear.

What they both do well though is comfort.

A Euro-Jap car alliance should be the perfect recipe for success.
Get the Europeans to style the body and the interior, and tweak the chassis and handling (countries with narrow winding roads know how to do this), and get the Japs to build it. Simple

However lets look at a case study:
What did we got from the Nissan-Renault alliance.
The ‘whale shape’ primera –complete muck. And a massive step backwards, from what was pick of the bunch in the rep mobile market as an overall package.
The last generation Almera (Colm Mc will tell you everything that is wrong with that), another backwards step.
The Tida –do these people have no shame?
On the other side of the pond, Renaults of recent years are still as unreliable and mainstream as ever.

On a more extreme note (and it’s always the same example that gets used, but only because it’s a great example). The Euro-Jap alliance between Datsun and Alfa Romeo. The ideal recipe for success –Italian styling with Jap built quality -the best of both worlds –who wouldn’t want such a car?
However the execution was very different, the end result was jap styling with Italian electrics and build quality. I.e a complete dog. I give you the
Alfa Romeo Arna



Let's watch this space..........

[CJ]

Great piece Mustang, all valid points. No mention of the GTO however, arguably a break from the norm in terms of a sports GT offering.

CJ