Archive for Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi has revealed some details of the new 5-door hatchback that will be displayed at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March this year.

The car is called the Mitsubishi Prototype-S and is naturally based on the new Lancer family. Mechanical specifications include a 2.0 liter inline-4 DOHC MIVEC turbocharged engine putting out 240 PS and 343Nm of torque. This is mated to a Twin Clutch SST automated manual transmission that puts power to all four wheels via a full-time 4WD driveline which features Mitsubishi Motors’ Active Center Differential (ACD).

Active Center Differential (ACD) uses an electronically controlled multi-plate hydraulic clutch to optimally vary the front-rear torque split to different driving conditions and deliver the best balance between steering response and traction.

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Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Sketch

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The Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT is flying off the shelves and there is currently a 12 month waiting for the car, so if you book the car now you will most probably receive it in end-January 2009. When contacted, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia said the long waiting period is due to overwhelming demand coupled with global production constraints.

Also, there will be a price hike, which Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia says is due to unfavorable exchange rates. According to Mitsubishi, majority of customers who placed bookings in the first two months of launch (August and September 2007) may enjoy the current price, but some may have to pay the hiked price, which is RM119,624.10 OTR without insurance. This new higher price will be effective September 2008 onwards, so if you manage to get your Lancer 2.0 GT before September, you will pay the original price.

As for the few units of the Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GLS variants which are already on Malaysian roads, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia has no plans to officially launch the GLS at the moment, but have brought in limited units to offer to those who have made bookings for the Lancer GT as an alternative car for those who do not want to wait for their 2.0 GT. The Lancer GLS is priced at RM114,500 OTR with insurance.

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Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 GT launched in Malaysia

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These are the latest sketches of the upcoming 5-door version of the new Mitsubishi Lancer. It looks like a closer-to-production version of the original Mitsubishi Sportback Concept that was shown years ago. Expect a production or near-production car to be shown at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March.

One more photo after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Sketch

The “warm” version of the Lancer Evolution, the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is expected to be unveiled sometime in 2008, and it is expected to be based on the 5-door hatch version of the Lancer. The 5-door Lancer was previewed to us through the Mitsubishi Sportback Concept (shown above).

Expected specification level – 240 PS detuned version of the GEMA family Mitsubishi Evolution X engine, the Evo X’s 6-speed Twin Clutch SST automatic, an all-wheel drive system carried over from the Lancer Evolution IX, an aluminium bonnet panel, Recaro front seats, sports steering wheel with paddle shift and a Ralliart radiator grille.

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Mitsubishi set to update model range
Mitsubishi reveals twin clutch SST gearbox

Mitsubishi will be using the upcoming Dakar 2008 endurance race to collect valuable technical feedback on both durability and endurance for its new range of high performance clean diesel engines, which will be used in Dakar 2009.

Some Mitsubishi concept vehicles have already given us a sneak preview of whats in store – one of them being a 2.2 liter found in the Mitsubishi Concept-ZT that produces 188 horsepower and 400Nm of torque and another more high powered one in the Concept-RA putting out 204 horsepower and 420Nm of torque.

Mitsubishi currently uses PSA Peugeot Citroen turbodiesels in cars such as the Mitsubishi Outlander. The turbodiesel Outlander features a biodiesel-capable 2.2 liter turbodiesel producing 156 hp and 380Nm of torque.

There is a second variant of the Mitsubishi Lancer on Malaysian roads now – this particular unit snapped while parked in the Gardens parking lot seems to be a lower spec version called the Lancer GLS.

While the car still has a front lip and side skirts, it lacks the Lancer GT’s rear wing and the wheels are smaller 16 inch ones and of a thick 5-spoke design. The interior is also of a different colour with a two tone design – darker top and a light cream bottom with wood trim. Seats are also light cream. The car is definitely a 2.0 liter with the paddle shift CVT as you can see a 2.0 badge on the rear and paddle shifts in the interior.

Check out more photos after the jump, or head on to the Lancer GT club forums where they have more details on this new GLS.

Click here to read the rest of Mitsubishi Lancer now comes in 2 variants?

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The Mitsubishi Concept-RA could inspire a replacement for the Mitsubishi Eclipse, but for the moment we will have to wait for the 2008 North American International Auto Show to see the car in actual metal as all we have are these artist sketches of the coupe.

Power from a low-emissions 2.2 liter 4-cylinder MIVEC DOHC Variable Geometry Turbocharger turbodiesel engine putting out 204 PS and 420Nm of torque is put down to the ground to all four wheels via the S-AWC driveline from the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The S-AWC system incorporates Active Center Differential, Active Yaw Control, Sport Antilock Brake System, and Active Stability Control.

The low emissions from this turbodiesel engine that meets the US Tier 2 Bin 5 regulations are achieved without urea, instead it relies on a new converter system that brings together diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), NOx trap catalyst (NTC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) technologies.

The Concept-RA’s chassis is constructed with an aluminum space frame made from extruded aluminum sections and die-cast aluminum members, while the engine hood, fenders and other outer panels are made of high impact-resistance and easily recyclable plastic resin.

One more rear view sketch after the jump.

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The new Lancer Evolution’s S-AWC system

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A slew of next generation Mitsubishi models is on the way, set to bring the whole model range of Mitsubishi cars up to date with current times and current design language. First up is a Lancer Ralliart to slot between the usual plain vanilla Lancer sedan and the top of the range Lancer Evolution X.

The Lancer Ralliart’s four pot 2.0 liter turbocharged engine will put out 260 horsepower and will feature all-wheel drive hardware, though not the latest and greatest version in the Evo X, but the previous generation system from the Evolution IX.

The Lancer Ralliart will also be the top of the line model for the upcoming 5-door hatch version of the Mitsubishi Lancer, which you can expect to be strongly based on the Mitsubishi Sportback Concept, one of the first few Mitsubishi concept cars to feature the latest Lancer’s design language.

An electric version of the Mitsubishi i is also in the works, though I doubt it would use the advanced in-wheel motors of the Mitsubishi i MIEV. A replacement for the Mitsubishi Pajero iO (also called the Shogun Pinin) is also in the works, based on the Mitsubishi Concept-cX. Last but not least, the Mitsubishi Galant will receive a full model change in 2010 or 2011, to be based on the Mitsubishi Concept-ZT.

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The new Mitsubishi Concept-ZT was on display at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. The Concept-ZT carries the same design language as the new Lancer (called the Galant Fortis in Japan), but looks like an enlarged version. It should point to how the next generation Mitsubishi Galant will look like.

Just a short recap as regular visitors would have already read about the car in a previous post – the Concept-ZT is powered by a 188 horsepower 400Nm 2.2 liter turbodiesel engine with a VGT turbocharger mated to a Twin Clutch SST gearbox. The car also has an electronic LSD differential for the front, and ASC based on Mitsubishi’s AWD system.

More information on the Concept-ZT is available in the previous post I wrote about the concept car, linked below.

Check out more live photos from the show after the jump.

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Mitsubishi Concept-ZT to be unveiled at Tokyo 2007

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The new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X will be used as a course car for the Japanese leg of the FIA World Rally Championship to be held in Tokachi, Hokkaido from the 26th to 28th October 2007.

A course car – also referred to as Double Zero or Zero cars – travel through the course before competing vehicles to make sure track conditions are okay and everything is ready. The Double Zero car departs 30 minutes before the race starts, and the Zero car departs 15 minutes before the race starts.

This rally-equipped Lancer Evolution X will be modified with an integrated rollcage and various other reinforcements which result in the strength and stiffness of the car being drastically upgraded from the normal road-going version. It will also have a Ralliart-developed constant-mesh close-ratio gearbox, a sump-guard, floor guard with fuel tank protection and mud flaps.