Hur-Ra for Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi says the Concept-RA it unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is purely a concept to show off some new ideas, but company insiders say the Concept-RA is a clue to a new coupé from the Japanese firm. The new coupé is set to be based on the new Lancer platform and use the same four-wheel drive system.

The Concept-RA uses this all-wheel drive system and powers it with a 201bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine that also produces a hefty 310lb.ft of mid-rev grunt. Mitsubishi has not revealed any performance figures for the RA, but says it will be very clean thanks to low emissions, a new catalytic convertor design and a diesel particulate filter.

Economy and emissions are helped further by the RA's lightweight construction that uses an aluminium spaceframe as the car's skeleton. Aluminium is also used for many of the body panels that are attached to the frame, while other body panels such as the bonnet and bumpers are made from recyclable plastic that is very resistant to impacts.

On top of its green credentials, the Concept-RA comes with an Active Centre Differential, Active Yaw Control and Active Stability Control, all borrowed from the latest Evo X. With so much of the technology in the Concept-RA already in use in Mitsubishi production models, Mitsubishi insiders say it would be possible to get the Concept-RA in production within two years.

Alisdair Suttie