Detroit show: Coupe concept an ‘Eclipse’ of the heart

MITSUBISHI unveiled a stunning concept car – dubbed the RA – at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this morning, showing a number of future design cues and pointing to a new-generation Eclipse coupe.

The Eclipse is expected to remain restricted to North America, while the RA concept also seems to be acting as a litmus test in the region for a sports-oriented turbo-diesel model.

Although it looks as mean as the Japanese manufacturer’s latest Evo fighter, the RA runs an economical 150kW 2.2-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine.

The clean-burning diesel includes a new catalytic converter system that features an oxidation catalyst, much like the system used for the Mercedes-Benz Bluetec diesel engines that are already on sale in the US.

The two-seater RA coupe has a sleek profile with a gradual sloping roofline and sits on massive 21-inch rims inside pumped-out wheelarches.

The car uses a lightweight space-frame structure made from extruded aluminium sections and die-cast aluminium components.

It also has impact-resistant plastic resin external panels, which are light and are also easy to recycle.

Traction is taken care of thanks to the RA’s Super-All Wheel Control AWD system that adds active steering and active suspension control to the existing AWD components used for the current Lancer Evo.

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