I agree that they are attracting older buyers that doesn't mean that is who they are targeting. Based on their marketing campaign, they are trying to sell the Evo and the Ralliart as cheap thrill cars designed for people who want performance and are willing to sacrifice other things (like luxuries and driveability) to obtain it. They are not directly marketing the older crowd that might consider cars made by BMW, Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, Audi, etc. at the same time. The same holds true of Subaru. Their marketing direction is very similar, they are trying to get the younger guys who want performance but can't afford/don't want the higher end sports sedans. Does this mean only young people are buying it? Of course not, we have someone in the local Subaru club who's easily in his mid 40s who also has one of the most heavily modified STIs in the area but those people are not their main demographic. While yes the evo is somewhat more refined than its predecessors (same holds true of the STI), it is by no means a luxury car and it is still designed to be driven hard and aggressively. The Ralliart is of the similar mindset but obviously with some of the edge taken off.

 

Mitsubishi told Inside Line that a five- or six-speed manual is in the works for the U.S.-market Ralliart in the States, although it could be expected to cost as much as the vehicle with the twin clutch with all the work necessary to reprogram and manipulate the vehicle.

 

"I agree that they are attracting older buyers that doesn't mean that is who they are targeting. Based on their marketing campaign, they are trying to sell the Evo and the Ralliart as cheap thrill cars designed for people who want performance and are willing to sacrifice other things (like luxuries and driveability) to obtain it. They are not directly marketing the older crowd that might consider cars made by BMW, Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, Audi, etc. at the same time. The same holds true of Subaru. Their marketing direction is very similar, they are trying to get the younger guys who want performance but can't afford/don't want the higher end sports sedans." ..Amby

Looks like the premium buyers are coming over. I especially like the guy who traded in his F430 for one.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/14079/mi...remium-buyers/

 

I just found this on the SST.

Skipping the details of when the TC-SST (as they call it) in the Ralliart messes up, here's the secret to happiness with it: Sport Manual works (exceptionally well), and Normal Automatic works (smoothly), but Sport Automatic confuses the transmission - commendable for its literacy because "sport automatic" is an oxymoron anyhow. Well, "useful for driving in mountainous areas or where engine braking is required," says the press release.

In that mode, it upshifts and downshifts at the wrong times, inconsistently. Aggressive shifts? Casual? When? The inquiring mind of the tranny wants to know. It needs to know.

The Ralliart is not alone in this dilemma in the middle of the road. It's a programming paradox, for both automanual and manumatic transmissions.

 

If the TC-SST is not perfect (and no transmission ever will), they are gonna get grilled for not having given people the choice... and I will be happy to see them take some grief for that too. I still think it was stupid not to offer their very good (and cheap) manual tranny. That would also have given them some leahway on the price... which would have come in handy when the new WRX suddenly gained some numbers and agility.

They've been making stupid moves like this since the 2004 Sportback RalliArt. Remember? The car that never sold because they decided to only offer it with an automatic tranny? These guys surely are no fast learners...