What's old is new again, at least at Mitsubishi.
The three-diamond brand is celebrating its centennial this year. To mark the occasion, the brand tapped West Coast Customs to build a 1917 Model A—Mitsubishi's first car, as its name implies—with a plug-in hybrid powertrain plucked from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
Fittingly, it's called the Mitsubishi Re-Model A.
The brass-era car with a modern heart will make its debut at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, but it will first appear on a special episode of "Inside West Coast Customs" on November 6.
The final product will feature the original Model A's entire frame, but underneath, it will be quite modern. Two electric motors and a 12-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery will provide power alongside a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine for a combined output of 197 horsepower while Mitsubishi's Super All-Wheel Control system will handle power delivery. The Re-Model A project coincides with the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV's arrival in the U.S. this December.
The Re-Model A will include additional modern technologies such as automatic emergency braking and a touchscreen infotainment system.
Ahead of the special Model A project, Mitsubishi will preview the future with the e-Evolution concept vehicle. The battery-electric SUV will debut at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show later this month.
