TommyKaira Takes on the Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart, First Official Photo

It looks like Japanese tuning firm Tommy Kaira is on a roll lately. Besides releasing initial details on its proposed tuning packages for the latest generation Toyota Prius hybrid, Tommy Kaira has also published the first official photo / rendering of the company's take on the Japanese domestic market Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart that has been christened the Colt-R.

We're still short on details, but the picture reveals that the modified Colt-R gets a cosmetic makeover with a redesigned front end that includes a new grille and a more aggressively styled bumper while the 5-door supermini also features a carbon-fiber racing strip that runs nose-to-tail.

As with other Tommy Kaira projects including the Prius, the Colt-R has been stripped out of any Mitsubishi and Ralliart brand logos.

While we don't have any other photos of the final product (the rest of the images in the gallery depict an unfinished prototype model), we suspect that Tommy Kaira's Colt-R will also get a newly styled rear bumper with matching side skirts, roof spoiler and different alloy wheels, and maybe even some mechanical upgrades.

The standard JDM Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 154HP that sends power to the front wheels through a Getrag five-speed manual gearbox.

The Japanese tuner said that further details and photos will be released at a later date.

TommyKaira Takes on the Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart, First Official Photo

It looks like Japanese tuning firm Tommy Kaira is on a roll lately. Besides releasing initial details on its proposed tuning packages for the latest generation Toyota Prius hybrid, Tommy Kaira has also published the first official photo / rendering of the company's take on the Japanese domestic market Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart that has been christened the Colt-R.

We're still short on details, but the picture reveals that the modified Colt-R gets a cosmetic makeover with a redesigned front end that includes a new grille and a more aggressively styled bumper while the 5-door supermini also features a carbon-fiber racing strip that runs nose-to-tail.

As with other Tommy Kaira projects including the Prius, the Colt-R has been stripped out of any Mitsubishi and Ralliart brand logos.

While we don't have any other photos of the final product (the rest of the images in the gallery depict an unfinished prototype model), we suspect that Tommy Kaira's Colt-R will also get a newly styled rear bumper with matching side skirts, roof spoiler and different alloy wheels, and maybe even some mechanical upgrades.

The standard JDM Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 154HP that sends power to the front wheels through a Getrag five-speed manual gearbox.

The Japanese tuner said that further details and photos will be released at a later date.

Mitsubishi Withdraws from Dakar and all Cross-Country Rallies

Another one bites the dust; the latest victim of the widespread financial crisis is Mitsubishi's off-road sport division as the Japanese firm has decided to withdraw from the Dakar Rally, the Dakar Series and all cross-country rallies. Mitsubishi had taken part in the Dakar rally twenty-six times, winning a total of twelve times, including seven consecutive victories.

"The sudden deterioration of the global economy made it necessary for the company to focus its resources more tightly, and for this reason the decision was taken to withdraw its Mitsubishi Motorsports (MMSP) works team from all cross-country competitions," said the company in a statement.

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback 5-door with up to 237HP Coming to U.S. this Summer

It's official; Mitsubishi has confirmed that the all-new five-door Lancer Sportback will arrive in U.S. dealerships this summer as a 2010 model year. Though one would expect the opposite, the 5-door Sportback's overall length is actually slightly longer than the Lancer four-door sedan. The Sportback will be offered in the States in two trims, the GTS model fitted with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 168-hp, mated to either a five-speed manual or six-speed CVT automatic transmission, and the one that most of us are interested in, the Ralliart version powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine pumping out 237-hp and 253 lb.-ft. of torque.

The Lancer Sportback Ralliart will come with the EVO's all-wheel control (AWC) with Active Center Differential (ACD) and six-speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST). Pricing and detailed information on the U.S.-spec Lancer Sportback will be announced nearer to its summer on-sale date.

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart 237Hp Priced at $26,490

The long-awaited Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart will arrive at U.S. dealerships with a base price of $26,490. Essentially a toned down and less powerful EVO X, the Lancer Ralliart comes equipped with a 237 HP 2.0-liter turbo engine teamed exclusively with a twin-clutch semi-auto transmission and a full-time 4WD driveline featuring Mitsubishi's Active Center Differential (ACD) unit. The Lancer Ralliart is also equipped with a front helical and rear mechanical limited slip differentials, standard Active Stability Control (ASC) with Traction Control (TCL) and 18-inch alloy wheels with 215/45 R18 Yokohama ADVAN summer tires. -Continued

Just for reference, the outgoing 2008 Impreza WRX Sedan 224HP is priced from $24,350 (see the 2009 WRX 265 HP here) while the Ralliart’s bigger brother, the 291HP EVO X, from $32,990.

Lancer Ralliart buyers can also opt for the RECARO Sport Package which costs $2,750. The package adds Xenon HID headlamps, 650 watt Rockford Fosgate, Sirius Satellite Radio with 6-months subscription and RECARO front sport seats found on the Lancer Evolution GSR. A new 40-GB HDD navigation system is also available as either a port-installed option or as a dealer accessory.

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback X Coming in 2010

According to Japanese sources, Mitsubishi is readying a crossover version of its new Lancer Sportback model that’s expected to hit international markets by early 2010. As you can see in this computer generated image that was scanned from an unnamed Japanese car magazine by one of our readers, the Lancer Sportback X features a slightly raised suspension for better ground clearance and a protective body cladding combined with new alloy wheels and a different front grille. -Continued

In terms of mechanical upgrades, though details are scarce, it is rumored that the 5door Lancer Sportback will get the EVO X / Ralliart’s full-time 4WD driveline. If that’s the case then we wouldn’t be surprised if Mitsubishi also offers a Ralliart version of the Lancer Sportback X equipped with the 240 Hp turbocharged 2.0-liter engine.

Thanks for the pic R.T.!