Some say the new Range Rover isn't as good off road as it used to be, that the BMW X6 has no right claiming the letters S and A or that crossovers are nothing more than glorified MPVs. And you know what? They're kind of right on all those.There is, however, one Japanese company that doesn't make all-new 4x4s every year just for the sake of marketing and its name is Mitsubishi.
Over the course of this weekend, they organized the 2014 Ausagirikogen Star Camp, an outdoor experience event for SUV fanatics. Besides the majestic backdrop of mount Fuji, the start attraction was a set of metal ramps designed to put the Pajero and Outlander to the test.
Installed in the back of a trailer truck, a 45 degree ramp is used to demonstrate the pulling power and hill-hold capabilities of the Pajero equipped with a four-cylinder DOHC 3.2-liter turbo diesel making 190 PS. Behind the wheel is Hiroshi Masuoka, one of Japan's star Dakar Rally drivers.
Looking at the first video, the Pajero almost makes things look too easy. But the second clip shows how you can see nothing but sky once the SUV reaches this man-made summit. The same stunt is also done in reverse, using the rear-mounted camera, in which case the passenger feels like he's dangling from the seatbelt.
Mitsubishi's product lineup is in a bit of a bad way these days, with only two new models on offer, both of which are falling below expectations. There's the Mirage subcompact, which nobody seems to want, and the new Outlander, which despite swallowing up most of their money is considered by some to be outdated already. Could it be becase they dumped all their money to make a 4x4 minivan that doubles as a rollercoster?
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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