Photo: andreysuleminsketches / Instagram
Over the past few months, we have talked incessantly about how Mitsubishi is but a pale shadow of its former self. At least in America, that is. Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, it's a Chinese copycat or a quirky SUV and commercial vehicle manufacturer.
In Europe, for example, the Colt nameplate was revived for shameless rebadging of the fifth-generation Renault Clio while the ASX has become a Renault Captur clone. In Asia, though, things are a bit more nuanced given the recent preview of an all-new jacked-up compact SUV for the 30th Indonesia International Auto Show and the introduction of the cool looking 2024 Mitsubishi Triton mid-size pickup truck in Bangkok, Thailand.
We appreciate the latter twice over, frankly. First, because it remained faithful to the preview XRT Concept in terms of styling, and secondly, because once the presentation was wrapped, sales were already underway in Thailand the same day as the unveiling! But in America, there's a noticeable lack of focus and a sad lack of respect for the power of a brand's image.
They only sell the tiny Mirage sedan and hatch, the Outlander Sport, the bigger Outlander (including in PHEV form), as well as the quirky Eclipse Cross compact crossover SUV. There's no Lancer, let alone an Evolution model – and the Eclipse moniker has been relegated to niche CUV duties. So sad, indeed. What this brand lacks to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Subaru, for example, is a powerful image vector.
And I know that the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's corner-office head honchos would never approve of this, but here's an unofficial proposition for the proper resurrection of the Mitsubishi Eclipse as a traditional two-door coupe. Hey, it even adheres to the current EV lifestyle to try and present an alternative to all those Teslas.
Cooked up by Andrey Sulemin, an automotive designer (aka andreysuleminsketches) based in Shanghai, China, with experience in the industry field since 2014, this Mitsubishi Eclipse revival is nothing but a sports car design exercise true. But the way it harks back to the past when the original Eclipse compact sports car was traveling the world fighting Nissan Zs and Toyota Supras is uncanny. At the same time, you can easily tell it's a modern idea after the LED light bar treatment bestowed upon the front and rear lights.
So, what do you think? Should we give it our CGI hall pass because it represents the Eclipse ethos without failing to recognize the need for EV change? Or is this creation a little too far-fetched with its stacked LED headlights and Nissan Z-inspired silhouette? Anyway, if ever real, this would be great with this design and an EV powertrain snatched from within the Alliance – perhaps the Nissan Ariya AWD Performance setup with 389 hp, 443 lb-ft (600 Nm), all-wheel drive, and an 87 kWh battery would do it poetic justice?
We appreciate the latter twice over, frankly. First, because it remained faithful to the preview XRT Concept in terms of styling, and secondly, because once the presentation was wrapped, sales were already underway in Thailand the same day as the unveiling! But in America, there's a noticeable lack of focus and a sad lack of respect for the power of a brand's image.
They only sell the tiny Mirage sedan and hatch, the Outlander Sport, the bigger Outlander (including in PHEV form), as well as the quirky Eclipse Cross compact crossover SUV. There's no Lancer, let alone an Evolution model – and the Eclipse moniker has been relegated to niche CUV duties. So sad, indeed. What this brand lacks to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Subaru, for example, is a powerful image vector.
And I know that the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's corner-office head honchos would never approve of this, but here's an unofficial proposition for the proper resurrection of the Mitsubishi Eclipse as a traditional two-door coupe. Hey, it even adheres to the current EV lifestyle to try and present an alternative to all those Teslas.
Cooked up by Andrey Sulemin, an automotive designer (aka andreysuleminsketches) based in Shanghai, China, with experience in the industry field since 2014, this Mitsubishi Eclipse revival is nothing but a sports car design exercise true. But the way it harks back to the past when the original Eclipse compact sports car was traveling the world fighting Nissan Zs and Toyota Supras is uncanny. At the same time, you can easily tell it's a modern idea after the LED light bar treatment bestowed upon the front and rear lights.
So, what do you think? Should we give it our CGI hall pass because it represents the Eclipse ethos without failing to recognize the need for EV change? Or is this creation a little too far-fetched with its stacked LED headlights and Nissan Z-inspired silhouette? Anyway, if ever real, this would be great with this design and an EV powertrain snatched from within the Alliance – perhaps the Nissan Ariya AWD Performance setup with 389 hp, 443 lb-ft (600 Nm), all-wheel drive, and an 87 kWh battery would do it poetic justice?
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