Mitsubishi’s MIVEC turbo unit is a direct descendent of Tommi Mäkinen’s 2.0L turbo, a bit refined, but definitely out of the same box as the Evo units. Throttle response is excellent, utilising Mitsubishi’s fly-by-wire electronic throttle control technology, and, more impressive, is the sound the twin exhausts make on over run…more on that a bit later.
The AWD system has a rear axle Limited Slip Differential and an Active Centre Diff, which is all very nice but what does it mean? Simply put at speeds that will cost you your license in NZ, the car remains stable with power distributed to where the car wants it – not where you think it should be. Using the paddle shift is fun, but the Mitsubishi engineers have come up with a pre-selector gearbox that can change gears quicker than you can; we used it most of the time. You can change the settings for suspension and traction, just make sure you know what you are selecting before you change, it saves on unpleasant surprises.
We have a favourite piece of (closed) road that we take the quicker evaluation vehicles to. This road has a hump on it followed by a sharp right bend…amongst other interesting corners. The RalliArt was in the air clearing the hump, once landed the brakes slowed the car to negotiate the corner with ease. Now be aware Road-Tests.com does not recommend you try this. Ever. The sound of those twin exhausts was, literally, music to our ears, as was the whine of the turbo…
The RalliArt is a finely tuned chassis with excellent turn in, boundless (almost) grip and a balance that is beneficial and pleasing. Ride comfort? Despite the stiff springs and wide grippy tyres, the ride that should be harsh and unforgiving, isn’t. The bumps are coped with admirably and most passengers thought the car not so bad for an out and out speed machine. We could, as you probably gathered, wax lyrical about the performance of the Ralliart; one of the Road-Tests.com crew has previously owned a Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4. Their view point – despite the time difference between the two –is clear; the RalliArt is a refined (and more affordable) version of what the Cosworth should have been.

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