MITSUBISHI MOTORS HAS ADVANCED THE STATE OF AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT ITS 100-YEAR HISTORY
Mitsubishi has been a proponent of alternative propulsion for its vehicles, particularly with its Drive@Earth initiative.
Mitsubishi is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2017. Throughout its history, the company has continually developed and applied innovative technology in its vehicle lineup. Here are some of the milestones in the company’s colorful past and present:
Mass production of passenger cars
Mitsubishi pioneered the mass production of passenger cars in Japan with the Model A in 1917. The company was then known as the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company, the corporate predecessor of Mitsubishi Motors. The Model-A was developed as a luxury vehicle for top government officials and business executives. It thus strove to be reliable and comfortable, qualities that certainly couldn’t be taken for granted in those days. Based on a Fiat chassis, the seven-seat sedan could go up to 96kph.
All-wheel drive
Mitsubishi is recognized for its all-wheel drive technology, and it can be traced back to the 1933 PX33 prototype. The PX33 is the grandaddy of all of Mitsubishi’s famed four-wheel drive vehicles such as the Pajero and Montero Sport. The PX33 was commissioned for military use.
Later developments included the second-generation Montero’s four-wheel drive system. The 1991 Montero’s Active Trac 4WD allowed the driver to switch between rear-wheel drive and fulltime four-wheel drive while driving at up to 96kph.
Mitsubishi also popularized all-wheel drive for its performance vehicles. Its Lancer Evolution, Galant VR-4 and Eclipse sports coupe featured turbocharged engines that could easily break the tires’ traction if the cars had been offered in front-wheel drive.
Mitsubishi’s solution is to drive all four wheels using its fulltime all-wheel drive system, allowing these powerful cars to properly channel their drive to the payment. Perhaps the technological high point of Mitsubishi’s sports car production was the 3000 GT VR-4. In many ways a sports car ahead of its time, it featured active aerodynamics, allwheel drive and four-wheel steering.
Motorsports
Another area that brought fame to Mitsubishi is motorsports. Its first international race was the Macau Grand Prix using the Mitsubishi 500. The 500 set a course record and won in its class.
In 1992, Mitsubishi entered the Lancer Evolution 1 in the World Rally Championship, beginning a long and successful participation in various forms of rallying. Works driver Tommi Makinen won four consecutive WRC Driver’s Championships from 1996 to 1999.
1998 was a highlight in Mitsubishi’s sporting history. The Montero won the Dakar Rally, sweeping the top four positions. It also won the FIA World Class Cup Cross-Country Rally. The Lancer Evolution took the WRC Constructor’s Championship.
Engine technology
Mitsubishi developed the Silent Shaft engine technology for its four-cylinder engines. A pair of counter-rotating balance shafts helped quell engine vibration in large-displacement inlinefour engines. These gained smoothness comparable to sixcylinder engines. Mitsubishi licensed the technology to Porsche, Fiat, and Saab.
The company was the first to offer a turbocharged diesel engine for passenger cars in Japan.
Low-emissions, electric and hybrid vehicles
Mitsubishi has been a proponent of alternative propulsion for its vehicles, particularly with its Drive@Earth initiative.
Drive@Earth’s objective is to create vehicles that have minimal environmental impact and that are harmonious with society. A fruit of this program is the 2010 Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle (i-MiEV). The i-MiEV is an all-electric mini hatchback that was sold in Japan and the US. It achieves an efficiency equivalent to 47.6 km/liter.
Mitsubishi extended the appeal of electric vehicles in the sporting arena. In particular, it introduced the MiEV Evolution race cars to challenge for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Its debut run in 2012 saw the cars take second place in the Electric Vehicle category. It continued racing, eventually capturing first place in its category in 2014. The MiEV Evolution III were piloted by Greg Tracy and Hiroshi Masuoka. Tracy finished just 2.4 seconds behind the overall winnner, who was running in a gasoline-powered Le Mans sports car prototype.
The current Mitsubishi Mirage is a participant in Thailand’s eco-car program. It boasts of an efficient three-cylinder gasoline engine.
Mitsubishi will combine past and future when it builds a modern-day Model A. This Model A will have the looks of Mitsubishi’s first car, but will be built on the platform of the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle.