FTO AUSTRALIA

the new Mitsubishi concept car unveiled in the USA










QUOTE "Mitsubishi hopes the future of hybrid technology resides in its CT MIEV concept vehicle, shown again at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show. The CT, a B-series vehicle artfully styled in California is a bold step ahead for Mitsu; both in the styling and the innovative MIEV drivetrain. The Mitsubishi In-wheel-motor Electric Vehicle (MIEV) program consists of one lightweight-aluminum electric motor mounted on the inside of each of the four 20inch wheels. A mid-mounted one-liter gasoline engine is used solely to make the electricity powering the in-wheel-motors: unlike other, more conventional hybrids, the gasoline engine never propels the car directly. The four electric motors combine to produce 140hp and, as they act independently of one-another, full-time all wheel drive. Ditching the transmission lets Mitsubishi mount the fuel tank beneath the driver for more interior space. The most appealing prospect of the Mitsubishi CT MIEV Concept is its flexibility. The gasoline engine could be replaced with any of the alternative fuel engines currently being investigated, including hydrogen."

CYA Tarkus

I like it

Now why can't Mitsubishi Australia pull their head's out of their arses and design something original and exciting?

Now why can't Mitsubishi Australia pull their head's out of their arses and design something original and exciting

Because they'd sell the IP to the Americans before you ever saw it!!!!

It's different and looks kinda cool but imagine driving round with that big arse wheel and crappy seats. besides 140hp thats not exactly a supercar!

Nothing that a 4G63 and some recaros couldnt fix

It looks like a loaf of bread, so is it call Mitsubishi Helgus

yeah i think that a bunch of people with way too many ideas sat around and thought up one of the most unpractical, uncool and downright gayest designs they could. They did a good job of it though gotta give them credit

cb wrote:yeah i think that a bunch of people with way too many ideas sat around and thought up one of the most unpractical, uncool and downright gayest designs they could. They did a good job of it though gotta give them credit

Hey hey hey!

Don't put the Mitsubishi 380 down like that

I actually saw one of the 380VRX's or GT or whichever is the highest model in silver with 18"s.

I thought it looked pretty damn cool!

I reacon that all these new concept cars are all designed with looks and be ready for the future with all this futuristic technology that is suppost to be better for the environment, I think they are leaving the things behind that make a car exciting to drive.

Whats goin to happen when cars only going to have electric motors, what are they going to have aftermaket parts like capasitors so they can give the electric motors a boost, I reacon the thrill of driving with be a thing in the past or maybe in a different form, who knows?

Yeah they should bring back the 1987 HSR concept!

Apart from the Jetson's dome, that car actually did have nice dimensions. I'm sure it helped pave the way for the GTO and FTO shapewise IMO.

i have just done a search on fast electric car and one of the returns was this

The World's Fastest Electric Car
Dan Lienert



AC Propulsion's tzero roadster is a reason to not give up on the electric vehicle. The tzero does 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to the company, and it does it on only 200 horsepower because of its light weight and torque.

The San Dimas, Calif.-based company says the tzero (pronounced "tee-zero," not "chair-o") has compared favorably in acceleration tests to Corvettes, Porsche 911s--and even a Ferrari F355, which it claims to have "out-accelerated...by eight car lengths" in one-eighth-mile drag races. If for nothing else, the tzero's $220,000 sticker price puts it in exotic-car territory.

The low weight helps make the tzero so quick, but its torque--the turning force that pulls it off the line--is just as important, if not more. Conventional internal combustion engines need to rev to a certain rate before reaching their peak torque, but the tzero's torque peaks instantly, with 183 ft-lbs. available from 0 to 5,000 rpm.

Of course, AC Propulsion, a specialist in electric vehicles, must realize that demand for electric cars has toppled. Ford Motor (nyse: F - news - people ) recently announced plans to discontinue the electric version of its Ranger pickup, and hybrids, diesels and hydrogen cars now seem like more viable alternatives to electric cars, whose customers have complained about their golf-cart powerplant noise and limited range.

Indeed, the tzero can only go 280 to 300 miles at 60 mph without recharging--even if it can recharge on any 120- or 240-V power socket. And if you accelerate it like an Italian exotic, or even take it on a hilly route, that range can decrease by up to about 20%.

The range has actually increased over time. AC Propulsion had made the tzero with lead-acid batteries since 1997, but this year released a revamped version with the kind of lithium-ion batteries used in laptop computers. The range, which increased to 280 to 300 miles from 100 miles per charge, now compares well with fuel cell cars.

But even if AC Propulsion claims the vehicle has efficiency equivalent to 70 mpg (and zero emissions), the tzero is, to a certain extent, an exercise in automotive fantasy. Its Spartan interior looks like a science project, in which most of the controls apart from the CD player are gadgets to monitor the battery and tiny 110-lb. motor. Drivers get an analog current meter, voltmeter, altimeter, and battery-voltage display with LED lights that measures temperature and charging limits.

Remember, though, this is more of an experiment than a traditionally appointed car. The tzero does not come with air-conditioning. And to lower its top and windows, you detach them and store them in the trunk. Talk about alternative energy expenditures.

And it looks not too bad.

Cya Tarkus

How much does it actually weigh?