We've all heard about the legendary battle between the Subaru Impreza WRX STI and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. But Mitsubishi's reputation as a manufacturer is not limited to just cars. They have been in the business of manufacturing innovative technology for more than a century.
From rally cars to ships and planes, Mitsubishi's wide range of offerings makes it hard to ignore. So, let's find out some interesting things that Mitsubishi has established over time.
10 Kamikaze Legend
Apart from building awesome sports cars, this 148-year-old company has been one of the most influential manufacturers since the second world war, when it produced aircraft, under the director, Dr. Jiro Horikkoshi. These were the aircraft that were used by Kamikaze pilots during the later stages of the war.
The most popular aircraft from that era, the “Zero” was considered the most capable carrier-based with excellent maneuverability and a very long range.
9 The Diamond Shape
Well, not that Mitsubishi cars are diamond-shaped, but the words that make up Mitsubishi denotes a rhombus or a diamond shape. The word “Mitsu” means three, and “Hishi” means water caltrop, which has diamond-shaped leaves.
The three-diamond logo was designed more than 30 years ago. Here's a fun fact; Jackie Chan is a big fan of the manufacturer and has even partnered with the company, so only Mitsubishi cars feature in his movies.
8 Mitsubishi The Ship Manufacturer
Mitsubishi Motors came into existence as an automobile company in 1970, as a subsidiary of MHI. Coming from a history of conglomerates, Mitsubishi consisted of many small companies since the 1870s. And in 1917, the MHI or Mitsubishi Ship Building Company came into existence.
The automotive side is just one aspect of Mitsubishi, The company is also involved in Telecommunications, Shipbuilding, Chemicals, and Heavy industries to name a few.
7 The Inventors Of Corporate Social Responsibility
Mitsubishi’s fourth president, Mr Koyata Iwasaki was a firm believer and proponent of three core values: corporate social responsibility, integrity and fairness, and global understanding through business. And it is because of such a universal approach, Mitsubishi has successfully spread out its branch to 160 countries worldwide.
Mitsubishi has also formed an alliance with Renault and Nissan, but Mitsubishi does not have any manufacturing facilities in Europe, nor in North America. So, all Mitsubishi builds are exported to the US from Japan.
6 Making Cars Run Smoothly - ‘Silent Shaft’
Mitsubishi’s experience from aircraft manufacturing, came in handy in 1975, when they refined inline-four-cylinder engines by getting rid of unnecessary vibrations. This was possible because they pioneered the balance shafts. Initially, called ‘Silent Shaft’.
The whole science of ‘Silent Shaft’ or balance shaft involves counteracting the vibrations each piston generates when moving. With reduced vibration, efficiency increased and made cars much smoother to run.
5 The First Mitsubishis In The USA Were Not Mitsubishis!
Mitsubishi’s Lancer was sold in the USA as a rebadged Dodge Colt. However, the most popular Mitsubishi that sold under the Dodge Moniker was the Dodge Power Ram 50 aka Mighty Max.
It didn’t take Mitsubishi much time to realize that a mere rebadge would not work for them. So, in 1982, Mitsubishi established itself as a brand on American soil with two coupes and a sedan.
4 Mitsubishi Holds A Record For Electric Cars
Mitsubishi has been a pioneer in so many areas, and their dedication to producing green and sustainable cars is pretty well known in automotive circles. The i-MiEV city car was Mitsubishi’s first electric car, which holds the record for First Electric Vehicle to Reach 10,000 Units sold.
Mitsubishi has been working on electric vehicles since 1970, partly because of their varied interests in electronics, besides automotive building. This Japanese conglomerate has been builds, AC units, Elevators, Escalators, Solar Panels, and even Robots!
3 Mitsubishi And Their Electric Sporting Accomplishments.
Aside from being a rally legend, Mitsubishi has also used electric vehicles to participate in sporting competitions. One of the famous ones, being the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This is four years before Volkswagen debuted their ID R and set a record of 8: 57:118 minutes.
The electric race car from Mitsubishi initially set the record in Pikes Peak Competition. The car was driven by Nobuhiro Tajima, and the time set by him was 9:46:530 minutes.
2 Mitsubishi Rally Stories I: Pajero
Mitsubishi has been dominating and participating in rally events for many decades now. The Lancer, Galant, and the Pajero have been laying the foundation for the company’s advances in design and engineering. The Pajero is sold in the USA under the nameplate, Montero.
The Pajero’s dominance in races like the Dakar Rally, where it has 12 stunning victories, and more than twice the stage wins to its nearest competitor. The Pajero is set for life. The Pajero Evo which was sold as a homologation special that had some wild specifications.
1 Mitsubishi Rally Stories II: Lancer
Mitsubishi established itself as a household name in rallying with the Lancer. The Lancer, just like the Subaru, was developed and engineered from rallying. It was the most successful vehicle in rallying when it competed.
The Lancer remained on top of the rally world consistently, constantly evolving. An extension of that celebration was in the form of a limited edition Mitsubishi Lancer Tommi Makinen edition, named after the rally racer.