With being in financial straights right now, could you see them creating an entirely new brand and marketing it in the US with the Diamante as the "flagship". Ya, that's gonna happen.

Maybe they could call the marque "Wishfull" as in "wishfull thinking".

 

You're missing the point, I was not suggesting that they start a luxury line, just the mere fact that the mentality here is that no japanese car is worth $40k. The only way to get that much out of it is to give it a luxury image.

 

What you are basically saying is what I support to a certain extent but we are missing something..

The business of selling cars is considered "global" because there are sometimes five models of cars..(with different makes and nomenclature on the trunk) but all based on one platform . But notice that EACH model is represented by a different brand, different showroom, and basically a diffferent set of sales ideals then the others..Why do you think this is??

This is where my points come into consideration..

1. The Mitsubishi is not considered a luxury car brand. Period. Let's stop comparing even the NICEST or FASTES Mits to Lexus or Acura..

2. the "MR" is basically a TRIM PACKAGE..(well, not really but it ain't a departure from an EVO per say..People recognize it as an EVO than ask wht the MR means)

3. Why do people eat out at "fine dining resteraunts?? Is it for image?? Maybe a little, but they do because of the TREATMENT and EXPERIENCE and the ARTFULLY and SKILLFULLY PREPARED entree's. Think of a luxury car brand as a fine dining resteraunt. Yeah, you could go buy a car off the same platform, but is it the same? NO.
(besides, tell your wife or girlfriend your heading to Micky D's because your not into the image thing and watch you get NO play that night)

Contrary to popular belief, the Toyota Avalon is NOT the same as a Lexus ES or GS..so they "it ALL tastes like chicken addage would be FALSE. And in Japan? well, they Japanese consumers would think a newcomer like LEXUS would be a piece of **** becuase they are so familiar with the TOYOTA brand..

The difference is the markets and the client PERCEPTION yes, but it's obviously more than that.

Basically, The "MR" IS well known. Because the EVO is..

It has nothing to do with image and is certainly not a part of the "luxury image" segment that you are referring to..

 

PS:

Since is in such financial straights, what makes you think they can introduce a new luxury brand stateside??

It will never happen..they are so far behind in the luxury car race here in the US that it would take BILLIONS to even come halfway CLOSE to the WORST luxury car in the segment..

Cadillac..

 

I don't see why people want to suddenly change the evo from what it is to a luxurious car. It cannot and will not happen. It is a rally car. It isn't meant to surround the driver with a plush interior or have a whole bunch of creature comforts. This is a strickly business car. If people want luxury, there is BMW or Mercedes or Infiniti and a list of worthy candidates to spend their 30k. Why complain about a car's comfort that hasn't changed for the past 10 years or so just because it is introduced to the US It just doesn't make sense. It is working everywhere else in the world but we Americans are just spoiled. The 30k you spend when you purchase an evo is not for comfort it is for performance. And like M3lachsilber's sig says there isn't any other car under 30k that can even come close to the evo's specs

We could only hope that gives us the MR. If they do I will be first in line. If they don't it wouldn't be new for us to miss out on the good stuff. Who knows maybe we would appreciate our GSR's even more. Mod the hell out of it and make it better than a MR anyway.

 

I've wondered what I would do if the MR came here, but I really don't see that great of an advantage in having S-AYC and ACD. From almost every article I've read from the UK, most drivers choose one setting on the ACD and leave it there (kind of how most STi drivers leave their DCCD on "auto"). I personally don't want to have to pay $120 every 5,000 miles to service the AYC and ACD as well as the oil change. Plus, and this was another factor that made me change my mind about the S4, all that electronic crap will break one day. With mechanical diffs front, center and rear (I am in on the Quaife front LSD buy), I won't have that worry or the servicing costs. The biggest thing I miss is the 6-speed, if only for the gas mileage on long drives. If I had a choice of where I'd spend an extra $1000 on the Evo at time of purchase, I would like the sweet Defi gauges from the STi and a better integrated passenger airbag so I could stitch the dash in Alcantara. Just my $.02...

Chris

P.S. I guess Popular Mechanics reported that the MR IS coming to the US...

 

No you won't..

You will be SECOND...

 

Finally, someone with some sense. One of the major selling points of the Evo for me was the lack of electronic gagetry to interfere with the driving experience. I just don't want my car to do the driving for me. I want to be the one to transfer weight around the way I want to. The Evo is the closest thing to a pure drivers car on the market right now.

The only way I would want that stuff would be if I could completely disable it. But then why would I pay $8-10K more for stuff I'm just going to disable? I'd rather Mitsu keeps the Evo the way it is. The only changes I'd like are:

(1) slightly smaller diameter steering wheel
(2) slot in seat-bottom for a proper 5-point harness
(3) boost, EGT, and oil temp/pressure gauges
(4) proper fuel mapping to cure the rich conditon and no boost taper

All of this stuff can be taken care of relatively simply and inexpensively...so it's no big deal.

Emre

 

As for luxury Evo's the GT-A is a luxury variant of the Evo.. That would only attract more of the people who find hte current GS-R USDM Evo to be too harsh and rough...

 

A few more pics of the Ralliart MR, including an interior shot :







And a couple pictures of the new Ralliart parts:







]

 

Is that freakin NAV in the center console??!!

 

No, it's just regular NAV

 

I think a navigation system would sell here, wouldn't it??

On the MR??

Geez..

Every time I see how LOADED an MR can get I get bummed out..


And then i get HORNY..

 

I'm pretty sure that NAV system was an option in the evo8 in japan.

Well its not like you can't deck out an evo8.

 

Yes it is..

Unless I missed the heated seats and Nav Package box on my order sheet..