Sports Car Blog

Mitsubishi has introduced their new Lancer ralliart which is on sales now in most country such as US, Canada and Australia.

This new 2009 Lancer Ralliart is detuned version of the 4B11T pulled from the Evolution X but with different intake plumbing, turbocharger (single-scroll as opposed to the Evo’s twin-scroll unit), and intercooler. The engine displaces a familiar 2.0 liters and puts out a respectable 237 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque, exhaling through a dual-exhaust setup that’s nearly identical to the Evo’s. Peak power arrives at 6000 rpm and max torque is available from 3000 rpm, the Ralliart is not as high revving, with a 6500-rpm redline versus the Evo’s at 7000 rpm. With the performance, this car can sprint from 0-60 mph in a steady 5.5 seconds.

The styling is more Lancer Evolution than Lancer throwaway econobox, and manages to maintain the snarling look of the Evo while staying subdued enough to appeal to compact sports car fans who may be turned off by oversize hood scoops and picnic table rear spoilers.

Check Mitsubishi’s full press release and gallery of live and press shots below.

PRESS RELEASE

The new Lancer Ralliart reinforces the sporty identity of the Lancer lineup (Lancer, Lancer Ralliart and Lancer Evolution) with aggressive styling and driving performance that creates a unique product between the Lancer GTS 2.4 and the Lancer Evolution models. The Lancer Ralliart makes effective use of the Lancer’s rigid unibody and four-wheel independent suspension by mating this capable chassis to a turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive.

Mechanical
Lancer Ralliart is powered by the new 4B11 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC intercooled and turbocharged engine (also used in the Lancer Evolution) that develops an estimated 235 horsepower. The engine is mated to Mitsubishi’s efficient Twin Clutch-SST gearbox that helps enhance the sporty nature of the vehicle by allowing the driver to execute lightning-quick, silky-smooth, paddle-actuated shifts. The TC-SST transmission also operates in fully automatic modes for Normal and Sport driving conditions.
The Lancer Ralliart’s full-time 4WD driveline features Mitsubishi’s Active Center Differential (ACD). The ACD unit employs an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch center differential, vectoring drive torque to the front and rear according to different driving conditions to realize the best balance between steering response and traction characteristics on Tarmac, Gravel, or Snow surfaces.
Lancer Ralliart is also equipped with front helical limited slip differential and a rear differential mechanical limited slip differential.

Design
Elaborating on the basic sporty design and proportions of the Lancer, the Lancer Ralliart exterior is distinguished by its more aggressively styled front bumper design, rear bumper cover, dual outlet muffler and a lightweight aluminum, ducted hood that delivers cooling air to the turbocharger.
The interior design places greater emphasis on function and vehicle control. Lancer Ralliart is equipped with FAST key, Bluetooth® hands-free telephone interface, the same Twin Clutch-SST shifter used on Lancer Evolution, and easily accessible steering column mounted paddle shifters.
Available equipment and options to include: Recaro seats, HID headlights, 650-watt Rockford Fosgate 9-speaker audio system, Sirius satellite radio, power sunroof, and a 30-gigabyte hard drive navigation system with digital music server.