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The Detroit Motor Show is a virtual cornucopia of auto news.
Testament to this fact is Mitsubishi's latest construct -
the RPM 7000.
The name inspires speed and power, with its RPM acronym,
and the styling is also aggressive with bold wheel flares
and a side-mounted exhaust.
Created at Mitsubishi's California design studios, the vehicle
is rather intriguing. The driver's side of the car has a single
door, while on the passenger side there are two gate-fold
doors - much like the sexy new RX-8.
Mitsubishi wanted the new design to bridge the gap between
high-performance and every-day vehicle. The idea was to create
a car with enough room to comfortably seat four - or two with
extra luggage - and at the same time have the ability to commute
without sacrificing comfort.
The body is held up by some very impressive suspension, giving
the RPM a 'jacked-up' look. The 19" wheels give the car
a more sporty stance and help with roadholding.
Under the bonnet is an engine of undisclosed capacity, but
Mitsubishi mentioned the words "hybrid" and "rally
car" so we suspect it could be a 2.0-litre mill.
We do know that it pumps out 315hp to all four wheels - seeing
as it's an all-wheel drive, all-terrain vehicle. The engine
takes advantage of twin-intercooled, twin-turbochargers, which
will see this vehicle's peak-power right up the red-line.
This translates to some serious torque perfect for both steep,
rocky inclines and fast take-offs from the bitumen.
At present, Mitsubishi is undecided on whether or not this
model will go into mass production.
As it stands, the new RPM 7000 appears a little odd at first,
but you never know - in two-years time they could be all the
rage.
With BMW's interesting X Coupé taking a sports car
off-road, and now Mitsubishi heading down the same track,
we could well see a new stlye of car emerge in the next few
years - all-terrain sportsters anyone?
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