Tricked-up Triton hard to miss
No matter what, you can’t deny that this is one loud-looking Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck.
Love is a hurricane of orange paint and monster wheels for the Triton, which has been tricked up for the UK’s Fast & Furious Live series of shows by Mitsubishi and Boyzone singer Shane Lynch.
When you say nothing at all, it might be because you’re blown away that a boy-bander is claiming to be an expert at car modification.
But Lynch has quite a bit of cred: he’s raced in the British GT Championship and is currently a top contender in the British Drift Championship.
When the going gets tough, this Triton (it’s still called the L200 in the UK) can rely on what Mitsubishi calls its ‘‘extreme offroad’’ credentials.
It’s also a key part of the brand’s promotion: Mitsubishi is an official partner with the show and standard versions of the truck are used by the production teams.
Nobody knows how many hours have been spent on the truck.
To provide clearance for the Modular steel wheels – the rears measuring a huge 15x15 inches – and the extended suspension travel, the double-cab bodyshell is encased by an external roll cage, which wraps around the wheel arches, front bumpers, and custom-fabricated, laser-cut metalwork. Topping it off is twotone grey and black paint with details picked out in bright orange.
‘‘All that I need is a bigger turbo’’, Lynch reportedly said.
So the Mitsubishi runs an uprated version of the standard 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine, but with power boosted by a hybrid Garrett turbocharger, custom side-exit exhaust and manifold.
There’s a larger, front-mounted intercooler, an ECU remap to take advantage of the increased turbocharger size and a freerflowing, 3D printed air intake and performance air filter.
Isn’t it a wonder that it looks like a racing car inside? The Triton cabin is fully stripped with only the bare essentials remaining – a pair of Corbeau carbon fibre bucket seats and four-point Luke race harnesses.
Separate cars are used for various parts of the show. ‘‘Mitsubishi Motors in the UK and Shane have helped us to bring something very special to our live arena production,’’ says James Cooke-Priest, chief executive of Fast Live Productions.
‘‘Stronger structure and style are what the truck is about,’’ says Lynch himself: ‘‘It’s been amazing to team up with two brands that really appreciate vehicles that are built to perform and also have the imagination to create a truck that’s completely unique.
‘‘We’ve gone all-out on the build and the result is something which not only looks the part but has the power to match.’’