SHARK NOSE Concept RA has got a similar nose treatment seen on the Lancer EX

By Lionel Kong

MITSUBISHI IS SET to unveil its newest concept car at next month’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Concept-RA appears to be a design study for the fifth-generation Mitsubishi Eclipse, a highly popular coupe sold in the United States since 1989.

The car came to global prominence when a second-generation Eclipse was featured in the 2001 film, The Fast and the Furious. While we will have to wait until January 2008 to see the real Concept-RA, Mitsubishi has released information on some of the technical details of the car. The list is pure car nerd geek-speak, with a big bunch of acronyms gathered together to describe the technical gadgetry that has been stuffed into the Concept-RA.

Are you ready? Here we go. The Concept-RA has S-AWC and a Twin Clutch SST, both also found in the new Lancer Evolution X. The system also encompasses the ACD, AYC, Sport ABS, and ASC. The car is powered by a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine with MIVEC, and it has a new catalytic converter system with DOC, NTC and a DPF.

Confused yet? So are we, so let’s try and break some of that down into simple english.
S-AWC stand for Super-All Wheel Control, Mitisubishi’s intelligent all-wheel drive system that integrally manages the ACD (Active Centre Differential), AYC (Active Yaw Control), Sport ABS (Antilock Brake System) and ASC (Active Stability Control). The whole lot works together in an attempt to turn you into an instant driving superhero.

The Twin Clutch SST (Sport Shift Transmission) is Mitsubishi’s take on the ultra-quick shifting, semi-automatic gearbox that is currently enjoying widespread popularity in the sporty Volkswagen and Audi models.

The turbo diesel engine found in the Concept-RA is a high efficiency, low emissions four-cylinder unit that is capable of 204bhp and 420Nm of torque. It achieves its clean emissions rating through the use of a DOC (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst), and NTC (NOx Trap Catalyst).
A DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) is fitted along the exhaust path to trap any particulate matter before the exhaust gasses are vented out.
The concept car is built around a lightweight aluminium space frame, with selected body panels made from impact resistant plastic resin.
Mitsubishi has stated that it is using the Concept-RA to gauge customer response in Europe, and should it go down favourably, the production version could make its way there as well. This means that there is also a very slight possibility of the car making its way to Singapore, should a right-hand drive version ever be put into production.