"Amoore100" (amoore100)
08/10/2015 at 20:28 • Filed to: Ridiculous Rebadges, Nissan Fuga, Infiniti Q56, Mitsubishi Proudia | 6 | 23 |
Welcome to Ridiculous Rebadges, a series of articles in which I go through and examine the details and circumstances surrounding some of the more infamous and some of the more esoteric vehicular rebadges throughout automotive history.
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This week for Ridiculous Rebadges we once again head to the Land of the Rising Sun, although today’s entry happens to be quite a bit more current than the past two editions...in fact, it happens to still be on sale today! The vehicle in question is the BY51 Mitsubishi Proudia. It seems that in recent years Mitsubishi has suffered from a loss of sales not only in America but elsewhere in the world as well, leaving them without the money to develop models for themselves. Enter Nissan, a worldwide giant that has partnerships with Renault and Lada, just to give two examples. In this agreement, Nissan agrees to provide Mitsubishi with Nissan Fugas (Infiniti M45/Q70s), Nissan NV200s, and several other models for Mitsubishi to rebadge and call their own. Therefore, we have the Proudia, a car which once was completely designed and built by Mitsubishi now a Nissan wearing triple diamond badges. In fact, the previous Proudia was good enough that Hyundai rebadged it as their first generation Equus, which ended up selling more than the Proudia. Nissan probably hopes that will happen to the newest Proudia, although based on its public perception I doubt that is occurring. However, more hope may lie in the similar Mitsubishi Dignity, a rebadge of the Nissan Cima which is just a long wheelbase version of the Fuga. Feature packages are identical on all the Nissans and Mitsubishis with a few colors being the exception...after all this I’m suddenly inspired to buy a used Infiniti Q70 in a few years and slap Mitsubishi badges on it...how many people do you think will notice that?
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Nissan Fuga Y51/Infiniti M56
[First two images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]
[Third image courtesy of autoworld.wordpress.com and newbestcarsever.blogspot.com]
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Mitsubishi Proudia BY51
[All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]
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Sources:
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My citroen won't start
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 20:32 | 6 |
“Sir, are you sure we shouldn’t remove the Nissan Circle before putting our badge?
Nah, no one will notice”
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 20:33 | 1 |
I know it doesn’t make since but that Nissan badge seems really out of place. Like the Infiniti badge just looks better on the car.
Amoore100
> My citroen won't start
08/10/2015 at 20:36 | 2 |
I know, that’s possibly the laziest thing about the car...but on another note, have you seen the 2006 Dodge Attitude?
Amoore100
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/10/2015 at 20:37 | 1 |
Agreed. I don’t know why Infinitis aren’t sold in Japan even though Lexus has gone into the JDM market...
pjhusa
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 20:53 | 1 |
That’s nothing. On the second gen, they didn't even remove the Hyundai logos!
pjhusa
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 20:54 | 1 |
The Skyline is sold as a Nissan, but there are still Infiniti badges on it. No Nissan badges whatsoever.
Also, the rear is completely debadged.
It looks better.
duurtlang
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 20:54 | 1 |
As far as I know brands like Lexus and Infinity are mostly regional brands. US and the Middle East mostly.
Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW.
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 20:55 | 1 |
Don’t forget the Mitsubishi Dignity (the new one, not the FWD V8) that based on the Proudia.
Spasoje
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 20:56 | 2 |
Ok, this is awesome in a really weird way. I’d totally put that grille on an M45 (or whatever numbered-Q it’s called now)...
Amoore100
> Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW.
08/10/2015 at 20:56 | 0 |
That’s what I described later in the article, the new Dignity which is based on the Cima...
Amoore100
> Spasoje
08/10/2015 at 20:56 | 1 |
It’s a Q70 now, and yes, I would too... :)
Amoore100
> duurtlang
08/10/2015 at 20:57 | 0 |
Yes, but Lexus is also sold in Japan, so I have no idea how it works anymore...
Amoore100
> pjhusa
08/10/2015 at 20:59 | 0 |
I noticed that on the newest Tomica Nissan Skyline...
No badges on the rear whatsoever on the casting as well...man, Tomica is accurate as hell!
Amoore100
> pjhusa
08/10/2015 at 21:00 | 1 |
That’s actually the one I was thinking of but I could only scrounge up the older ones from memory...
JR1
> Amoore100
08/10/2015 at 21:17 | 1 |
This can't be real. I refuse to believe it
Amoore100
> JR1
08/10/2015 at 21:22 | 2 |
Accept it. Be Proudia that it exists. And do please show some Dignity.
Textured Soy Protein
> My citroen won't start
08/10/2015 at 22:27 | 1 |
Except that circle is also present in full-on Mitsubishi seeing wheels, like this here Montero (a.k.a. Pajero).
My citroen won't start
> Textured Soy Protein
08/10/2015 at 22:40 | 1 |
Yes but that circle is 3 things:
Made on purpose
From the 90’s- late 00’s
Actually embroidered(?) on the steering wheel
Textured Soy Protein
> My citroen won't start
08/10/2015 at 22:41 | 1 |
Embossed. ;)
My citroen won't start
> Textured Soy Protein
08/10/2015 at 22:47 | 1 |
Ah yes! That, thanks.
punkgoose17
> Amoore100
08/11/2015 at 09:15 | 1 |
I am on the same page as you. I’d love to have an Infiniti Q70 with Mitsubishi badges.
punkgoose17
> Amoore100
08/11/2015 at 09:16 | 1 |
Wow I did not know about this. According to wiki the 2015+ version a rebadge of the Mitsubishi Mirage sedan.
punkgoose17
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
08/11/2015 at 09:19 | 0 |
I think the Nissan badge looks the best because the Infiniti badge is too large. Also, I think the Mitsubishi badge looks best on the back, but they have the worst front grille.