NAIAS Highlights: Concepts
Rally-inspired concept car
The Mitsubishi RPM 7000, representing the fourth in a series of futuristic sportscars, takes its design and performance cues from race vehicles. Sporting a geo-mechanical edginess and a Formula 1 racecar-inspired front end, the vehicle presents a sloping roofline that traces to a body-retracting rear window and a rear decklid that functions similar to a roll-top desk cover. Material choice for the hood, wing, and bumpers is carbon fiber.
The rear passenger seats can be folded to make a cargo area that resembles a pickup truck. The driver's side features a single door, while the passenger side reveals two center doors that open to a four-passenger interior.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally racing engine was reengineered specifically for the RPM 7000 and produces 235 kW (315 hp) at 6500 rpm. The 2.0-L, DOHC four-cylinder engine sports a twin-intercooled, twin-scroll heavy-pressure turbocharger that channels power through an Active Control Transfer. The variable-torque all-wheel-drive system features a viscous coupling center differential. A close-ratio five-speed manual transmission uses an all-carbon, three-plate competition clutch.
The RPM 7000 uses ventilated brake rotors featuring eight-piston brake calipers up front with a four-piston design in the rear. The vehicle rides on 19-in, six-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels mounted to Goodyear tires patterned after Formula 1 rain treads.
A racecar-inspired cockpit integrates a roll cage into the internal support structure. The driver can operate the gear shifter, ignition point, and onboard switches while wearing racing gloves. A touch-screen monitor incorporates the vehicle's climate control system, onboard navigation, music system, satellite feed, and MP3 capability as well as rally racing functions, including a stage timer and engine management control display.
- Kami Buchholz
