Autoblog

There's an old saying, you only want what you can't have. It holds particularly true in the context of Australia's Mitsubishi 380. The vehicle's Adelaide manufacturing facility was recently shuttered, partially due to lack of interest in the six-cylinder sedan. However, the vehicle's cancellation announcement ended up increasing demand for the final batch of 380s to roll off the assembly line. For that reason, Mitsubishi decided to auction off the final car to its suddenly sentimental Aussie dealers. The last domestically produced 380 ended up fetching $100,000 Australian dollars ($93,364) after all was said and done, which is more than three times its MSRP. John Hughes Mitsubishi, a Perth, Australia dealership, coughed up the cash for the winning bid. Mitsubishi also gave it the honor of choosing a charity to benefit from the proceeds of the sale. Knowing that the 380 in Australia is basically a Down Under-ified version of the Galant on sale in North America, is there any circumstance under which you could imagine paying that much for a Galant?

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi Concept ZT.

It's a foregone conclusion that the Concept ZT unveiled in Tokyo is the styling direction Mitsubishi will take when it unveils a reworked Galant in the next couple of years. So common sense says that the next iteration of the Mitsubishi 380 sold in Australia, which began life in 2005 as a rebadged Galant with a few design tweaks, is going to reappear sharing most of the cues debuted on the ZT.

The fact that Mitsubishi will end production of the 380 at its Adalaide, Australia plant towards the end of March so it can pursue a "full import strategy" is further proof that the next 380 is going to share even more in common with the next generation Galant. While it's not certain that the 380 moniker will be nixed in favor of a Galant badge, it's likely to be packing a choice of new motors that puts fuel-efficiency over performance, including one of Mitsubishi's new diesel mills.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

click on image to enlarge

The Mitsubishi 380 sold in Australia is basically a version of the Galant sedan sold in North America with a few minor styling tweaks. The car's share the same 3.8-liter MIVEC V6 from which the Australian version gets its name, which is why we're so jealous of the Australian market after seeing this 380 TMR concept being shown off at the Sydney Motor Show. The 380 TMR features a supercharged version of the MIVEC 3.8-liter V6 that produces 308 horsepower and 326 ft-lbs. of torque, which are scary numbers indeed for a front-wheel drive sedan, but assuredly entertaining, as well. Aside from the hopped-up engine, the TMR, which stands for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, includes six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes developed by Ralliart, a ride height lowered 50mm on adjustable Koni shocks, and 19-inch wheels bound with Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber. Styling is amped up with a new hood that sports twin scoops and aggressive body kit, while Recaro seats and a Fujitsu sound system are new additions to the interior.

Mitsubishi is seriously considering offering the TMR 380 to its Australian customers in one form or another, either as a two-tier model range with a lower-spec example sporting all the visuals and a top end version that adds the supercharged motor. The automaker might also make the components used to build the TMR 380 available as individual accessories. The business case seems solid, as Mitsubishi has already received orders for the car after it was seen on the internet.

Knowing that the 3.8-liter V6 powering the 380 is available in the U.S.-spec Galant, we're groaning out loud that this supercharged version wasn't offered in the Galant Ralliart. The Galant Ralliart sold here has a normally aspirated 258-horsepower version of the same engine that routs power through a 5-speed automatic. While 258-horsepower is nothing to scoff at, scoff we shall since more powerful motors are offered by the Galant's competition in models that are bereft of much sporting intent. The Toyota Camry's 3.5-liter V6, for instance, produces 268 horsepower, and it doesn't have a TRD badge on the back. It seems Australians have even more power lust than us in North America, and Mitsubishi is happy to feed their need.

[Source: Drive.com.au]