Mitsubishi 380 Supercharged TMR 380
February 5, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
This months issue of motor magazine caught my attention, not because of the horrible ugly lime green HSV on the cover, but because of the little blurb about the supercharged Mitsubishi 380, better known as the TMR 380. The news had been flying around for a while, that the TMR 380 was nearing completion, and it finally was.
I have always been a big critique of front wheel drive sports cars (The Integra being the odd exception) and when news of the 380 Supercharged surfaced, I had the same sort of feeling that I got from seeing a supercharged Toyota Camry or Aurion, Horror. Why strap a supercharger to a car that really can’t handle it?
Nevertheless, Mitsubishi Motors Australia need a hero car, the Evo IX is starting to age a little and the Evo X and Lancer GSR aren’t coming for another 18 months, so with that mind, a supercharged 380 sounded like a good idea and Mitsubishi Motors Australia is very keen to push the TMR into production, but Mitsubishi Japan has other ideas.
Firstly, having practically lost faith in the 380, the Japanese parent company isn’t very keen to sink some more money into the 380 as it is already struggling to fight off the Aurion and new VE Commodore. But if the plans fall through, the 380 will be the only car in its class left without a performance model, as Toyota’s TRD team is set to bring out the supercharged aurion and supercharged (or turbo charged from what we hear) Camry, relatively soon.
“We want to build the car. We are working on the plan to make it happen, I would like to have a decision by Easter. Originally, I wanted to have an announcement at the Melbourne Motor Show in March but we’ve run into a few snags. I would still rate it as better than a 50:50 chance — no, much better than 50:50.
“That car, plus some other vehicles we would like to bring to the full range, adds an emotional value and an aspiration value to the brand. We’ve had that before, but only in very limited appeal with the Lancer Evo.
“There has been no opportunity for people to step back to another car at Mitsubishi. If you look at Ford or Holden, they have the HSV and FPV cars, but you can also step back to an XR Falcon or SS Commodore. We also need to have that ability.” Mitsubishi Motors Australia managing director Rob McEniry said.
With a Sprintex supercharged engine producing roughly 230kW the TMR 380 is one hell of a car, when we saw it at the Brisbane International Motorshow, it was definitely getting some serious looks. With a proper bodykit, vented bonnet and lowered suspension, the TMR 380 made the 380 for once, look like an aggressive car.
So why dear god have they stuck with a front wheel drive package for the supercharged 380? Well mainly because the 380 is based on the Galant platform from the states, not the old Magna platform we had here in Australia which came in All Wheel Drive. Mitsubishi need to look like a real performance brand to increase some sales, there is only so much the Lancer Evo IX can do, especially with sales less than a quarter of its nemesis the Subaru Impreza WRX STi.
“This is an important part of trying to change the perception of the brand. We don’t want to be a grey-cardigan company. We need to appeal to more than just fleet buyers, which has been the traditional situation at Mitsubishi. I think today we need to appeal to youth.
“One of the reasons we brought out the Ralliart Colt and the Cabriolet was to appeal to a younger, broader and more emotionally based consumer group.” Rob McEniry said.
I have a very special message for Mr McEniry, being in the “youth” section that Mr McEniry is appealing to, I believe the TMR 380 is going to do more damage than good to Mitsubishi’s image for the youth. A front wheel drive supercharged car is a bad idea, I don’t care how many torque limiting and other steering assisted gadgetry you fit to this car, when 230kW is going to the front wheels, its just not going to work!
Print it: 
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What I don’t understand is why Mitsubishi and Toyota keep designing cars in this segment that look so blaaah, boring and non-descript. In the case of the 380 I think the designers will be the reason for its demise…which I think is inevitable and probably not too far away. The fact that it is front wheel drive is just another nail in it’s coffin.
Its hard to believe that they can spend years designing these cars and still come up with something that is about as exciting as a toaster. Then they wonder why they are not taking more sales away from the Holdens and Fords in the same class…
I’ll take the HSV thanks, even in rancid green.
I agree Stean,
whilst the TMR 380 actually looked have decent in the flesh, I still don’t know why the designer at Mitsubishi are still breathing!
First it was the french designer that ruined the last generation Magna, and when the 380 came out no one could believe it!
Ford made a similar mistake with the AU, but they really picked it up with the BA, Mitsubishi instead decided that they were going to make two ugly cars right after another!
You’re right though, I’d take the rancid green HSV over a front wheel drive fridge on wheels with a supercharger bolted on anyday!
I think if anything, Mitsubishi Japan may be right in not letting this one go through to production level, even if I had the choice of picking between this and a Supercharged Front Wheel Drive Aurion, I’d probably still pick the Aurion!
You guys are completely wrong. This car has superior handling, compared to Holdens whther or not it is front wheel drive. Holdens have heavy steering. Front wheel drives are a lot more reliable and this has aftermarket parts and a lot more power you would expect from a $50 thousand HSV. You want an HSV you say? Let me get this straight, you would prefer a Mexican made engine over a tourqey engine, made in Japan with a sprintex fitted? No wonder they say call Holden’s big vehicle a Bogandoore. Seriously, an FF layout car has a lot less power loss (no real power loss) that an FR layout simply because in an FF car the engine which makes the power in the front puts it to the front wheels and in your bogandoores the power is made in the front and has to travel to the back. Understand? You see why most RWD supercars have a rear mounted engine? So what else is there to cover? You bogans want to drift in your 5 litre v8 bogandoores with the subwoofers mate…? Once again, if you were a skilled enough driver it can be done in an FF layout car, by the way, the TMR 380 uses aftermarket parts, these are parts that are not in your HSV holden bogandoores and you would be thrashing the crap out of the engine and the gearbox whist doing so. By the way, Mitsubishi are not pulling out of Australia, they are making a successor to the 380 and my a friend who is a factory employee (he even showed me images of the terrific facelifted version due this year) said that Rob Mceniry has made the plant efficient enough to only need to reach new sales targets of a thousand cars a month. It is a lot better that making 8,000 bogandoores a month and having 4000 a month left over. No other local manufacturer could make their plant this efficient without going bust but Mitsubishi’s new CEO can unlike the yank one at Holden who covers everything up. and the Ford international one who comes to Australia to say everything is going great in Australia at the factory and then sack 600 employees 2 days later, Ford only survive because of Mazda sales. I have a link to the news story. This is because of the fact that they can sell enough of their other vehciles (you know the good AWD and 4WD vehciles they make the ones that Holden can’t make and ford’s territory handles like a car, a really fat car). You bogan really need to learn just a bit more about worldwide cars and the fact that you can get much better value cars for your money that your ancient looking falcons with a good transmission or your new but still bogan commodores with a transmission from the stoneages and an engine ripped out of a 4 year old caddy.
Link to article:http://editorial.carsales.com.au/car-review/1409050.aspx
Firstly Damo, the mark of any person is their ability to have an opinion without resorting to name calling.
Would I rather have a 6.0 ltr Corvette motor over a Mitsubishi V6 with a Sprintex….um…lets think about that for a moment…YES PLEASE!
Does the 380 look rubbish…lets think again…Um..YES IT DOES! And I challenge you to find me 10 males between the ages of 22 and 40 who think otherwise…males who won’t be looking for a job before the end of this decade when Mitsubishi stop manufacturing in Australia.
I have to quote the following masterpiece as I can’t really come up with my own words to summarise this brilliance. Here goes;
“Seriously, an FF layout car has a lot less power loss (no real power loss) that an FR layout simply because in an FF car the engine which makes the power in the front puts it to the front wheels and in your bogandoores the power is made in the front and has to travel to the back. Understand? You see why most RWD supercars have a rear mounted engine? So what else is there to cover?”
Ok, quite a bit to cover actually. Now if I am to understand this then the FF (Damo for FWD?) layout cars that you describe have no power robbing clutch, manual or auto transaxle and no drive shafts either. Thats amazing technology Damo! So that means that an FR layout (Damo for RWD?) really is behind the times and there I was thinking the main difference was a tailshaft and a lot less understeer!
And most RWD supercars have rear mounted engines?
Well the Porsche 911 does but all the rest are mid mounted except of course the BMW M3, M5 and M6 oh and the McLaren SLR, the V12 front engined Ferraris, all AMG Mercedes, the Corvette Z06, etc etc. But you know what none of them have…are you ready for it…
FRONT WHEEL DRIVE!!!
Thats right, you see they all made the decision that the front wheels were there to steer the car, not power it as well. You see, 15 minute laps of the Nurburgring (thats a big overseas race track Damo) in a 350KW FWD plough understeering Supercar that could break the drivers wrists with torque steer isn’t the stuff that sales are made of.
Understand…Damo?
And finally, whats a guy who calls himself ‘Damo’ and has only a tentative grasp of the english language doing suggesting that I’m a Bogun? Cheeky bugger.
I own a 2 yr old TL AWD Magna I purchased new and still have balnace of the brilliant 5/10 warranty. The Magna is a really well built car and runs without fault, rattle or squeak. Usually, every 2-3 years I re-lease a vehicle. Since fitting 245/18/40 Falken F450’s I now truly appreciate the handling potential of the AWD Magna. So, instead of considering a VE Commomodore or Aurion replacement, the TL AWD is soon headed off to Bullet Performance at Yatala Qld for exhaust work and a piggy-back chip upgrade. That will be stage 1 -let’s see what that does to the 3.5 powertrain. Stage 2 is now looking economically feasible for a Sprintex blower upgrade. If I consider ‘bang-for-buck’, the end cost of the Magna based on current vehicle private resale ($22K before mods) with cost of mods will be about $33K. So, compared to the VE Commodore or Aurion, it’s no contest-the uprated Magna AWD will wipe both away in very facet of handling and power delivery; rain or shine. MMAL’s big mistage was to not re-do a TW Magna AWD performance upgrade, then lead to a 380 AWD variant. The Aurion and VE will kill the 380 and MMAL in Australia and that is a shame, as MMAL build great cars.
Hey Bruce
thanks for your input
I agree the AWD Magna is an awesome car, even the Police service here in QLD use the car!
However the reason Mitsubishi didn’t go for an AWD platform on the 380 is because they are no longer using the Magna platform
they have sourced the 380 platform from the states, (the galant) hence its lack of AWD features
I think if the 380 was AWD, specially the supercharged version, it would be a remarkable car, I never understand how Mitsubishi can get things so wrong over and over…
Has the European Galant not got a AWD version? i think i’m thinking of a ‘92 model!!
What might be good is to see the European Galant diesels come through – that’d shake things up!
steane I was pretty darn tired when I wrote that so you have to accept my spelling errors as this site has no edit function. By the way, Holden’s are family cars (pretty shit ones too) not supercars so there is no reason for them to be based on a really bad RWD chassis. Why can’t you people give Mitsubishi a chance. Think about this, they have found a way to sell only a thousand cars a month and still pretty much break even. Any other local (manufacturer) would go bust and this is a very efficient plant. Their cars are also stacks more reliables. So you guys hate so much that you want them to go bust (not that they will)? So you want the Australian dollar to go bust so nobody can buy a decent import car cheaply. All we will really have is the local bogandoores then. Back to my other rant. Holden’s are not sports cars either. They are too heavy to be a sports car. By the way, Mitsubishi’s 380 successor which may return to the Diamante/Magna badge is said to be on the same platform as the Chrysler 300/Dodge Avenger. You want RWD, you can have. And to your supercars part about the torque steer; the 380 has another Mitsubishi developed system that can detect oversteer and understeer and stop it from occuring as well as torque steer, Japanese cars have technology, maybe Holden could give it a try.
So once again. You want to bag the shit out of Mitsubishi hoping they will go bust? Well so will the Australian dollar you ignorant fool. Before you prey for this sort of stuff to happen maybe you should think of other consequences. Oh, but wait, it’s not going to happen. Mitsubishi are here to stay.
Hey Damo. You seem a mite testy about this but there is nothing wrong with being passionate about cars. The great thing is that we all like different cars and have different opinions. If we all thought the same then there would only be one manufacturer and only one model made.
I grew up in Adelaide (no that doesnt automatically make me a bogan…) about 15 mins from the Mitsu factory (it was Chrysler back then) and actually had a school excursion ‘tour’ of it back when they made Sigmas. It’s an important part of the Adelaide economy and I dont want to see it go. Why would I?
What I don’t understand is why when they know they have one last chance to get it right and everything hangs in the balance…they come up with the 380!!!!
I dont doubt its a good car. BUT…I would never buy one because it looks so bland. When you spend 30-60k on a car you want something that makes you feel good when you look at it not just when you drive it! Thats just a fact of life. Thats why we dream about Ferraris and have posters of Lamborghini’s on our wall when we are kids.
I also don’t like front wheel drive in large cars. Never have, never will and most major manufacturers of cars with ’sorted’ chassis who lean towards some sort of sporting pretence or claim to build drivers cars won’t use FWD, except in their small cars. BMW wont even use it their 1 series.
Large front wheel drive cars are simply with us to get non-car enthusiasts from A to B. At the moment, Toyota have that market stitched up so Mitsubishi needed to come up with something extraordinary not ordinary.
And thats where it all went pear shaped.
Holden and Ford (particularly Ford) are in very similar positions, they have just made better looking cars not necessarily better built cars. They are just one bad design away from oblivian in this country as well.
It would not suprise me if we were down to Toyota and one other manufacturer in this country within the next 10 years. Give it 20 years and most of our Australian cars will be made in China. IMO.
Yeah, I live in Adelaide myself, half way between both Holden and Mitsubishi, Prospect. Anyway, not all Holden drivers are bogans but I do come across a lot of them thinking they are topshit in an vn statesmen with a 5 litre v8. You want to be passionate about Holden’s, well I would say you are more passionate about proper exotic and supercars. With me it is usually anything British or Japanese. I used to like Holden but I think they lost it with the VY where the design did not suit the curvy side car body.
Ah…yes you are referring to the young guys, with their caps on backwards, the seat wound back so they cant see over the dash etc. Usually driving a VL or VN with a huge sub-woofer.
Back in the 70’s when I was growing up the ‘car guys’ had a little more taste, their cars looked better (and are worth a lot of money now ie Mach 1 Mustangs, GT Fords, Monaros etc). I dont think a VN commodore will ever be quite as collectable.
I don’t know whats happened these days but this scene unfortunately gives real enthusiasts a bit of a bad name. Its probably the same demographic who are dying on the roads as well. Hopefully they grow up and their interest in cars expands. There are plenty of good forums for them ie Hot-rodding, Custom cars and Auto Salon. The interest should be encouraged, the bad habits should not.
I grew up in Belair. Adelaide is a great city and I’d move back in a flash if I could. I like all cars but like most things I prefer the ones I cant afford…
The main problem with this car is that it tries so hard to be the kind of car that it can’t be.
Now lets think for a moment, why would anyone go purchase a supercharged car in general. Not just the 380, but a supercharged/turbo charged car. Many owners of these supercharged/turbo charged cars, love the thrill of speed and excitement that their car brings.
Of course it is near impossible to really appriciate a car on the road, so these cars are taken to the track or a safe environment where this can happen.
Now if you’ve ever put a over powered front wheel drive car on the track, you will know that no matter what – anti torque steer technology or anti this and anti that they’ve thrown at the car, a Rear Wheel Drive with the same power will go faster, its relatively simple.
A good example of this is the Mazda 3 MPS, which is an absolutely awesome car… till you want to turn a corner, the vehicle is torque limited in the first 2 gears! It has 20kW more power than the WRX yet, it is slower to 100 than the WRX! why? Because where is all that power going togo? No where!
Hi guys, I will get killed for spilling this but the reason they are holding it back is because the 380 engine will be replaced with a 3.8 litre mivec with more power when they release the facelifted model. I cannot 100 percent confirm this but this is what I have been told, no joke here, you”ll see when the facelift model comes out, and thanksfully the facelift will not be by Oliver Boulay (thank goodness), but the facelift will have led taillights, curtain airbags, and the front end will coincide a bit more with the new sporty lancer due here is say March.
By the way. MMAL is definetly here to stay. Just as I said before they do not need to cut jobs, and if the media would get off their backs (ABC can go jam it) it would be a lot better, they make low volume units of cars, so unlike Holden Ford or Toyota, they do not have to stockpile all of them. Seriously, Holden make about 18,000 cars a month and sell about 7,000. They are losing stacks of cash in that area. If Mitsubishi 380 sales pickup to about 1500 a month, which would be possible after the facelift we can expect a 380 with an AWD drivetrain taken from the Mitsubishi Eclipse ralliart or we may even get the Eclipse to be manufactured and exported on the RHD platform to the UK and many other European countries that it is planned to be exported to. The 380 is also going to be exported to many other European RHD countries this year which will be a sales boost. Back to the low volume manufacturng. Some months, Mitsubishi can sell 13,000 cars throughout their entire range, which is quite astonishing. For example, the Triton and the Pajero, the world’s best 4wd.
I mean expect an AWD drivetrain around 2008 if sales pickup. My bad here, you may have misinterpreted.
If you read any car review, involving the aurion, 380, falcon and commodore, the writer explains how good this car really is compared to a falcon or commodore. i myself as a hobby like to hire cars for a day and take them to a track, really see what they are like. and yes the all have torque steer, understeer and every bloody steer you can think of but the 380 isnt typical like other front wheel drives. it sits flat through corners, it hugs the road, and only small amounts of understeer are evident when pushed extremely hard.
Another thing, i spoke to McEniry (mitsu CEO)at melbourne motor show, and he told me that the reason why they didnt bring out an AWD version of the 380 is not because the chasis isnt designed for a AWD platform but because it costs alot more to develope an AWD system, and if you think y didnt they just swap the old AWD system from the magna into the 380 is because the 380 has more power and torque and a different transmission.
Also most would agree that the base model 380 looks like crap and the only nice looking 380s are the VRX and the GT. well all models except for the VRX and GT were designed in Japan, the VRX and GT were designed here.
i can seriously go on and on, about this car, because i know how good it is compared to other FWD and RWD cars, this car is a brilliant example of engineering, i would recomend this car to anyone
Keep up the good work Mitsubishi!!!
Hi guys and girls, Just letting u know i have just purchased a TJ Ralliart Magna from my father that we bought new in 2002, it was the best choise i have made in a long time. i am a Holden and HSV lover but im am sick of the problems that come along with the name. If you buy a Holden or HSV you can bet your bottom dollar by 100,000km if not earler you would have replaced the Water pump, power steering pump, steering rack, main belt, alternator, battery and various other parts. my best mates dad went and purchased the limited edition HSV SV6000 1 of only 50 made, his alarm plays up, rear spring snaped, interior lights come on when they please, exhaust collects water, the diff has been replaced aswell as the splinds in the axcel, and it has only done 20,000km, lucky for the 7 year warrtanty. My 02 Ralliart magna has done 80,000km and not a problem so far, fingers crossed. the performance is second to none and the looks i get from the massive body kit is ridiculous. pull up at the lights next to you GEN 3 and everyone says WHAT THATS GOT UP THE BONNET, i laugh and say stock V6. Also we have put down a deposit on the new 230kw charged TMR 380, bring on the HSV 6lt. ill laugh again. HA HA HA
how could a dealer take your deposit? TMR 380 is dead, there not making it………
Tonyn, I wrote a piece for Wheels on this.
wheelsmag.com.au/wheels/site/articleIDs/92B0AC0EEABF5184CA25731B001F43F9?open&template=domWheels
thanks for that Karl!
I would line up for one of these….. sounds like a good thing!
I just Hope it sells.
The TMR 380 is due to be released March 2008. Far from dead, its just getting started
I posted a comment 07/02/07 regarding the Magna TL/TW AWD. Mine’s since had a Sprintex blower installed. What a difference to the performance. There is no convincing argument that a blown FWD will appeal on a large car. It has to be AWD platform. TRD Aurion is now on the market and I’ll punt it will get a mild reception for being FWD. For the same bucks, the Lancer EVO and STI will kill it. Where is the safe family sized AWD sedan at an affordable price? It’s in my garage and I’m rapt! For less than $30K I have the car MMAL should have built as a production run and then evolved into the 380 AWD Sprintex. Another fine blunder from MMAL!
I just bought a Ralliart Colt as new demo for just $21k rive away, only 4oook on the clock. 0-100 in 7.4 and only uses 7l/100km…what a deal, recaro’s, stability & climate control and a 5 year waranty….it’s awesome and best of all …rare AND fast
I think this would have to be the most impressive car mitsubishi australia have made since they flicked the magna,I agree that they should have an option avalable especially for the super charged TMR of a AWD config, I have been through a couple of “sessions” with the AWD magna through Hotham and then swapped to a F/W/D even with a softer tyre compound and T.C it was acting like a loose hand grenade particulry during high engine breaking and compression lock ups& up hill accelaration, the TMR 380 would be an absouloute weapon if they went for AWD or R/W/D platform, and with Mitsubishi’s reliability and never die mentalilty they would cut fords XR6 & holden SV6 up for ass paper.
Haii!!! monkey!! how are u ??
piggy,fattie, can give me one mitsubishi??
pleaaaase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
okay monkey??
thx puu ..pu ..
piss on you !!!
bez regard
lollalolaloooolaaa $
one day I went to Malta to pick our dad,
in the morning I go to breakfast in my hotel,
I ask the waitress 2 piece of toast ..
but she only give me 1 piece!
I asked her , “I want 2 piece!”
she said” go to the toilet!”
I said ” you dont understand , I want 2 piece on my table!”
she said” YOU BETTER NOT PISS ON THE TABLE, YOU SON OF A @!@@!$#!%@$^$#!!!
Then I went to the bigger restaurant,
and I see a spoon,knife but no fork!
I ask the waitress I want a fork!
Then she said,”everybody want to*&!#@$!”
I said you dont understand,I want a fork on my table!
She said” YOU BETTER NOT !@#@#$ ON THE TABLE , YOU SON OF THE !@#$$^!!
I went to my bedroom and There’s no sheet!
I said” call the manager!I want a sheet!
Then she said go to the toilet!”
I said you dont understand I want a sheet on my bed!”
He said” YOU BETTER NOT !#@$#$@ ON THE BED! YOU SON OF THE $%#$%^&!!!!!
I went to the check-out counter..
and the manager said “peace on you!”
Then I said,”PISS ON YOU TOO,YOU SON OF THE BEACH!!
I went back to Italia ..
magna and 380 are highly under rated and priced
im a ford man true and true, when i rent i rent the mitsubishi for something different now i bought one just as a spare ,bloody good cars.
I live in Torquay Victoria.
I own a red TMR380, serial nunmer #3.
I just want to let you all know that this is the most impressive locally built car I have ever driven.
No little Asian sized pedals like a Toyota, no squeaky bits of dashboard like my SS commodore had after 1500klms.
The thing goes way above twice any speed limit I have been on.
Front wheel drive 380 no good?
Absolutely misinformed opinions based on 10 year old Corolla test drives.
I am so grateful that I have one of only 20 of these awesome machines.
They are a credit to Alan Heapy and TMR Australia.
i have just bourght a red tmr 380 #16 i think i have a part of australiain history here even if people think its good or bad there was only ever 20 made i myself love driving the car and those people who have fords or holdens love driving them too so everyone is different the old saying beauty is in the eye of the beholder have a great day all
and keep up the good work TMR Australia
I wonder who bought the other one?
Only 3 went to private buyers I was told….
You know, I have noticed a common trend between people who comment on the 380’s. People who haven’t driven this car say it can’t be good. People who have driven it say it’s exceptional.
Just an observation…