Autoblog

Click for more hi-res images of the Mitsubishi Prototype S

Autobild spilled the beans over the weekend, and today, Mitsubishi lifted the embargo on its Geneva-bound Prototype S, which is basically the forthcoming Lancer Sportback in light concept trim. Beneath the hatchback's skin lies the powertrain used in in the new US-market Lancer Ralliart -- 240 horses, dual-clutch, full-time AWD, and active center differential. It's anyone's guess whether Mitsubishi will elect to offer it outside Europe, where the body style is sure to be a bread-and-butter seller. We certainly wouldn't turn it away, though; there's always room for more hatchbacks with "go." Check out the new high-res shots in the attached gallery, and Mitsu's official release after the jump.


[Source: Mitsubishi]

Click image for a gallery of the Prototype S

German pub Autobild has spilled the beans on the Geneva-bound Mitsubishi Prototype S. The "S" is for Sportback, and this show car forecasts a future production vehicle that will probably carry that moniker. The Sportback is crucial for the European market, where hatches account for the majority of car sales. Up front, you essentially have the Lancer Ralliart's nose, which is dressed up with more ornate, concept-style headlamps and foglights. Head around to the car's rump, and you can almost see Mitsu's people drawing a line in the sand, daring the 5-door WRX to come over and "play." The sloping rear hatch is topped by a large, body-colored roof spoiler, and restyled rear lighting wraps from the lid onto the quarter panels. Dual exhaust tips poke through a diffuser insert on the rear bumper, and stylish split-spoke wheels in a gunmetal finish occupy the lightly-flared fender cutouts. Mechanically, it seems that the Prototype S is outfitted with the same running gear as the Lancer Ralliart. The 2.0L turbo four delivers 240 PS (236 hp) and 343 Nm (253 lb-ft) of torque through a dual-clutch setup to a full-time AWD system with an active center differential. It's cool, we want it, and most importantly, it'd fit -- after all, Subaru markets the WRX here as both a sedan and a hatchback. Come on, Mits. Go tit for tat with them and bring this one across the pond after you give it to Europe.


[Source: Autobild]

Media days of the Detroit Auto Show have come and gone, and we've done our best to provide you with plenty of pics and updates of all the significant debuts during North America's biggest auto show. We scoured through all the new concepts and world debuts to give you our five most significant new products at NAIAS. Click on the video above to view the Autoblog Five, and be sure to give us your top five all-new concepts and world debuts after the jump.

Click image to enlarge

According to poster jmk2888 at the EvolutionM.net forums, the car you see here is indeed the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. The poster, who indicates that he works for Mitsubishi in California, says that the car was in the lot briefly but is now "on the way to an auto show." Funny, we happen to be going to an auto show next week, so let's assume the Lancer Ralliart's on its way to Detroit for its official unveiling.

According to the jmk2888, here are the pertinent stats. To be safe, treat everything as speculation for now until we get official info from Mitsubishi:

• 230 - 240 turbocharged horsepower
• AWD
• 5-speed manual gearbox or Twin Clutch SST available
• Recaro front seats
• Gunmetal-finish Lancer GTS wheels
• GTS rear wing
• Nav system available

In front, the Ralliart gets a unique fascia dominated by a large (but not Evo X-large), chrome-rimmed grille opening. At the top right section of the grille itself, you can see the telltale Ralliart badge. According to the poster, the car in the photo is painted in the orangey-red "Sunset Pearlescent" finish that's currently available on the Eclipse. He also states that there's Ralliart branding on the rear of the car, and some other posters have noted that this car appears to be equipped with the same HID headlamps as the Evo X. Assuming it's going to be in Detroit, expect complete details and many photos of Mitsu's new Subaru WRX competitor early next week.

[Source: EvolutionM via Carscoop]

Drive.com.au had a chance to sit down with one of Mitsubishi's execs and during the course of the conversation was able to pry a few details out about the upcoming Lancer Ralliart.

As we've already known, the Ralliart-massaged version of the Lancer has its sights squarely set on the Subaru WRX, and in order to compete with the entry-level rally machine, Mitsubishi has to bring two things to the table: all-wheel-drive and turbocharging.

The plan is to offer a similar lineup as Subaru, with the Ralliart slotting in below the Evolution X. Doing so, Mitsubishi intends to turbo a 2-liter inline four and hook it up to a five-speed gearbox that will send power to all four wheels, hopefully using as much of the Evo's hardware as possible.

The Ralliart will be released after the Evolution X, which is expected to hit dealers sometime in 2008.

There was also mention of a 2.4-liter model (which we doubt would have a snail attached) and a hatchback version that would replace the wagon variant seen in the past. However, since said exec was talking to an Australian news outlet, there's no guarantee that we would see such a vehicle Stateside.

Our favorite quote of the article, however, came at the end, when Mitsubishi's Robert McEniry said that the Australian Lancer would look nearly identical to the version we'll see here in the States, except with "less US chrome."

[Source: Drive.com.au]