Mitsubishi Storms Las Vegas With Seven Hot Customized Cars and Trucks
31 October 2000
Mitsubishi Motors Storms Las Vegas With Seven Hot Customized Cars and Trucks at SEMA Show Show Exhibit Reaffirms Commitment to Mitsubishi Enthusiasts
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 31 The bright lights and glitter of the
Las Vegas strip look dim in comparison to seven specially customized
Mitsubishi vehicles on display at the 2000 Specialty Equipment Market
Association (SEMA) show, held between October 31 and November 3. Though
Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. (MMSA) has showcased a variety of cars
and trucks at SEMA in recent years, this year marks the first time that MMSA
has its own exhibit booth at the aftermarket industry show. Four of these
seven specially built Mitsubishi vehicles, developed in cooperation with
several after-market performance companies, are part of this premier exhibit.
The other three vehicles are being displayed at other show locations.
"Mitsubishi cars and trucks are the vehicles of choice for many
aftermarket enthusiasts looking for style and performance with great value,"
said Pierre Gagnon, executive vice president and chief operating officer,
MMSA. "This industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds and we've stepped
up our involvement in recognition of the show, the industry and all those
dedicated Mitsubishi enthusiasts who love to customize their cars and SUVs."
For many years, the first and second generation Eclipse sports coupes have
been the quintessential vehicle platform for aftermarket enthusiasts. The
quick turbocharged engines and nimble performance capabilities combined with
an affordable price made these Eclipses the perfect car to customize with
performance features including wheels, tires, exhaust, suspension and body
design-enhancing components. The current, third generation Eclipse Coupe and
Spyder with larger displacement engines carry on this legacy of affordable
performance combined with unique design, attracting new fans ready to
specialize their cars with personal performance touches.
In addition to sports cars, Mitsubishi's line of sport utility vehicles
provide a rugged foundation for off-roaders who take on the great outdoors
with their Monteros and Montero Sports fully stocked with aftermarket
equipment. Customers have lots of options, such as brush guards, auxiliary
lighting systems, along with tire and wheel upgrades that complement the
world-class off-road capabilities of the Mitsubishi SUVs. Today's SUV owners
also desire premium electronic gadgetry such as high fidelity audio systems,
video entertainment modules and sophisticated navigation and personal
computing devices. These elements are all demonstrated in the custom
Mitsubishi vehicles on display at SEMA.
Starting with a Montero Limited, AXIS Sport Tuning, Inc. transformed this
fully featured SUV into a personalized, urban luxury utility vehicle. The
AXIS modifications include unique Katzkin leather interior trim, a Fujitsu Ten
audio/video system with an in-dash stereo/CD/DVD player and three LCD
monitors, 20" AXIS Solar Wheels and high performance Yokohama AVS S/T tires.
Another Montero Limited by JAOS demonstrates the ultimate in rugged
four-wheeling with numerous accessories that further enhance the Montero's
already impressive off-road capabilities. A JAOS front bull bar, skid plates,
Billet grill, mud guards, side bars, roof rack and rear step ladder all add
stylish good looks with real world functionality. In addition, this ultimate
off-roader features Battlez 2" lift springs, shocks and air cleaner and rides
on Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires mounted to 16" JAOS Victron Excel II
Pro gun-metallic aluminum wheels.
Echoing the rugged JAOS Montero's off-road attitude is the JAOS Montero
Sport. Equally adept at tackling the great outdoors, it features with a bull
bar, Billet grill, skid plates, mud guards, side bars, 16" JAOS Victron Excel
II Pro white aluminum wheels, Yokohama Geolandar tires and a host of other
performance upgrades.
Modern Image Signworks developed three Mitsubishi vehicles, each with its
own distinct look and personality. A stylish yet subtle Montero Sport
features a monochromatic silver color theme with design-enhancing elements
including a rear wing spoiler, side steps, custom grill and moldings, and 20"
AXIS Solar wheels with Yokohama Geolandar All-Terrain tires. A Clarion
audio/video system and a Katzkin two-tone leather interior complement the
exterior style while performance features include an HKS intake/exhaust system
and a Master Image Customs' air suspension system.
The other two cars from Modern Image utilize the popular Eclipse coupe and
Spyder models by adding body kits from Wings West, a 100-horsepower dual stage
nitrous system by Nitrous Express and a host of other specialty equipment.
The silver coupe features 19" AXIS Seven wheels with Yokohama AVS Sport
high-performance tires while the Fly Yellow Spyder is equipped with TSW 19"
Revo wheels mounted to Toyo high-performance tires. Both vehicles also
receive brake upgrades (Brembo -- Coupe; AEM -- Spyder), exhaust upgrades
(HKS -- Coupe; Bosal -- Spyder) and a hi-fi sound system (Clarion -- Coupe;
Kenwood -- Spyder).
Street Concepts also chose the Eclipse Spyder and added to its good looks
with a body kit by Wings West, tinted head and tailight lenses, AEM brakes,
intake and pulley, Magna Flow exhaust and Bella three-piece 19" Niche wheels
mounted to Nitto high-performance tires. On the inside, the Street Concepts
Spyder incorporates a body-colored dash, Curello seats, suede door panels and
a Kenwood audio/video system with DVD and a rear view camera.
These seven vehicles on display in Las Vegas exemplify the flexibility of
Mitsubishi vehicles for aftermarket accessories and demonstrate what a small
investment and a big imagination can achieve.
The annual SEMA show serves the performance and restyling industries and
is the world's largest automotive aftermarket trade show of its kind. Between
October 31 and November 3, 2000, more than 82,000 aftermarket industry
professionals will view products and services from 1,300 exhibitors in
6,000 booths at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
