Bummer... Rally Driver Crashes After Spectator Moons Him [with Video]

A cheeky spectator, known only by the color and shape of his buttocks, is said to be responsible for rally driver Mark Tapper's crash at this past weekend's Rally New Zealand.

As you can for yourselves in the video after the jump, the Auckland rally driver lost control of his Mitsubishi Lancer EVO racer when an unknown individual flashed his crack (33 seconds into the video) ahead of a tight corner causing him to crash and rollover the car.

"A very white bottom that was beside the road put me off for a fraction of a second, then I just ran wide and rolled," Tapper told news reporters.

Via: Jalopnik

Mitsubishi UK Releases Prices for ASX Small Crossover

Mitsubishi's UK arm has announced pricing and specification of its all-new urban crossover vehicle, the ASX. Set to go on sale on July 1, the Japanese automaker's Nissan Qashqai rival will be offered with a choice of two engines, a 115HP 1.6-liter petrol matted to a 5-speed manual, and a 147HP 1.8-liter turbo diesel linked to a 6-speed manual transmission.

The petrol model is available exclusively with front-wheel drive while the diesel can also be specified with an AWC electronically controlled 4x4 system. Pricing ranges from £14,999 to £22,049 (see list for details).

Standard equipment on all variants includes alloy wheels, air conditioning, Automatic Stop & Go, Active Stability Control and Traction Control, aux-in jack, keyless entry, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, dual stage front side and curtain airbags, driver's knee airbag, tilt and telescopic steering column.

"We're targeting customers who would traditionally buy a C-segment car, such as the VW Golf and Ford Focus, but also people looking to down-size from their SUV or family estate car," said Mitsubishi's Managing Director, Lance Bradley. "With the ASX you really do get the best of every world."

Peugeot and Citroen to Rebadge Mitsubishi's ASX / RVR, Sales Start in 2012

Japan's Mitsubishi Motors and France's PSA Peugeot- Citroën are deepening their industrial ties in Europe by announcing yet another collaborative project, this time regarding Mitsubishi's ASX compact SUV.

Under the agreement, Mitsubishi will supply its new ASX crossover (named RVR in Japan) to the PSA group that will make two visually different vehicles for its Citroën and Peugeot brands with sales set to begin in early 2012.

The French variants of the ASX will be available in both four- and two-wheel drive versions, and will use PSA's 1.6 HDi diesel engine with the company claiming that the 2WD model will return less than 4.7lt/100km.

The projected volume for Peugeot and Citroën will reach 50,000 units per year for both brands.

This is the fourth consecutive project between the PSA Group and Mitshubishi, after the Mitsubishi Outlander, Peugeot 4007 and Citroën C-Crosser SUV agreement in 2005, the construction of a joint plant in Russia that has just been inaugurated, and the European launch in late 2010 of the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-zero electric vehicles, based on MMC's Japanese i-MiEV model.

*The opening photo is a Carscoop photoshop

Mitsubishi UK Prices Facelifted Outlander from £25,999

Mitsubishi's UK division has released detailed pricing for its recently updated Outlander crossover, which boasts a newly designed front fascia that brings it in line with the brand's latest models as well as a number of new features including the availability of the twin-clutch Sports Shift Transmission SST.

The first derivative of the refreshed Outlander to arrive in the UK will be a Special Edition variant, the "Juro" which will be available from 1st July, while the rest of the range will go on sale in October.

The Outlander Juro will be offered exclusively with a 2.2-liter DI-D turbo diesel engine with pricing set at £25,999 for the manual version and £27,199 with SST.

Pricing and details for the rest of the 2011 Outlander range will be published in October.