It was heavily rumored by Japanese media, in 1992 and 1993, that Mitsubishi Motors intended a hostile acquisition of Honda. While Mitsubishi was riding high off of profitable vehicles such as the Diamante and Pajero, Honda was caught off-guard with the SUV and truck boom and was losing focus after the illness and later death of its founder. However, Honda CEO Nobuhiko Kawamoto took drastic steps, such as exiting Formula 1 and discontinuing unprofitable vehicles to avert a Mitsubishi takeover, which proved effective.[17]