Below is the original press release and launch photos for the limited-run 2002 Mitsubishi Magna Ralliart.
Kindly provided by Mark Munchenberg – an original Magna Ralliart purchaser who still owns the car over 20 years later!
Embargoed 12 noon 28 February 2002
RALLIART MAGNA BLASTS ONTO SCENE
Mitsubishi’s hot new performance Magna – with stunning performance and handling gained through collaboration with Ralliart and their extensive motorsport experience – is now here.
The Ralliart Magna has more than a touch of Mitsubishi’s mind-blowing Lancer Evolution VI about it, in both show and go, and is bound to please the enthusiast driver.
Externally, an EVO 6 inspired body kit gives the car a purposeful, aggressive look, particularly as it sits on 17”X 7” Enkei alloy wheels shod with 225/50 Pirelli P6000 performance tyres.
However, it is under the skin where most changes have taken place, and they have turned the car into a real goer. The engine has been re-worked with a high-lift camshaft, sports exhaust, new cylinder head, increased compression ratio, stainless steel exhaust headers and revised engine management calibration. The result is a delightfully tractable engine that produces 180kW of raw power and 333Nm of torque on normal unleaded petrol. The torque is delivered from quite low in the rev range.
This power is put to the ground with a revised suspension set-up. Springs and dampers have been revised to give more responsive, neutral handling, and were developed in conjunction with performance specialists, Koni. Steering components were also specially calibrated to give the feel and feedback for spirited driving. Consequently, the resulting ride and handling characteristics will be the envy of all mainstream, and many niche sports sedan manufacturers.
The five-speed manual variant comes with a limited slip differential as standard, while the five-speed tiptronic-style automatic has Mitsubishi’s acclaimed Traction and Trace Control.
0-100 km/hour slips by in just 6.71 seconds, while it only takes 14.78 seconds for 0-400 metres. These performance figures give enthusiasts plenty of ‘bang for their buck’, as they put the car at a higher performance level than many exotic imported vehicles, but at a much reduced cost. It is certainly quicker, and more refined, than a Falcon XR6 VCT, XR8 or HSV XU6.
But there has to be ‘whoa’ to go with the ‘go’. The brakes for the hot Magna are 294mm ventilated discs at the front with two-pot calipers, and 284mm ventilated discs at the rear. Brake pad material has also been specially selected to provide great brake pedal feel and fade-free stops. Braking performance is as sensational as the engine performance.
Inside, the Ralliart Magna is trimmed with a red, black and silver theme. It has a special Ralliart instrument cluster with red face and white markings, a premium security-coded 14-speaker 188 watt remote controlled “Eclipse” audio system with 7-CD in-dash facility and the ability to be expanded considerably, uniquely trimmed sports seats for the driver and passenger bearing the “Ralliart’ logo, Momo leather-wrapped steering wheel, as well as silver trim highlights in the centre console.
Ralliart Magna goes on sale at the beginning of May, although orders can be placed immediately. Both manual and automatic variants will sell for $48,990, with an electronic sunroof being the only option for $1,850.
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Detail Photos
