Left: Turning a family sedan into a souped-up turbo was not easy but Dandenong-based Team Mitsubishi Ralliart got the job done. By Glen Atwell
A TYPICALLY busy industrial Dandenong street hides a four-door machine that Australia is waiting for.
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart (TMR) in Kitchen Road, Dandenong, was given the enviable job of turning Mitsubishi’s standard 380 sedan into a supercharged beast.
But the task, to turn a competent family sedan into a tricked up turbo, was not easy.
TMR team principal Alan Heaphy designed the 380 concept sedan with pure performance and plenty of grunt in mind and if looks are anything to go by this red-rocket will definitely turn heads.
With a supercharged 230kW 3.8 litre V6 engine under the bonnet, the TMR 380 offers motor enthusiasts 30 per cent more power and 30 per cent more torque, 442Nm at 4000 revs, than the standard 380.
Add 19-inch alloy wheels, an edgy body kit that includes side skirts, grilles and twin bonnet scoops into the mix, and it’s easy to see why the 380 was a big hit at the recent Australian International Motor Show.
Mr Heaphy said the TMR 380 stole the show.
“Photos of the concept were leaked through the internet before the car was unveiled at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.
“People were walking into Mitsubishi dealers with copies of these photos, putting them down on desks and saying ‘I want one’,” Mr Heaphy said.
At this stage the TMR 380 is a concept only but Mr Heaphy hinted it could end up in low-level production.
“The transition from concept to production has a lot to do with customer interest, and there has been plenty already,” he said.
As Mr Heaphy and his small but talented team at TMR Dandenong run the finest of combs over the mean-looking bruiser, production cost estimates are well underway.
“We’ll add up the cost of every component in the car and come up with a base figure,” he said.
“There could be some things that need to be replaced or changed to keep the price where it has to be.”
Pricing is, after all, the most important factor – and the TMR 380 has some well-established competition.
The Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo is its most obvious rival, priced at $46,405.
The most expensive 380 is currently the $44,990 GT model.
But Mr Heaphy said the TMR 380 was not designed with mass-market in mind.
“Our 380 is aiming for a niche in the market so we don’t expect to sell 10,000 of these,” he said.
The TMR 380 is set to be priced around the $50,000 mark, slightly more expensive than its big name rivals. But Mr Heaphy believes the new 380 is a winner.
“Rally is the DNA of Mitsubishi, so we’re not targeting BMW drivers.
“But the Magna lovers and those wanting more grunt out of Mitsubishi, here is your answer,” Mr Heaphy said.
The car has Recaro sports seats, borrowed from the Lancer EVO IX, that have been retrimmed with 380 material.
Under brakes, Ralliart developed six-piston brakes stop the front and four-pistons slow the rear.
Other features include a 50mm lowered ride height, adjustable Koni shock absorbers, Goodyear Eagle F1 rubber, satellite navigation, rear-view camera and a DVD entertainment system.
It could be Dandenong’s greatest export.
“The badging was done locally and the Ralliart red paintjob was done by a business across the road, so it’s definitely born and bred in Dandenong,” Mr Heaphy said.
