The Mitsubishi Lancer used to be one of the most popular cars to come out of Japan. Used to be.

Back in the 90’s, Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution high-performance program was one of the most popular things to come out of Japan. Those days sure were fun for Mitsubishi.

Speed freaks and adrenaline junkies alike all get geeked up when they hear about a new package from tuning firm, AMS Performance. It’s not enough that these tuners just created an Alpha 10 package for the Nissan GT-R that broke the World Record for Quickest and Fastest GT-R running a 9.3 at 153mph in the quarter mile with a full weight street car.

When thinking of the Mitsubishi Lancer, most car enthusiasts envision a muscular Evolution X charging through a remote mountain pass. While the Evo hogs the spotlight--and the imaginations of car nuts -- it is the humble, less aggressive Lancer that serves as the halo car's foundation and rules the three-diamond's annual sales sheets. In 2010, the base Lancer accounted for 46% of Mitsubishi's total U.S. sales; the Evo only 6%.

We’ve heard plenty of rumors that Mitsubishi might be pulling out of the United States’ car market and it’s not hard to see why such a rumor is circulating.

This station wagon is just about as extreme as they come. It's the Lancer Evolution wagon, a full-blown Mitsubishi Evo with five doors. Same 4WD platform as the rally-bred Lancer Evo IX sedan, same turbocharged goodness.

"This will be the most powerful Golf ever offered," says Andres Valbuena, VW's Golf product manager. "The last was the 250-horsepower Golf R32 [released in 2008]. The 2012 Golf R will have more power and greater fuel efficiency."

The Oulander GT is another value-minded crossover in the garage, this one with Evo-like personality and styling. It's also one of the very few vehicles on the market today with a tailgate that uses a flipdown bottom half-door, making it easy to load gear. But editors are not thrilled with the head unit.

The Geneva Auto Show is still two months away and Mitsubishi has already announced its lineup for the event. Among the many vehicles that are already on sale, Mitsubishi will also be bringing the Concept Global Small (show model)

with seven airbags, Mitsubishi's Fuse hands-free communication system with Bluetooth streaming audio and USB input and the same mechanics we see throughout the line. Up the ante to the SE 2WD and you shell out $21,695 but end up with FAST-key passive entry and one-touch start/stop, 18-inch wheels and auto on/off HID headlights. The final step in the Outlander Sport family is the SE AWC (there it is again), which adds heated front seats, an available (and giant) transparent panorama roof and Mitsubishi's All Wheel Control all-wheel-drive system.

Most of the people who have driven the Outlander GT have had positive comments about this compact sport/utility. One noted, "the Evo-inspired nosejob has done a great job of giving the Outlander some much-needed character. Other than the absence of a telescoping steering column, this loaded variant actually seems like a decent bargain." But at over $33,000, it isn't exactly the least expensive crossover in this category.

Since it was first introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, we've seen the Dodge Caliber concept evolve into the closer-to-production model we caught on our way to work this morning. The 2007 Caliber keeps the familiar Dodge styling, with trademark crosshair grille, wide sculpted wheel forms, big 19-inch wheels and tires, broad shoulders, and bulging hood for a proud, powerful stance. Its yellow paint is certainly not subtle, either.

Here's one that'll win you money at the local pub.

Which of these vehicles has magnesium paddle shifters? A) Chevrolet Corvette; B) Aston Martin DB9; C) 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander; D) A and B but not C; E) B and C but not A.

Import trucks all have one thing in common. They aren't American. Except cases like the 2006 Mitsubishi Raider pickup, which cunningly claims dual citizenship.

There's a fine line between quoting and plagiarism. Quoting means you're borrowing the best parts of a story and giving credit to the author. Plagiarism is bold-faced copying. One is good, the other gets you fired. With that in mind, let's talk about the 2006 Mitsubishi Raider pickup.