How Mitsubishi Threw Away a Dynasty 

Mitsubishi's and Lancia's fall from grace is the saddest thing in automobile industry

I’m from Japan. My father,grandfather worked for Mitsubishi Corporation (NOT motors) So Usually, my home cars were only Mitsubishis and I hated that. Because you can support the whole Mitsubishi group and can have some discount too. I remember the first time my dad bought was Mazda Savanna Rx-7, then Toyota Prius.I ask my dad “where did your loyalty for Mitsubishi go?” He said “If there’s a choice in Mitsubishi lineup in sports car or hybrid genre I would’ve bought them, but Mitsubishi motors doesn’t .They are not acquit one's obligation as a family car developer.” I recognize Mitsubishi motors was done

Can't forget that during this same time, Mitsubishi was also on its way to a record 12 overall wins in the Dakar rally raid with the Pajero platform, the most of any manufacturer and a record that still stands today.

4G63T is a legendary engine... I was proud to own an Evo 9 MRSE but during the financial collapse of 2008.. everyone lost their jobs that time including mine so it forced me to sell my beloved Evo.. Always knew it'll be a collectors car one day and now, I terribly regret letting it go. Always going to be a fan of EVOs. Mitsu really need to bring it back.

Seriously. Thank you all for listening to my stories. I appreciate each and every one of you. As a kid, among my friends I was the storyteller. Ranting and waving my hands, telling the latest tale of our drifting escapades, or how we went ghost hunting in the forest. Those are my favorite times, sitting around and telling a few people something and entertaining them. This is just a bigger campfire, and I am so glad you are all here.

James May of Grand Tour literally slammed the side of his EVO into the end of a tunnel doing around 80 MPH, then took it to a shop and get it running again, only to later have it fall through the ice on a lake later in the same special, he then proceeded to pull it out and get it running AGAIN

I'm a subaru boi and I've got to pay my respects to the fallen titan that was Evo. I like the (hopefully) jokey rivalry between the fans and it's fun to play up the beef sometimes, but god dammit I admire them freaking lancers, they are amazing cars. From blue evil, you red devils absolutely rock. I don't hold out hope to see Evo badge done justice again, but if it were to happen, it would be a sight to behold.

Mitsubishi was one of the manufacters I grew up admiring, the FTO, GTO and even the EVO were all cars I thought were incredible. Eventually got to own an FTO and it was an incredible machine and it's the one car I regret selling and the EVO is about the only 4 door I'd ever consider buying maybe I'll get my hands on one some day.

Imagine being so good that the only reason you didn’t remain competitive was because everyone else held you back afraid you’d kick their ass. Mitsubishi fucking rocks!

The Evo IV 8 and 9 will always be my favorites. I truly respect Mistubishi for going their own way. As mechanically difficult as they were the 3000GT was absolutely beautiful and waaaay ahead of its time. Cars now have features that only the 3000gt had at the time. And going back to the Evo, Its still beastly af and timeless. You show up anywhere to a car meet in an evo and people are going to take notice. Take the same car at the same meet but modified and people are going to hide their pink slips.

18:08 This image broke my heart when I was a child. Carlos Sainz was on the verge of winning the WRC championship that year until his Celica broke down just 500 meters from the finish line.

The biggest mistake of Mitsubishi was that stopped produce evo

I've had the joyous opportunity to drive an Evo 6.5 on public road. That car was just crazy. Through some twists and turns, the car drifted like a true champ. Evo 6.5 is like no other car I've driven

Initial D did a good job showing how the Mitsubishi was regarded. Hilariously hyped but accurate since drifting 4wd is apparently difficult

My girlfriend’s father was a Mitsubishi fan, he changed his beloved Rover Mini for a Legnum VR4 (this was in Japan). That car had an incredible acceleration with 4WD I never experienced before.. those were good Mitsubishi times!

In my teens everyone was drooling over the Supra and R34. I was drooling over the 3000GT.

This channel can compete with the top documentary producers and TV channels Seriously underrated, insane voice over, beautiful editing and just so original

Sorely miss the brand, and the legendary cars they produced. Fell in love with the cars since the 80's, all because of Jackie Chan's movies and his collaboration with Mitsubishi. Wasn't even aware of Mitsubishi accomplshments in rally and Motorsport at the time, just knew the cars looked cool AF in the movies. Brilliant video as usual SQUIDD.

I can’t unsee how people and crowd used to stand in the middle of the road during rally races😂

You have to wonder how it's even possible that Mitsubishi was unable to capitalize or seize on having BOTH lead roles in probably one of the most popular racing franchise movies. I own an Evo because it was the most technology you could get in a drive train for 30k. I paid 20k cash for one that dynoed at 500hp at all 4 wheels about 10 years ago. I think it's worth more than I paid today, but I would never sell it.

As a Mitsubishi Lancer fan, i just want to say thanks for this video. At the end, i almost cry (just a little bit). It was a fantastic presentation of a legend, every second of this video was a true gold. Thank you!

I am literally a lifelong Mitsubishi fan. My dad worked for them since before I was born. Even though I was his son who graduated IT, I was the one amongst my brothers who experienced building trucks with them when I worked a short stint with them. Lots of the factory workers in my country still fancy the Eclipse, the Pajero, we're even proud of the diesel engines we used on the L300 light truck that has always been the de-facto name businesses think of when purchasing vehicles for businesses that don't necessarily need a heavy truck to haul stuff. I've worked with a lot of Japanese expats as well, who are the most dedicated to their craft in terms of manufacturing. To me, Mitsubishi Motors is well loved, but has the suckiest internal politics that I ever saw. A coworker of mine in the assembly line once said to me "The problem with Mitsubishi Motors is like the problem with the Philippines." (I'm Filipino BTW). Whoever killed off the Evo and the Eclipse will forever be vilified in my head. Maybe they could've created a newer version, take in the comments by the Evo bashers and improve it. I seriously feel like Kia and Hyundai left Mitsubishi in the dust with the Stinger and the Genesis Coupe. Right now, Mitsubishi doesn't have even an inline 4 engine in their cars. If I won the lottery today, 4 models come to mind: Evo 3, GTO/3000GT, Starion Turbo, and 2nd generation Eclipse Spyder. Loved by fans but sadly discontinued by Mitsubishi.

I feel like Mitsubishi works team's success in Dakar should also be mentioned. My first car was 1991 Galant, a car I bought from my dad (the same car I learned how to drive on) and it had a lot of sentimental value to me. But the car I loved the most, and the car that will forever remain my favourite car of all time, was the 1996 Galant that I bought after the first one died. The most beautiful car ever made, I would look back over my shoulder every time walking away after I parked it. I just hope that when midlife crisis hits me good and proper I will be able to buy one of those eight generation Galants again lol

Man!!! You are one of those best automotive documenters/RU-vidrs out their who can make our eyes full of tears ❤️

The only RU-vid channel I've ever donated money to. Great format, script, editing.

As a Subaru fan I respect the history behind Mitsubishi and their achievements and I hope the next video will be on the "blue evil" I really enjoyed it 👍

Used to have a 76 Lancer, friends called it the 'devolution' until they looked under the bonnet. A 1400 turbocharged, fire-breathing moster said 'hello' and they called it the prevolution.

Mitsubishi may not be as high in the high performance field but Mitsubishi is still popular here in the Philippines. It is one of our "big 3" car brands here. Nowadays, it is loved here for economic commuters like the Mirage and 7-seaters like the XPander. They also have a lineup of well-loved AUVs and SUVs. The discontinued Adventure is still loved and Monteros along with Pajeros are still sought in both brand new and used car markets.

"diamonds are forever, stars eventually explode" some guy in the 1990s (stars being subaru)

The EVO was my favorite car to climb the ranks playing GranTurismo! Little did I know about the actual history behind it. Also, These car histories amaze me for the fact that these created mechanical wonders can then be completely left to squalor- is a complete curiosity. Is it because they take such focused effort to achieve and maintain that after a period it can no longer be maintained? Weird

I still have my Mitsubishi Evo 9 MR with only 32K miles on it sitting in my garage. After they stopped making them, I stopped driving it. It is now worth 3 times what I paid for it because I kept it stock and well maintained in perfect condition.

Neighbor of mine customized his Lancer 6 into a rally body kit and everyone who pass by stares at it for 5 seconds. Because of this video, I appreciated that car more. Thank U for creating these documentaries. 🙏

First time I ever saw a Mitsubishi was when I was 6 years old, it was an Evo 6 during a safari rally stage and I've been hooked on them ever since.

I had Lancer, Carisma and Galant V6... never had any issues with them. And Galant was something else. The looks, the quality, the performance.

I had a 1983 Starion. It was rear wheel drive only, and was very unique in that the 84-89 drive train components were interchangeable, but the 83 stood alone. This wasn’t because the 84-89 were all wheel drive, it was because everything was slightly changed. The engine was the same displacement, but a different block. The different block meant a different transmission case. The suspension was altered such that when I bent a front strut I had to scrounge to find a new 83 strut. The body changed as well, the 84-89 had flared fenders and looked sportier and had much better style than the 83.

My first owned car was a '96 Lancer Evo IV, exported from UK and imported to Hungary. At that time importing RHD cars from UK was easy, nowadays it's impossible due to emission sanctions. After selling the IV, without any hesitation I bought a VIII. Once you owned an Evo, you become a believer

I feel lucky to have found this channel early on in your history, but right off the bat you're doing (imho) everything right - don't change a thing. From the car-alarm-plip profanity filter to the incredible amount of archive content, I love it. Can't wait to see what is to come...

As an 06 WRX owner, I'm sad that the rivalry is over. It makes the new Subarus that less special, since it doesn't have to fight with Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi will always have a place in my heart, if only for the fact that my dad drove and loved his colt. It’s the car that got me into cars.

Man I love all your Videos. Keep making them. Can't get enough!❤

Another great content! I see a lot of Lancers here in our place. Sadly, most of them are in bad condition or not well maintained. I can't help but wonder if the owners know how these cars kicked ass back in the day.

I’m a huge Skyline fan, but Lancer was among the first cars I truly fell in love with as a kid, learning that now that I’m a grown adult who has a driver’s license and now one my of all time fave childhood car lines is dead was just heartbreaking

Totally enjoyed your video👌Good all-round information as well

I'll never forget the Mutsubishis that Jackie Chan drove throughout multiple videos. Loved them

Every Mitsubishi is special on its own way. My brother drives an old GLS and it is amazing car.

This has to be one of the most beautifully crafted and informative videos i have seen. So much fun to watch all your videos

After owning an evo viii, other AWD vehicles felt clumsy, evo’s AWD is so fine tuned, the balance between understeer and oversteer is so close to perfect if not perfect, it turned the handling into God Mode.

Amazing video…perfectly highlighted everything. Subscribed!

bro this is insanely well made, loved the way you do this kind of story telling. its absolutely disheartening to see one of my favorite rally cars of all time got sent into the graveyard

Evo 8, my favourite Evo. Top Gear was so pleased and impressed by it, they raced it against a Lamborghini, and it could more than keep up with it. A four door family saloon was more than a match for purpose built super car.

really really interesting, thank you for this incredible video - hope to see an evo 11 in the future

currently we have the 1994 Mitsubishi Lancer GLX Fi and still working just fine, even though we had some issues on its power window, aircon, and etc. how i wish that they'll come back. i really do love the Lancers since i was a kid because it's my dream car growing up and wanting to have one when I have my own driver's license. Now I'm turning 21 this year and had the license to drive, Lancer is still my dream car because of its performance.

The documentary videos your doing are absolutely amazing. Can’t wait for more I’ve shared your channel with the other gear heads I know.

Yes! I finally made it to one of these awesome videos early. And it’s rally!

Great video! When my dad bought to me my first black Lancer, first night I can't sleep and took my blanket to my car. But still couldn't sleep until the morning. My second car was also that's next model of black Lancer. The memory I couldn't forget ever.

You just make the best videos on youtube! Honestly! There is so much effort in it!

The Mitsubishi Starion origin story goes like this: Australia: “The Colt is selling well. Make the next model bigger. You can stick with the horse theme and call it the ‘Stallion’ .” Mitsubishi Japan: “ Okey-Dokey. Next model will be the Starion!” 😎

Grand Turismo on PS1 was the driver that created the love for Evos. When Mitsubishi released the Evo 8 in 03 I was determined to get myself an evo. I have had my Evo 9 for 12 years and I'm never letting her go. Videos like this remind me of how awesome of a company Mitsubishi was back in the day. This video was awesome. Keep up the great work 👍

Mitsubishi’s Evo and Subaru’s Impreza was a legendary rivalry.

Bro that evo 9 to this day is still one of my favorite cars. The 07 Hawkeye STIs and the evo 9s are just things of beauty.

Amazing work I still remember the first time I got to ride an Evo back in 07 I was a kid back then and was a budding petrol-head One of my dad's friends showed up in his evo6 during a car meet , back then i didn't know about the Evo and thought that it was just a Lancer with some fancy body work , oh how wrong I was . Ever since that day I've been a Mitsubishi fanboy and their fall from grace is saddening.

I fell in love with the Mitsubishi Evolution from playing Gran Turismo as a kid and now a proud owner of an Evo 9 and every time I get in the driver seat it is definitely a car that you just don't want to stop driving.

A sad ending to a great car that brought Brand recognition to an overlooked Company. I'm glad I got and retain one of these great cars; a Collector's Item forever.

This one slaps so hard it hurts. The 4g63 is so nuts. Would kill to have that lil engine.

10/10! This is the way to make videos! Just the right amount of History, Specs, old video commercials, and clips. Perfect commentary and audio gives it an awesome "Blast from the past" feeling! :) Big Thanks from Sweden :)

Joginder Singh is one of my favorite drivers of all time (I adore the African Safari Rally). Glad to see him get a mention.

It's really sad to hear that story. You have nice and informative content bro. Keep it up.

One of the best storytellers in RU-vid no matter the niche!!! I still have my Evo 9 MR...got it on 2006 and I'be been the only one owner and its just an absolute car and platform! Thanks for such a masterful tribute.

You're videos have been few and far between but I love the content...from storytelling to editing! Keep up the great work 👏

Damn the quality of these videos are on another level, every video i watch starts emotions i thought i lost long ago, yet i guess my love for cars still revives those emotions, and your videos of course, honestly i can't wait till your channel blows up, you deserve it for all your work you put into these videos, maybe you're an evo yourself, and one day will rise to the top, hopefully won't have the same fate tho😅, anyways wish you luck and lookin forward to more great videos.

Awesome video with explanation of the legendary mitsubishi champion evo.. Keep making great vids guys

Loving your work as usual! sneaking this video in during work, couldnt wait. I have a soft spot for mitsubishi montero/pajeros. My mom is from Puerto Rico and Mitsubishi was the top dog there. Everytime i would visit, all my aunts, uncles and cousins drove monteros.

Rally racing, and moto GP in the 80/90 was just amazing. It was a good balance of rules and freedom. Innovations came very quick and everyone was always on their toes. Personally I've lost most of my enthusiasm for racing, it's just so boring compared to those years, but I still rewatch older races and admire the engineering and driving skill on display. Great video btw.

Amazing channel! Keep up the good work, this is pure gold!

Man this is awesome content. Its like the history channel for cars !

Damn I miss how hype rally was when I was a kid... Getting absolutely addicted to Dirt Rally really ignited my old love for the sport and it's just not the same anymore...

Amazing content as always! We had the regular Lancer being sold in Brazil until 2020, when they ended production for good. I have tons of good memories of watching Evos and Pajeros dominating rally courses, It's a shame it had to end like that

i always wondered what happened. thank you for the informative video!

This is a very good video. Av enjoyed watching it. Very informative. Am not very old by the time most of this cars were made i was still a kid at primary school. But videos like this gets you to learn about this incredible cars. Am a lover of old cars and the more one learns about tge history of this old legends the more you appreciate this car. Lancer is a car to consider having. Thank you soo much. 🇰🇪

Dude you're one of the best video makers out there! I am glad I found you so early on

Burst into tears, bro. Tommi Makinen with his Evo 4 hangin on my bedroom, I was 9 years old. I played Gran Turismo 2 with my dad everyday for hours. That car was personal to me, growing up studying tech and business. I realized just how bad the Mitsubishi decision. One lesson I took, an organization should achieve self-sufficiency instead of relying on funding nor resources from the holding. If only Ralliart folks are aware on how to raised and develop sustainable fundings, the company would've been very different than just selling rebadged Nissan / PSA cars. 😢

Lancer EVO, Pajero and L200 are legends. Even the Eclipse was great.

I really love your channel. Please keep them coming.

I just binge-watched all your videos after your McLaren video had popped up in my feed and gotta tell you, i loved each one! Your production and level of details you put out is absolutely outstanding! 5 videos and you´re already up to par with the best of the best Carfection and Hagerty regarding your narrative and the amount of research you put into your journalism! Absolutely love your content already and truely hope to see much more of it to come! 🙏👍

Oh man you really did deliver, what an amazing video. Thanks a lot for covering Mitsubishi, it hurts me deeply to see them fall from such a height, I just bought a Lancer this year and I couldn't be happier with the car.

this is really a great channel, i only found it a few hours ago but i have already seen almost all the videos. Thumbs up and keep it up

I had a 1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport Rally Edition. She had an illustrious name, was darn near bulletproof, but boring. She was slow, and less exciting than even older pickups, but she was so reliable and well built. Someone needed more than us, so we sold it, but we miss it. Guy didn't respect her and totalled her. RiP Full Monty. You were a good ride.

great job man, another incredible video you fill the up to speed shaped donut hole my heart

What a good storyteller ! I'll make sure to always be watching your stories !

Forget them... If Mitsubishi won't listen to us, then we need to start our own automaker that really listens to people like us.

Great video as always

As a Subbie fan,i really loved the rivalry between the two, the Evo9 is such a beast, what a beautiful car

From Kenya so proud to see Joginder Singh such a huge part of Mitsubishis rich rally history

Mits: Quitting while I'm ahead World : WTF

I absolutely love your content, you're so talented!

Really happy to see you getting more popular Keep up the great videos man, cheers!

these videos really brought me into this channel, please keep making them. they are loved!

My first car in 2001 was a 92 eagle talon tsi awd which I still own. It was amazing to throw simple bolt ons and have an 11 sec 1/4 mile car. I now also own an evo 2 gsr. Mitsubishi was on next level stuff in the 90s. It’s a damn shame that now they have become the “no credit no problem” company.

I don't remember when was the last time I saw an incredible video like this, which makes me subscribe immediately... thank you for the amazing job, I hope you can continue with it 👌🏻👌🏻

As always, your episodes are cool, full of facts and interesting. Thanks for the Evo story, Squidd :) btw. @3:00 polish narrator describes evolution of lancer, mentioning that wrc build was a later build ;)