I am really excited by this car, it echoes some of what has been going on behind closed doors at Mitsubishi for some time, but also shows that there are still people and workshops who are loyal to the brand and are more than capable of putting out some awesome machinery!
Main article courtesy of the MLR:
Mitsubishi R5 is launched At 10.00am on Saturday 20th September, the
all-new Mitsubishi R5 was officially launched at RallyDay - the annual
event that celebrates the sport of rallying - at Castle Combe Race
Circuit in Wiltshire, South West England. The car was revealed in front
of an expectant crowd, who witnessed its first public appearance outside
Scandinavia.
....
Based on the new Mirage (badged Space Star in European territories), the
Mitsubishi R5 has been designed and developed by Tomas Weng of Mpart AB
(Ralliart Sweden) and is built to comply with R5 Class regulations.
It is fitted with a 1620cc version of the Mitsubishi 4B11 engine from
the Evolution X. It features a five-speed Sadev transmission and
four-wheel-drive system, with MacPherson suspension all-round, mated to
specially designed subframes and Öhlins dampers.
Following the unveiling, Tomas Weng was interviewed about his latest creation that has been 18-months in the making:
“A great deal of thought has gone into the design and development of
this car. We have kept it as simple and efficient as possible and have
used as many Mitsubishi parts as we can. We are confident this will make
the car straightforward to maintain and has enabled us to offer it at a
competitive price.
“We are extremely excited about this car and believe it has a great
future. So far, customer enquiries have exceeded our expectations and
confirmed sales have already reached double figures.”
An extensive testing programme is due to commence in October and the car
is scheduled to enter its first event early next year. Orders are now
being taken. Customers requiring further details can visit:
www.mitsubishiR5.com
Technical specification
Engine: 4-cyl, 16v, transverse 1620cc
Garrett turbo with 32mm restrictor
Gems ECU
Power/Torque: 280 hp (approx) @ 7500rpm
450 Nm (approx)
Transmission: Sadev 5-speed sequential
Mechanical diff front & rear with AP coupling
Suspension: MacPherson strut, all-round
Öhlins dampers
Docal subframes
Brakes: AP 4-pot front & rear, ventilated disks:
Asphalt 355mm / gravel/snow 300mm
Wheels: Asphalt: 18 x 8’’
Gravel: 15 x 7”
Snow: 16 x 5”
Dimensions: Length: 3740mm
Width: 1820mm
Height: 1490mm (depending on set up)
Wheelbase: 2470mm
Weight: 1230kgs (min)
Specifications subject to change
Technical and sales enquiries
Tomas Weng
+46 (0)19-6721600
tomas@mpart.se
Media enquiries
Simon Slade
+44 (0)7966 153555
simon@rpmpromo.com
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