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A supercharged 380 sports sedan adds punch to Mitsubishi's large car lineup, writes BRUCE NEWTON.
Mitsubishi TMR 380
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Mitsubishi is determined to convert the TMR 380 motor show concept revealed in Sydney this morning into a production vehicle.
The fiery red 380 features a supercharged version of the 3.8-litre V6 engine developed by West Australian-based specialiast Sprintex. Power increases by 31 per cent to 230kW and torque by 29 per cent to 442Nm.
Mitsubishi boss Rob McEniry revealed potential customers had already tried to place orders for the TMR 380 after sightings on the internet.
"We have been a little embarrassed by that, so we are going to have to move this along pretty quickly," he said. "It's just a matter of working through the homologation."
McEniry suggested that some components may come to market as accessories, while a two tier model range could also be considered. A version with the concept's aggressive bodywork could be on-sale this year, while a higher-spec version that adds the performance parts could appear in the first half of 2007.
Pricing for a full-house production TMR 380 is far from sorted, but the most obvious established rival is Ford's Falcon XR6 Turbo. It retails for $46,405. The most expensive 380 is currently the $44,990 GT.
The TMR 380 was one of two supercharged concept cars shown by a local manufacture at Darling Harbour today. Toyota also presented its Aurion Sports Car Concept, which will produce 240kW when it goes into limited production mid-2007.
The Mitsubishi takes its name from Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, which runs the company's Australian Rally Championship campaign and also performs road vehicle modifications.
TMR put the show car together at its Melbourne base, based on Mitsubishi's design brief of improving the performance and appeal of the 380 while delivering the flavour of the iconic Lancer Evo series.
It also presented a hotted up version of the Lancer Evo IX named the TMR 220. Aimed at sprint and hill climb enthusiasts, the 220 goes on-sale in January with pricing expected to be pitched between $75,000 and $80,000.
The TMR 380 includes Ralliart developed six-pot brakes at the front and four-pot Brembos at the rear, a 50mm lowered ride height, adjustable Koni shock absorbers, 19-inch alloy wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber.
Externally, the TMR 380 has a full body kit and twin bonnet scoops. Features inside include Recaro leather seats and a Fujitsu 10 sound system.
