Research and development teams at Mitsubishi have been working on building a car that can combine a green personality with a high performance demeanor. The Mitsubishi RA concept car is the result of such an endeavor. The RA was built to utilize clean diesel technology without sacrificing adrenaline producing performance. Like most concept cars, it’s extreme in it’s design and aspirations, but worth taking a look at.
Drive train wise the RA concept car is comparable to the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. It features Super-All-Wheel-Control (S-AWC), which helped make the Evolution a winning rally car capable of maneuvering over the roughest terrain. Included in this system is stability control which is capable of adjusting torque and braking to help maintain a straight line. When all components are working together it provides maximum traction, control, cornering, and vehicle stabilization.
Powering the RA concept car is a 2.2 liter 4 banger 16 valve turbo diesel engine. To achieve it’s high efficiency while maintaining performance attributes, the engine features Mitsubishi’s MIVEC that offers constant variable valve timing control. The small liter engine is capable of producing just over 200 horsepower, but an amazing 300 ft lb of torque. This high torque engine, coupled with the light weight design of the RA, makes for performance you can feel in the seat of your pants. Consider this, the RA’s engine produces more torque than the 4.6 liter V8 found in the 2010 Ford Mustang.
