Mitsubishi Concept-RA
Posted on 01.17.08 4:33PM under Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi is not giving in to the idea that clean, green cars have to have the driving excitement of a sailboat on a windless day. Rather, the Japanese automaker wants to fuse two areas once considered polar opposites: environmental sensitivity and high performance.
Making its global premiere at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, the Mitsubishi Concept-RA coupe has under its hood a 2.2-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder turbo-diesel with MIVEC, Mitsubishi??™s variable valve timing technology.
A similar unit was shown in the Mitsubishi Concept-ZT that debuted in October at the Tokyo auto show. The result is a clean diesel that delivers 201 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, figures that equate to high performance when complemented with a lightweight frame, if the rest of the package is up to the task.
Don??™t let the concept car??™s drivetrain fool you, though. The Concept-RA is a strong hint at the 2010 Eclipse, which will be based on the Lancer platform. This next Eclipse will be offered with the same turbo four and all-wheel drive as the Lancer Evolution X. This represents a move back to the small, light, tuner-friendly character that made the Eclipse cool in the first place. We can??™t wait.
The concept??™s design, which draws visual cues from the 2008 Eclipse, utilizes the sinuous curves one would expect from a performance vehicle. To accompany Mitsubishi??™s ???green-focused??? future, the Concept-RA has outer panels made of ???high impact-resistance and easily recyclable plastic resin?????”reminiscent of what is often returned at the supermarket for pennies.
In addition, the concept has a new spaceframe made from extruded aluminum sections and die-cast aluminum members.
The high-output diesel in this concept is paired with such features as Mitsubishi??™s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC), for improved traction, cornering, and vehicle stability, and the automaker??™s twin-clutch SST (Sport Shift Transmission), both of which will be available on the Evolution X when it goes on sale early next year.
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