News

Mitsubishi Pajero Returns From the Dead

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After years of rumors, false starts, and wishful thinking from off-road enthusiasts, Mitsubishi has finally made it official: the Pajero is coming back.

The Japanese automaker has released the first teaser of an all-new Pajero, confirming the return of one of the most accomplished names in four-wheel-drive history. Better yet, Mitsubishi says the SUV will once again carry the Montero badge in certain markets—a detail that immediately raises the possibility of a North American comeback.

For a company that has spent the better part of the last decade leaning on the Outlander for relevance, reviving the Pajero nameplate is a statement of intent.

The new SUV won’t be a direct successor to the independent-bodied Pajero that bowed out in 2021. Instead, it rides on the same ladder-frame architecture as the Triton pickup, placing it mechanically closer to today’s Pajero Sport. Mitsubishi insists, however, that this isn’t merely a pickup-based SUV with a familiar badge attached.

According to the company, the new flagship benefits from model-specific cabin development as well as unique front and rear suspension tuning. Mitsubishi promises a blend of “outstanding off-road capability” and a “refined and comfortable ride”—the kind of language that suggests the engineers are targeting the sweet spot occupied by vehicles such as the Toyota Land Cruiser and Ford Everest.

The teaser image itself doesn’t reveal much beyond a dramatic lighting signature. T-shaped LED elements stretch outward from a prominent Mitsubishi emblem, creating a futuristic interpretation of the brand’s current design language. Interestingly, the lighting arrangement differs from a prototype Mitsubishi previewed back in January, though that discrepancy could simply reflect camouflage, trim-level variations, or ongoing development changes.

Spy photographers have already captured heavily disguised test vehicles, and those images paint a clearer picture. The proportions are unmistakably traditional SUV: upright greenhouse, squared-off bodywork, and muscular fenders wrapped around a wide stance. If Mitsubishi wanted people to compare it with the Land Cruiser, it probably couldn’t have designed a more effective silhouette.

The company describes the newcomer as a “cross-country SUV” and openly positions it as its global flagship. That places it comfortably above the unibody Outlander and signals Mitsubishi’s desire to re-establish itself in a segment where authenticity still matters.

Timing also feels deliberate. Demand for rugged body-on-frame SUVs continues to surge worldwide, with buyers increasingly gravitating toward vehicles that project genuine adventure credentials rather than crossover styling cues. Toyota has found enormous success with the reborn Land Cruiser, while competitors from Ford, Nissan, and Isuzu continue to expand their off-road portfolios.

Mitsubishi now wants back into that conversation.

And few nameplates carry the credentials to make a convincing case. First introduced in 1982, the Pajero was engineered to combine serious four-wheel-drive capability with passenger-car comfort—an ambitious formula at the time. Across four generations, the model sold more than 3.25 million units in over 170 countries and established itself as one of the most successful off-road vehicles ever built.

Its motorsport résumé is even more impressive. The Pajero dominated the Dakar Rally for decades, collecting a record 12 overall victories and cementing its reputation as one of the toughest production-based SUVs on the planet.

Whether the new generation can live up to that legacy remains to be seen. What is clear is that Mitsubishi is betting heavily on the return of one of its greatest hits.

We’ll get the full picture when the covers come off in autumn 2026. Until then, the message from Mitsubishi is unmistakable: the Pajero is back, and it intends to matter.

Source: Mitsubishi

CONCEPT CARS

GM’s New Hummer Concepts Hint at a Bronco-Fighting Future

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The modern GMC Hummer EV is many things: outrageously powerful, technologically fascinating, and almost comically large. It’s also eye-wateringly expensive and weighs enough to make some commercial vehicles nervous. For most buyers, it’s less a realistic purchase and more a rolling demonstration of what General Motors’ Ultium platform can do.

But two new concept vehicles unveiled at GM’s newly opened Advanced Design studio in Pasadena, California, suggest the company may finally be exploring a version of Hummer that exists somewhere closer to reality.

Meet the Hummer X SUV and Hummer X Truck.

Officially, GM insists neither is destined for production. Unofficially? They look suspiciously like a preview of the direction the brand needs to take.

Developed at GM’s sprawling new 148,000-square-foot design facility, the concepts serve as rolling testbeds for future design themes, manufacturing techniques, and technology. More importantly, they answer a question many enthusiasts have been asking ever since the Hummer EV debuted: what if Hummer didn’t have to be enormous?

The answer starts with the Hummer X SUV.

At 188.3 inches long, the concept is roughly the size of a Ford Bronco rather than a suburban shopping mall. Its 116-inch wheelbase is more than ten inches shorter than the current Hummer EV SUV, yet it retains the visual toughness that defines the badge. The upright proportions, chunky fenders, and planted stance all scream Hummer, just without requiring three parking spaces and a second mortgage.

More importantly, the off-road hardware appears to be more than cosmetic.

GM equipped the concept with 37-inch tires, beadlock wheels, Multimatic dampers, removable fender flares, and serious underbody protection. Approach and departure angles of 44 and 46 degrees suggest the designers weren’t merely building something that looks adventurous on Instagram. On paper, at least, this thing appears capable of tackling terrain that would make many production SUVs think twice.

The interior is equally ambitious. A configurable cockpit uses stackable infotainment screens that can be added or removed depending on the driver’s preferences, while an onboard drone can scout trails ahead and relay information back to the vehicle. Some of it feels futuristic for the sake of being futuristic, but concept cars have always been allowed a little imagination.

The Hummer X Truck takes the same philosophy and stretches it into pickup form.

At 207.3 inches long, it’s significantly larger than the SUV but still lands squarely in midsize truck territory rather than competing with today’s gargantuan Hummer EV Pickup. Riding on a 130.7-inch wheelbase, the truck emphasizes modularity and customization, incorporating removable body components and the same off-road-focused attitude as its SUV sibling.

GM also used the pair to showcase a manufacturing process called Flex Fab, which enables low-volume metal part production without traditional stamping tools. It might sound like an obscure engineering footnote, but technologies like this could make niche vehicles easier and cheaper to develop in the future.

And that’s where these concepts become genuinely interesting.

GM may be correct when it says neither vehicle is headed directly to production. Concept cars often exist solely to provoke discussion and test ideas. Yet the thinking behind these Hummers feels too logical to ignore.

The Hummer name remains one of the most recognizable off-road brands in America, but today it’s effectively confined to six-figure electric flagships that occupy a tiny corner of the market. Meanwhile, buyers continue to flock toward vehicles like the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Gladiator—machines that offer genuine off-road capability in packages that are comparatively attainable.

A smaller, lighter, and more affordable Hummer lineup would arguably make far more business sense than relying exclusively on gigantic halo vehicles. It would also allow the brand to reconnect with the rugged, adventurous image that made the original Hummer such a cultural phenomenon in the first place.

Whether these exact concepts ever leave the design studio is almost beside the point.

The important takeaway is that somewhere inside GM, designers and planners are actively imagining a future where Hummer doesn’t have to be the biggest vehicle in the room. And if these concepts are any indication, that future might be considerably more appealing than the one currently sitting in GMC showrooms.

Don’t expect the Hummer X SUV or Truck to arrive unchanged. But don’t be surprised if the next generation of Hummer borrows heavily from what you’re looking at here. In fact, given the direction of the market, it would be surprising if it didn’t.

Source: GM

NEW CARS

AC Cobra Coupé Returns with 799 HP and Big Plans for Global Expansion

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For most manufacturers, a new model is simply another addition to the lineup. For AC Cars, the new Cobra Coupé is something far more significant: a declaration that Britain’s oldest active vehicle manufacturer intends to evolve from a boutique builder of hand-crafted sports cars into a genuine global performance brand.

And if you’re going to announce such ambitions, doing it with a carbon-bodied, V8-powered coupe producing up to 799 horsepower seems like a suitably dramatic way to begin.

Set to enter production next year with customer deliveries slated for 2028, the £399,000 AC Cobra Coupé combines familiar Cobra DNA with modern engineering and international ambitions. While the silhouette may evoke memories of AC’s legendary racing past, the mission behind this car is firmly focused on the future.

The Cobra Grows a Roof—and Nearly 800 Horsepower

At first glance, the Cobra Coupé appears to be the long-awaited fixed-roof counterpart to the 2024 Cobra Roadster. That’s because, mechanically, it largely is.

Around 75 percent of the components are shared with the open-top model, including the Ford-sourced 5.0-liter V8. Buyers can choose between a naturally aspirated 450-horsepower version or a supercharged setup producing 720 horsepower. At the top of the range sits the Clubsport Edition, a limited-run flagship delivering a staggering 799 horsepower and restricted to just 99 examples.

Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels through either a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox or a 10-speed automatic transmission. Naturally aspirated models receive a limited-slip differential, while the more potent variants upgrade to a Torsen unit to better manage the considerable torque on offer.

The chassis is all aluminum, the suspension features double wishbones at every corner, and the body is constructed entirely from carbon fiber. In an era increasingly dominated by electrification and software-defined driving experiences, the AC remains refreshingly mechanical in its approach.

A Modern Interpretation of a Racing Legend

Although the car shares much of its structure with the Roadster, AC insists that virtually everything behind the front fenders is unique to the Coupé. Inspiration comes from the rarely seen AC Cobra A98 fixed-head racer that competed at Le Mans in 1964.

The result is a design that feels unmistakably Cobra yet noticeably more mature and purposeful. The roofline stretches elegantly toward the rear while preserving the muscular proportions that have defined the Cobra for decades.

Inside, AC has resisted the temptation to overwhelm occupants with digital displays. The cabin combines traditional analog instrumentation with a compact touchscreen and a simple three-spoke steering wheel. It’s a layout that prioritizes driving over distractions.

Bigger for a Reason

One of the most striking aspects of the new Coupé is its size.

At nearly 78 inches (1.98 meters) wide, the car is substantially broader than previous AC models. While that might disappoint purists hoping for a more compact interpretation, the decision was driven by global homologation requirements rather than styling preferences.

According to AC’s engineering team, narrowing the car would have significantly restricted its ability to meet road-legal regulations in key international markets, effectively turning it into a track-only machine in many regions.

There was another possible solution: downsizing the engine.

AC never seriously considered it.

As engineering chief Jon Peeke-Vout bluntly put it, replacing the V8 with a smaller powerplant simply “isn’t us.”

Given the company’s heritage, it’s difficult to argue with that logic.

Lightweight by Modern Standards

The prototype currently being shown remains a work in progress, but AC is targeting a curb weight below 3,530 pounds (1,600 kilograms) even in the heaviest supercharged configuration.

That figure may not sound especially light compared with classic sports cars, but within the context of modern high-performance machinery—and considering the car’s dimensions, structural requirements, and nearly 800-horsepower output—it’s a respectable target.

The extensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum should help ensure the Coupé remains focused on performance rather than simply chasing power figures.

The Car That Could Change AC Forever

The most fascinating aspect of the Cobra Coupé isn’t found under its hood.

It’s what the car represents for AC Cars as a company.

Chairman Alan Lubinsky describes the Coupé as AC’s first true “volume” model—a remarkable statement considering the firm’s 125-year history. Today, AC builds roughly 100 vehicles annually. The goal is to increase that figure tenfold, surpassing 1,000 cars per year.

The fixed-roof body style plays a crucial role in that strategy. While convertibles remain popular among enthusiasts, coupes traditionally enjoy stronger demand in major markets such as the United States and the Middle East. The U.S. alone accounts for roughly half of AC’s sales, where the new model will be marketed as the GT Coupé due to licensing considerations.

To support the expansion, AC plans to establish a new UK manufacturing facility. While details remain limited, the plant is expected to handle the majority of production operations, with nearly everything except the chassis being manufactured on-site.

Both the Roadster and the Coupé will eventually be assembled there, although the latter is expected to account for the bulk of production volume.

Beyond the Cobra

The Coupé is only the beginning.

AC executives have already confirmed that additional models inspired by the company’s extensive back catalog are under development. Thanks to the flexibility of the new platform, several historic AC nameplates could return in modern form.

The company’s Classic range—including the Cobra Mk4 and the upcoming Ace—will continue alongside these future products. These vehicles remain built to original specifications while incorporating modern construction techniques, such as aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber bodywork.

An Aceca revival has also been hinted at, while electrification remains part of the long-term strategy. Currently, only the electric Ace is available, but AC says future EV offerings will benefit from significantly updated technology.

The message is clear: AC sees electrification as an option rather than a replacement.

The AC Cobra Coupé arrives at a time when many performance-car manufacturers are abandoning large-displacement engines, embracing electrification, or pursuing ever-more digital driving experiences.

AC is choosing a different path.

With a supercharged V8 producing up to 799 horsepower, a carbon-fiber body, a manual transmission option, and styling rooted in one of motorsport’s most iconic shapes, the Cobra Coupé delivers exactly what enthusiasts expect from the badge.

Yet its true significance extends beyond horsepower figures and lap times.

For AC Cars, the Cobra Coupé isn’t merely a new sports car. It’s the foundation of an ambitious plan to transform a historic niche manufacturer into a modern global performance brand—without forgetting the thunderous V8 soundtrack that made it famous in the first place.

Source: Autocar

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