Here are the highlights from interview conducted by Automotive News.
Quote:
Your competitors are coming out with more sporty, modifiable cars aimed for younger buyers. What's in your pipeline?
We're really excited about the Lancer EVO, which is coming in January of '03. That'll be our flagship vehicle, under $30,000. The kids all know about Lancer EVO. They know more about it than I do. I get e-mails once a week saying "When's EVO coming to the U.S.?"
What are your long-term sales goals?
We've grown 69 percent in the last three years. We're going to grow to 350,000 this year. We're going to add Outlander in that last quarter, and we've doubled our market share in Lancer's segment, so that will help us get to 350,000. In '03, we start the year by launching EVO, which may not be high volume, but two months later we launch a new SUV, which will be our highest volume SUV. It will be built in Normal, Ill. It was designed in America and will be built in America - the first time ever for us. That one will get us up to that 400,000 mark, hopefully sooner than anticipated. My focus is 400,000. We say we'll be there by 2005. I think we may have a shot at getting it closer to 2003. My personal goal is to get this company beyond the half-a-million point. With some of the future product that we're looking at, we can get there in the next five to 10 years.
Notice that he says the Evo "may not be high volume" and states once again that the Evo will be the "flagship" vehicle. Sounds good to me. Your competitors are coming out with more sporty, modifiable cars aimed for younger buyers. What's in your pipeline?
We're really excited about the Lancer EVO, which is coming in January of '03. That'll be our flagship vehicle, under $30,000. The kids all know about Lancer EVO. They know more about it than I do. I get e-mails once a week saying "When's EVO coming to the U.S.?"
What are your long-term sales goals?
We've grown 69 percent in the last three years. We're going to grow to 350,000 this year. We're going to add Outlander in that last quarter, and we've doubled our market share in Lancer's segment, so that will help us get to 350,000. In '03, we start the year by launching EVO, which may not be high volume, but two months later we launch a new SUV, which will be our highest volume SUV. It will be built in Normal, Ill. It was designed in America and will be built in America - the first time ever for us. That one will get us up to that 400,000 mark, hopefully sooner than anticipated. My focus is 400,000. We say we'll be there by 2005. I think we may have a shot at getting it closer to 2003. My personal goal is to get this company beyond the half-a-million point. With some of the future product that we're looking at, we can get there in the next five to 10 years.
Evolving Member
Yeah, that is good news that it is not high volume car. How come the guy only gets one E-mail a week asking about the EVO? Must not be as many of us out there as we think.
Evolving Member
Quote:
How come the guy only gets one E-mail a week asking about the EVO?
How many non-mitsu employees do you think have his e-mail address?How come the guy only gets one E-mail a week asking about the EVO?
Well, give it a try...someone ask when specs will be released. Maybe he will give us that. He obviously would not give anymore than that.
Try these addresses:
pgagnon@mmsa.com
or
Monica Lewis - Manager, Corporate Communications MLewis@mmsa.com
or maybe some of these guys and gals are in the giving spirit...
AMadjeski@mmsa.com
amarbury@mmsa.com
aschneider@mmsa.com
bart@mmsa.com
CGeil@mmsa.com
cmoore@mmsa.com
CRoss@mmsa.com
CSprole@MMSA.com
dbetian@mmsa.com
dhenry@mmsa.com
DJones@mmsa.com
dolin@mmsa.com
dwalter@mmsa.com
hthomas@mmsa.com
Hudson.Audio@mmsa.com
jcovington@mmsa.com
jdearie@mmsa.com
jdelello@mmsa.com
jfountain@mmsa.com
jlittle@mmsa.com
jlm@mmsa.com
jshaffer@mmsa.com
jsun@mmsa.com
jwilliams@mmsa.com
kcuster@mmsa.com
kdobbins@mmsa.com
lchick@mmsa.com
LRayner@MMSA.COM
Lwu@mmsa.com
mfernwalt@mmsa.com
mkezsely@mmsa.com
mlewis@mmsa.com
MTanimoto@mmsa.com
nmilton@mmsa.com
rbarlow@mmsa.com
SGentry@mmsa.com
smcneal@mmsa.com
sysop@MMSA.COM
tarrington@mmsa.com
tneal@mmsa.com
tromero@mmsa.com
Newbie
does anyone know if those under $30K predictions they are saying are referring to the topline or base model?
Evolving Member
Subject: Please read this Mr. Gagnon ... from a loyal Mitsubishi owner!
Mr. Gagnon,
I understand you are a very busy man so I will keep this as short as possible. Having owned performance Mitsubishi's for several years, I am very interested in the US release of the Lancer EVO. Could you possibly answer some or all of the following questions?
Roughly how many EVO's does Mitsubishi plan on importing to the US the first year?
Will the US EVO be more similar to the Japanese GSR or GTA model?
Will the US get a modified existing car (EVO VII), or should we expect a newer design (EVO VIII) that accommodates US EPA and DOT requirements?
Thank you for your time,
Mr. Gagnon,
I understand you are a very busy man so I will keep this as short as possible. Having owned performance Mitsubishi's for several years, I am very interested in the US release of the Lancer EVO. Could you possibly answer some or all of the following questions?
Roughly how many EVO's does Mitsubishi plan on importing to the US the first year?
Will the US EVO be more similar to the Japanese GSR or GTA model?
Will the US get a modified existing car (EVO VII), or should we expect a newer design (EVO VIII) that accommodates US EPA and DOT requirements?
Thank you for your time,
Evolving Member
how about we ask for the price?
with the finished letter we could all write the people at
and maybe we'll get some answers.
with the finished letter we could all write the people at
and maybe we'll get some answers.
Evolving Member
You can't ask for specific things that haven't even been released to the press yet.
Ask when the complete US specs will be released. That is the best we can hope for at this point.
Ask when the complete US specs will be released. That is the best we can hope for at this point.
Evolving Member
Soleman20,
I agree with you, we have to be very general.
Subject: Please read this Mr. Gagnon ... from a loyal Mitsubishi owner!
Mr. Gagnon,
I understand you are a very busy man so I will keep this as short as possible. Having owned performance Mitsubishi's for several years, I am very interested in the US release of the Lancer EVO. Could you possibly answer some or all of the following questions?
When will the final specs be released for the US EVO?
Do you have a sweet, young, attractive daughter - correction, do you have a daughter?
Thank you for your time,
I agree with you, we have to be very general.
Subject: Please read this Mr. Gagnon ... from a loyal Mitsubishi owner!
Mr. Gagnon,
I understand you are a very busy man so I will keep this as short as possible. Having owned performance Mitsubishi's for several years, I am very interested in the US release of the Lancer EVO. Could you possibly answer some or all of the following questions?
When will the final specs be released for the US EVO?
Do you have a sweet, young, attractive daughter - correction, do you have a daughter?
Thank you for your time,
Evolved Member
Quote:
Originally posted by RaX
Hooby's momz told me...
www.autonews.com
You're not stealthy RaX :POriginally posted by RaX
Hooby's momz told me...
www.autonews.com
And I'm sure if Gagnon had an attractive daughter she'd be very nice girl...
And wow Sole' that is quite the list you fished up. Where'd you snag it?
Evolving Member
Quote:
And wow Sole' that is quite the list you fished up. Where'd you snag it?
Some good Internet researching. And wow Sole' that is quite the list you fished up. Where'd you snag it?
http://www.rbdesigns.net/mitsubishi/...itsubishi.html