click above image to view high-resolution gallery of the Mitsubishi i
Beginning on July 1st, Brits will be able to purchase the iconic i kei car from Mitsubishi. The i is a big hit in Japan, having won numerous awards for its futuristic styling and clever engineering while racking up big sales in the home market. Mitsubishi has spent the last year shopping the i around Great Britain at the Badminton Horse Trials, the British Motor Show and some select Mitsubishi dealerships, and the response from the public was positive enough to convince management to sell the car on the Queen's isle. It will be available only in one configuration powered by the JDM spec 660cc turbo three-cylinder engine producing an economical though not entirely thrilling 64bhp. Initially, however, only 300 units will be made available for sale at the price of £8,999 ($17,577 USD).
With the success of the MINI Cooper and the impending arrival of the smart fortwo in the U.S., we wonder if there are talks within Mitsubishi to bring the i to the U.S. They'll no doubt be watching sales of the fortwo closely. Check out the official press release after the jump and a high-resolution gallery of the Mitsubishi i.
[Source: Mitsubishi]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
NoNameDenton @ Feb 15th 2007 8:06PM
Please tell me I will never have to see that thing on American roads ever
blitzkrieg79 @ Feb 15th 2007 8:54PM
Very cool looking mini car. It's not for everyone just like the big ass SUVs are not really for the high agglomeration areas in Japan or Europe. This car is actually pretty spacious for it's size. It's been a big hit in Japan and I think Europeans will bite it too. In US I would ony see this car in big congested cities although the American market has begun to shift towards smaller multi-purpose vehicles.
Patrick @ Feb 15th 2007 8:56PM
When I First Saw This Car In The Post Where It Was Customized By DAMD I Fell In Love With The Styling. It Looks 100 Times Better Than The FourTwo And It Would Be A Perfect Economical Car For My Daughter Who Is About To Start College
Kowell @ Feb 15th 2007 9:01PM
The Gearnob looks like an Apple computer mouse...
JC3 @ Feb 15th 2007 9:10PM
I wouldn't want to see what would happen if it got in a accident with the"Pink Panther" car.
NoNameDenton @ Feb 15th 2007 9:20PM
That thing is ugly and underpowered
JC3 @ Feb 15th 2007 9:33PM
Whatever happened to the "Hello Kitty" version?
Barney @ Feb 15th 2007 9:44PM
The Smart is doing well in Canada. These cars are still of a limited market but Canada would be an expansion.
bernie @ Feb 15th 2007 10:09PM
This is what 90% should be driving in the US, instead of those stupid Denalis, Hummers and F-150 gas hogs. People today are afraid to drive small cars because cell phone yakking bimbos in their Suburbans tailgate them and scare them out of their wits.
Cue Libertarian rant in 3, 2, 1...
Weeeee @ Feb 15th 2007 10:51PM
I hope this comes to the U.S., I wanna see it get ran into :DDDD
NoNameDenton @ Feb 15th 2007 10:54PM
Bernie, who died and gave you the power to say what people should or should not drive?
PhillipT @ Feb 15th 2007 11:02PM
Bernie- Can this pull a boat... or tow a truck? How about carry more than 5 midgets?
Though its great for what it is, who wants to bet someone sues when they get hurt in a wreck when this is hit by something?
Viva la big American automobiles!
Jeff Banks @ Feb 15th 2007 11:08PM
"Bernie, who died and gave you the power to say what people should or should not drive?"
Hey, drive an M1 Abrams battle tank if you want. He didn't say anything stating that you HAVE to drive a small car, just that its kind of stupid to drive a Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD to pick up your five year old from daycare.
The subject has been beat to a bloody death, but it still freaks me out a bit when a hummer pulls up to my civic (the tailpipe is about level with my face)
Hey autobloggers, drive what you want, but I can assure you that a Ford Excursion isn't all that thrilling to drive.
NoNameDenton @ Feb 15th 2007 11:08PM
I am with PhillipT on this one
NoNameDenton @ Feb 15th 2007 11:11PM
Gee Jeff Banks, I am sorry I feel my family would be safer in a big pick up truck then in something that could be crushed by a pebble
Rodion @ Feb 15th 2007 11:26PM
I'd much rather see us get Colt here than iCar
jim sanders @ Feb 15th 2007 11:40PM
I want a 50 mpg Nissan Titan.
You can have your 50 mpg Ford F-150 when that comes out too.
America does have 80,000 lb commercial semi-trailers on the roads, that do not exist in other country.
I like the doubled safety of my 5000 lb truck as oppose to a 2500 lb subcompact car, so I am protected from the evils of 80,000 semi-trailer accidents.
PhillipT @ Feb 16th 2007 12:15AM
And I dont want to hear about what its like in a small car near hummers, until you try sitting with your rear-end 4 inches of the ground in a Go-Kart, in traffic. Though illegal to drive it on the roads... I get what the small car crowd means by being around big trucks.
But honestly, if you have a Silverado 2500, guaranteed that it sees duty.
Heck I drive the own the classic example in oversized American trucks, a 1969 Chevy CST/10. Slandered cab, long bed, and well over 2 tons of steel.
Theres a place for every car, including the 'i'. Theres also a reason people drive large trucks (excluding most H2s, since rarely do they see the dirt, or any other sort of work/towing).
Jeff Banks @ Feb 16th 2007 12:33AM
"But honestly, if you have a Silverado 2500, guaranteed that it sees duty."
Not if its owned by my mom (seriously). One of her friends that she works with drives a Ford F-something duallie. The biggest strain its gone through was towing our christmas trees home.
PhillipT @ Feb 16th 2007 12:59AM
The most people who pay extra for the 2500 package, use that sucker.
Theres a few moms that are in the exception that want the bigger than what the other mom drives. I dunno, must be a woman thing. Like the Hummer comercial, targeting moms.