Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 | |
---|---|
I4, turbo | |
Transmission | Four-wheel drive, 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Length | 456cm-466cm |
Chronology | |
Successor | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution |
The Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 (Viscous Realtime 4WD) was the range-topping version of Mitsubishi Motors' Galant model, available in the sixth (1987–93), seventh (1993–96) and eighth (1996–2002) generations of the vehicle. Originally introduced to comply with the new Group A regulations of the World Rally Championship, it was soon superseded as Mitsubishi's competition vehicle by the Lancer Evolution
Background and competition history
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) sought to improve its image through the established path of participation in
However, Mitsubishi — and their competitors — realised that the WRC cars of the '80s were simply too big and ungainly for the tight, winding roads of rally stages. Sometime around 1992,
WRC victories
No. Event Season Driver Co-driver 1 39th 1000 Lakes Rally 1989Mikael Ericsson Claes Billstam 2 38th Lombard RAC Rally 1989Pentti Airikkala Ronan McNamee 3 22ème Rallye Côte d'Ivoire Bandama1990Patrick Tauziac Claude Papin 4 40th International Swedish Rally 1991Kenneth Eriksson Staffan Parmander 5 23ème Rallye Côte d'Ivoire Bandama1991Kenjiro Shinozuka John Meadows 6 24ème Rallye Côte d'Ivoire Bandama1992Kenjiro Shinozuka John Meadows
Sixth generation (E38A/E39A)
6th generation | |
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I4, turbo | |
Transmission | Four-wheel drive, 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
Chronology | |
Successor | Mitsubishi Mirage Evolution / Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution |
Group A regulations dictated a turbocharged engine of 2.0 L displacement and a four-wheel drive transmission. In order to satisfy the mandatory minimum sales requirements of 5,000 units, Mitsubishi made it available in North America, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and other Asian Pacific Rim territories, with 2,000 reaching the United States in 1991, and 1000 units imported in 1992.[7] It also satisfied Japanese regulations concerning external dimensions and engine displacement, thereby reducing a sales handicap in Japan with regards to additional taxes paid by Japanese owners. In road-going trim the four-door sedan produced up to 195 horsepower depending on market, giving the car a top speed of over 130 mph (210 km/h) and allowing it to accelerate from 0–60 in 7.3 seconds, with a quarter mile elapsed time of 15.3 seconds. This car also featured power-assisted speed-sensitive four-wheel steering: the rear wheels steered in the same phase as the front wheels above 30 mph (48 km/h), up to 1.5 degrees.
A liftback version was also produced, known as the Eterna ZR-4. This had some minor cosmetic differences, but mechanically was the same as the VR-4 sedan. And also there are some special trim levels introduced, included VR-4 R (1987), VR-4 RS (1988), Super VR-4 (1990), VR-4 Monte Carlo (1990) and VR-4 Armed by Ralliart (1991).
Mitsubishi developed its first high performance
Technical specifications
- Engine
- Transmission — 4-speed auto / 5-speed manual
- Suspension — MacPherson struts (front), multi-link (rear)
- Dimensions
- Length — 4,560 mm (179.5 in)
- Width — 1,695 mm (66.7 in)
- Height — 1,440 mm (56.7 in)
- Wheelbase — 2,600 mm (102.4 in)
- Kerb weight — 1,483 kg (3,269 lb)
- Fuel tank — 62 L
- Wheels/tyres — 195/60 R15 86H
Seventh generation (E84A/E74A)
7th generation | |
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DOHC 24v V6, twin-turbo | |
Transmission | Four-wheel drive, 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
For 1992, the emergence of the homologated Lancer Evolution meant that the top-spec Galant VR-4 was no longer constrained by sporting regulations. The new generation thus became a less overtly competition oriented vehicle. The existing, proven 4WD transmission was carried over, in keeping with Mitsubishi's reputation for performance-enhancing technology, but the old inline-four was superseded by a smoother twin-turbo 2.0-litre V6, and mated either to a conventional five-speed manual, or a four-speed INVECS auto complete with "fuzzy logic", which allowed the transmission to adapt to the driver's style and road conditions "on the fly". It was capable of accelerating from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in about 6.5 seconds, and if derestricted could reach about 140 mph (230 km/h).[citation needed]
Variants of the VR-4 using the same engine and drivetrain were sold in Japan as the Eterna XX-4 liftback (1992) and the Galant Sports GT liftback (1994–96).
In 1994, the Galant VR-4 received a facelift sporting a new front bumper, new tail lights, new 15 inch wheels, and a high rise spoiler, the window glass were also changed from a brownish shade to greenish shade. Inside, the Galant featured a new seat pattern, and a new climate control similar to the ones used in the Lancer Evolution IV, V, and VI.
Technical specifications
- Engine
- Configuration – DOHC 24-valve V type 6-cylinder
- Code — 6A12TT
- Bore/stroke, capacity – 78.4 x 69.0 mm, 1998 cc
- Compression ratio – 8.5:1
- Fuelling – ECI-MULTI, premium unleaded fuel
- Peak power – 177 kW (241 PS; 237 hp) at 6000 rpm (158 kW (215 PS; 212 hp) for the automatic variant)
- Peak torque – 309 N⋅m (228 lb⋅ft) at 3500 rpm
- Suspension – Multi-link (front & rear)
- Wheels/tyres – 205/60 R15 91Vβ̞
Eighth generation (EC5A/EC5W)
8th generation | |
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DOHC 24v V6, twin-turbo | |
Transmission | Four-wheel drive, 5-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
The final VR-4 (Viscous Realtime Four Wheel Drive) was introduced in 1996. The engine capacity was enlarged substantially to 2.5 L, which pushed the power up by 15 percent to the Japanese voluntary limit of 206 kW (280 PS; 276 hp) (191 kW (260 PS; 256 hp) for the pre-facelift
With the eighth generation of the Galant, Mitsubishi introduced a station wagon (known in many markets as the Legnum) to replace the old 5-door hatchback, and the VR-4 was now available in both body styles.
Type V
With the eighth generation, a Type V model was introduced to the line up as the base model VR-4 in the manual configuration and due to the popularity of the car. The Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Type V shared the same engine as all the other eighth generation variants, twin turbo V6 6A13 and was offered in both manual and automatic transmissions. The Type V never came with AYC (active yaw control).
Type S
The eighth generation Type S model was originally introduced with manual and INVECS-II from 1996 to 1998 and the facelift (1998-2002) was only offered in INVECS-II automatic and was thus marginally slower than a manual optioned Type V. To counter this, many extras were included on the car to increase performance, such as Active Yaw Control (AYC), Traction Control Logic (TCL, Mitsubishi's branding for the traction control system) and Active Stability Control (ASC). The most notable difference is the flared guards of the Type S to fit the wider tyres offered to the automatic only. While the automatic was still slower than the manual by 4 tenths when measuring 0-100 times, the automatic transmission Mitsubishi had manufactured was very sophisticated and offered much more similar performance between manual and automatic models than many other cars of the time.
Eighth generation (EC5A/EC5W) continued
All of the variants for the pre-facelift model offered the
The Super VR-4 trim level from this model was based on the pre-facelift Type-S and sold only in January 1998 on both the Galant sedan and the Legnum wagon, with a limited run of approximately 800 units. Only available in two colors, Redma, a bright red and Hamilton Silver. There are some cosmetic changes for the interior such as Recaro front seats and Momo steering wheel.
The facelift model was introduced in August 1998. The Recaro front seats and Momo steering wheel from the Super VR-4 could be optioned on all models. The ASC and TCL system was now optional on the automatic variants rather than included. The Type-S remained INVECS-II automatic only for the Galant sedan but manual could be available for the Legnum wagon from May 1999, along with the flared guards.
North America and Europe were again denied this model which was originally planned to be exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, much like the Nissan Skyline GTR but the burgeoning
Technical specifications
- Engine
- Configuration — DOHC 24-valve V type 6-cylinder
- Code — 6A13TT
- Bore/stroke, capacity — 81.0 × 80.8 mm, 2498 cc
- Compression ratio — 8.5:1
- Fuelling — ECI-MULTI, premium unleaded fuel
- Peak power — 210 kW (290 PS; 280 hp) at 5500 rpm (191 kW (260 PS; 256 hp) for the pre-facelift automatic variant)
- Peak torque — 369 N⋅m (272 lb⋅ft) at 4000 rpm (343 N⋅m (253 lb⋅ft) for the pre-facelift automatic variant)
- Transmission — 5-speed automatic / 5-speed manual
- Suspension — Multi-link (front & rear)
- Dimensions
- Length — 4,680 mm (184.3 in)
- Width — 1,760 mm (69.3 in)
- Height — 1,420 mm (55.9 in)
- Wheelbase — 2,635 mm (103.7 in)
- Curb weight — 1,480–1,570 kg (3,260–3,460 lb)
- Fuel tank — 60 L
- Wheels/tyres — 205/55 R16 91V (225/50 R16 91V for the facelifted Type-S)
References
- ^ Lancer 1600GSR Archived 2006-07-05 at the Wayback Machine, Mitsubishi Motors' Web Museum
- ^ "Pajero – King of the Desert" Archived 2006-03-23 at the Wayback Machine, Mitsubishi Motors' Web Museum
- ^ 39th 1000 Lakes Rally, Final classification, Rallybase.nl website
- ^ 38th Lombard RAC Rally, Final classification, Rallybase.nl website
- ^ 40th International Swedish Rally, Final classification, Rallybase.nl website
- ^ Biography of Tim O'Neil, Rally Racing News
- ^ Mitsubishi Galant VR-4s imported into the United States (6th generation), GalantVR4.org website
- ^ "2000 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Type-S". Automobile Catalog. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
- ^ "2001 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 Type-V". Automobile Catalog. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
External links
- Galant 1988–1990 VR-4 at Mitsubishi Motors Web Museum
- Galant 1991–1992 VR-4 at Mitsubishi Motors Web Museum
- Technical specifications
- History of the 8th Generation VR-4
- technical Details and Information about Legnum VR4 & Galant VR4