Mitsubishi FTO: is history

Over the past ten years the automotive world is extremely altered. In the light go out cars, which until recently we have read only the pages of glossy magazines about the concept of carts and experimental updates to the automotive industry. Only in the past five or six years we prosaically used to seeing on the streets of the city such sports coupe, the Audi TT, Nissan 350Z and Toyota Supra, without stopping to admire the new icons and standards of sporting style and design, which in appearance and temperament of a challenge throughout surroundings. Catchy and remarkable sports coupe, or if you like - sports car, perhaps the most effective way to show their achievements and innovative ideas for automotive giant. The twentieth century is rapidly swept under the flag of motorization, the machines have become more beautiful, more powerful, faster and more naturally accessible. Should I try to imagine that 10 years ago we would have had the opportunity to have such masterpieces ... Probably not worth it, because on the verge of drastic variability automotive world this sports car is already at that time was just creeping progress of motorization. Most often, new car models, if and released a large scale, the only time-tested chassis, changing only the body and adding advanced auxiliary control system electronics, comfort and safety. With the application of new ideas and innovations in production cars, auto giants cautious plants, including new items in production stages. One of the first automakers to bring together all risked their latest developments and pilot innovative ideas in a model, became the auto giant Mitsubishi Motors Corp. In 1994, they had to create a sporty coupe - Mitsubishi FTO, entirely on independently of the other models, chassis and plenty of advanced technologies. The car made a modest small circulation, relying solely on the domestic Japanese market. In the same year, Mitsubishi FTO was voted Car of the Year in Japan, which itself was a sensation - the first sports coupe was awarded this prize. In honor of this momentous event auto giant has released 500 vehicles, exclusively painted in bright yellow with a registered logo, reflecting the recognition of the FTO Car of the Year in 1994. But despite the sensational first year of the Mitsubishi FTO, the car never saw neither Europe nor America, nor any other major customers for avtoeksportu Japan. Automaker has been limited to its market, and in subsequent years, until 2000, cars were coming down the assembly line in small print runs for the home market of Japan. In this connection, Mitsubishi FTO series exist only with the right wheel. Everywhere there are both pros, almost all Japanese automobile giants offer a huge selection of models of cars, different classes with different models for its internal market. As true Asians, Japanese have their own approach to manufacture and sell machines, they will gladly showered its market diversity of models and the broadest line of motors, while export cars are usually far from the top of perfection and quality of models produced in Japan. Mitsubishi FTO - front-wheel drive sports coupe, unlike for a single car and not having even a close resemblance. Exclusive - as they say, has incorporated many of the most modern developments, is capable of 6 seconds after the start to overcome the 100-kilometer line speed and the limit if you remove mounted on a conveyor belt for all Japanese cars electronic limiter to 180 km / h, limited by a 230 km / h. And it's performance abilities in the stock car. In addition, Mitsubishi FTO boasts a record for a production model of the electronics, ultra-modern technology and bold design solutions for those years. FTO with its outrageous forms, even today, almost no inferior in entertainment for younger sports coupe. The exterior design, its smooth and rapid time line and vaults, the card FTO. It would seem that the company Mitsubishi Motors Corp. went to the mid-90's all-but made his creation so avant-garde, which captures the spirit still. FTO co its almost unearthly appearance literally slay outright, totally distracting the attention of the enthusiastic audience from standing next to cars. Rapid, but at the same time subtle Japanese grace contrasts strongly with the brutal peremptorily outlines FTO inherent in a purely Asian style. Sometimes, it seems that this car, apart from style, reflects also the soul of the owner. The worship of beauty, goodness and power, only a small part of what can be seen in the eyes of owners and admirers of the Mitsubishi FTO. Someone there is looking for a hired hand, for others it a luxury item, but someone does and looks at the FTO as an object of worship. And no matter what is the purpose of acquiring the car, but rather has a value that the owner becomes the chosen one, joining a cult, the owner of the object of pride and reflection of the soul. In addition to the shocking - the small number makes the FTO exclusive. The car, which some people have only heard, but which few have seen even in photographs, or, more often than is generally seen the first time in my life - creates confusion in the mind of the audience award. Artificial spontaneous contrast between the design idea and a rarity indeed staggering. Advanced technologies and know-how not only accented apparently a FTO. Recent advances in the Japanese automotive industry in those years emerged as an innovative automatic transmission with manual shift semi-automatic (INVECS-II), are widely used in the future, not only on cars brand Mitsubishi, but also on the legendary German brand cars - Porsche. Today it is difficult to argue, and pour in the past, to try to figure out: who is who 'sketched' the idea of ??automatic transmission with INVECS-II (Innovative Vehicle Control System - II). The fact remains, Mitsubishi FTO is the first car in the world equipped with an automatic gearbox with the regime, as they say now, Tiptronic, having an adaptive algorithm. The computer constantly analyzes the driving style and driving a car person, depending on the data, selects the optimal mode switching. For an active high-speed driving, for example, engine braking in winter conditions was provided to manual shifting. Thus, the automatic transmission system INVECS-II combines the advantages of automatic and manual transmissions, leaving the final inherent sporty nature. In the heart of the Mitsubishi FTO, in addition to 4-cylinder 16-valve 1.8-liter engine produces 125 horsepower with a single overhead camshaft and electronic fuel injection system ECI-MULTI (for versions of GS), mounted a powerful V-shaped 6-cylinder 24-valve engine with a two-shaft system, the volume of 2000 cm3 and 180 horsepower (For versions of GR and GP). On models and versions of GPX GPvR with the same 2.0-liter engines are proprietary innovative system Mivec, which are variable valve timing and valve lift heights. Due to this, the engine with Mivec received a high specific power of 200 hp and ensure a smooth pull in a large range of speeds. Version of GPX and GPvR are the "charged" in the family version of Mitsubishi FTO. Back to the beginning, few of these cars in the world, makes the FTO difficult and valuable specimen. Imagine if, in the last year (2000) from the conveyor slipped only 160 vehicles, a year earlier, too, not much more - 616 pieces, a number of FTO «leaked 'from Japan to other countries? But the fans are! They are a club of like-minded sort of Mecca for owners of Mitsubishi FTO, defining this model, a kind of cult. These communities is small, but they are in Japan, Britain, New Zealand and Australia. A similar club is now in Russia, he organized in late 2005 by a few owners of cars Mitsubishi FTO in Moscow. In their assets, only about 30 of these cars ... But there are ... And they continue to exist ... It is a pity, but that does not always come to an end, do not forget that the release of motorcar giant Mitsubishi FTO completed. Rumors about the beginning of the production of new generation are rumors and nothing more ... maybe the key is just in this? Great and legendary pioneers of the past - and there is a legend Mitsubishi FTO (1994-2000) - is history