Ralliart FTO options and mini review

[colm_mcm]

(not actual pic)

From CAR magazine - March 2000

Mitsusishi FTO

No longer exclusively grey, Ralliart will now sell you a official version of this pretty, capable coupé complete with 3 year warranty.
Clever, fast, desirable and different

Driving/owning
Think of the FTO as a prettier Integra Type-R and you're most of the way there. The normally aspirated 2.0 V6 gives 200bhp at a freetic 8,000rpm thanks to variable valve timing. Front drive chassis about the best yet and more than capable of handling the power.
Very limited numbers (via Ralliart) ensure exclusivity. Tiptronic style five-speed auto smooth and friendly but saps accelleration.

What you get
Momo steering wheel, drivers airbag, climate control and ABS all standard.

Electric sunroof £795
INVECS II automatic gearbox £995
Passenger airbag £295
Limited slip-differential £395

Costs
Can be serviced by Mitsubishi dealers, but parts will be expensive
Residuals should be reasonably strong, but will always be mistaken for a grey
Three year warranty is with Ralliart, not Mitsubishi

Our choice
Manual transmission version enables you to undercut and outpace European rivals.

Price: £22,995
MPH: 132
MPG: 28
0-60: 7.3
LB FT: 147

[Bernard]

http://s216.photobucket.com/albums/cc263/NoBroadband/?action=view&current=topgear.flv

[Myfeckin FTO]

23K GBP = Horrendous money at the time.
Remember reading that article in CAR though (I've probably still got the copy somewhere) - I had an imported GR tip at the time.

[colm_mcm]

It's in the used car review section in the middle - they probably ran it every month.

A GBP was worth 1.28 back in 2000, so that would have been 29443 IEP which is 37380 Euro plus VRT.

I'm pretty sure VRT was 25% on that size of engine, so you're talking an OMSP of about 35k plus 8750 which makes 46130 for a manual GPX without extras.


I'm guessing a grey import would've been a good bit cheaper.

[Bernard]

They've listed the passenger airbag as a £300 option, was that not standard on facelifts?

[colm_mcm]

They've listed the passenger airbag as a £300 option, was that not standard on facelifts?

Bit like a sports package on a GR, it was probably difficult to get one without it. I know when we ordered new cars from factory on spec we'd specify the options we figured people would want. If Ralliart were stocking these I'd assume they'd tick the boxes UK want like sunroof and passenger bags. Begs the question of why they didn't make them standard....

Anyone seen a Ralliart without a sunroof?

[Myfeckin FTO]

.........I'm guessing a grey import would've been a good bit cheaper.

Yep - though even 2nd hand of any age they weren't exactly cheap at the time. I paid 10K cash old Irish punts for my first FTO ('95 GR Tip with 20K miles) and it was a great deal at the time. Average price was around 14-16K Irish punts for a 95/96 FTO at the time.

[colm_mcm]

Shocking stuff, considering what you can get them for now

I actually meant a 00 grey import without a warranty would have been a lot less than 46k. Ralliart were probably making a nice few quid on the FTOs, Evos and VR4s

[optical illusion]

They've listed the passenger airbag as a £300 option, was that not standard on facelifts?

Ralliart or normal facelifts?

[colm_mcm]

Well Ralliart were buying them in Japan and just converting the speedos and adding a rear foglight in the UK, I don't think they had any different specs to the GPXs the people of Japan were buying. If passenger airbag was standard in Japan (which I doubt it was) I don't think they'd get cars built without them.

[Mitsumaniac]

Anyone seen a Ralliart without a sunroof?

Mine, have passenger airbag but no sunroof

[Bernard]

Mine, have passenger airbag but no sunroof

I'd much rather not have a sunroof, the lines on the roof that follow the ones on the bonnet look really well IMO.