TMR380 lives: Mitsubishi's big car's last gasp

Although Mitsubishi's last 380 left Adelaide's Tonsley Park production line more than a month ago, a special build of the TMR 380 performance variant is currently underway.

The TMR 380 was first shown at the 2006 Sydney International Motor Show. The limited production run is due for completion at the end of June, with the donor 380 VRXs currently receiving their hand-crafted mechanical and body enhancements at Alan Heaphy's Team Mitsubishi Ralliart (TMR) workshop in outer Melbourne.

According to Heaphy, 14 will head into private collections while three have been purchased for every day use. Just three are still available for sale at $56,990.

The TMR 380 will stand as Mitsubishi Australia's most radical road car, a record that can never be upstaged, now that local production has ended.

Even as far as global front drive sedans go, the TMR 380 is a serious performance car and takes the battle to the TRD Aurion with a more serious edge, thanks to its TMR heritage.

Although the production TMR 380 remains faithful to the original show car, there have been several minor tweaks to enhance everyday practicality.

The TMR 380's powerful 3.8-litre V6 engine still features a Sprintex S3/335 supercharger kit running at 0.45bar (6.5psi) boost with a large air inlet duct and dual-outlet, big-bore 60mm exhaust system. These enhancements lift power and torque to 230kW at 5250rpm and 442Nm at 4000rpm.

Wheels are 19-inch ROH Flare alloys with a highly-polished finish and wear 225/40 ZR19 Yokohama Advan Sport tyres. Front brakes feature massive TMR six-piston calipers and 370mm ventilated and slotted two-piece discs, while the rears are also a two-piece 340mm design gripped by four-piston calipers. Brake lines are the steel braided aircraft-type.

The TMR 380s feature special TMR-tuned Koni coil-over shocks and a front strut brace.

The red exterior has comprehensive body additions that reflect the original show car while the cabin with its rally-style front bucket seats has matching red and black trim with TMR identification.

TMR principal, Heaphy, said that sourcing the superchargers had delayed final production and created the situation where these special cars were still being completed after local 380 production had ceased.

After a Wheels test of a TMR 380 prototype in 2007 uncovered performance that could match the fastest FPV and HSV sedans at the time, these final TMR 380 examples have a bright future as a special interest model.

The first production version of the TMR 380 is currently on display at Knox Mitsubishi, in Melbourne's outer east.

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