In-Depth Look at the 2006 Mitsubishi Concept-CT
When you think of hybrid vehicles, chances are good something small and practical comes to mind, like the Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. But the fact of the matter is that hybrid vehicles are, in reality, nothing new. Massive dump trucks and other heavy industrial vehicles have used diesel engines working in conjunction with electric motors for years now, and with exceptional results. Providing peak torque right off idle, electric motors are generally used to drive the wheels, in some cases individually, while the massive diesels are used as generators to power the electric motors. One company that produces such hybrid machinery is Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, the big brother to Mitsubishi Motors; so it stands to reason that Mitsubishi Motor’s most recent conceptual hybrid should use a similiar system.
Enter the Concept-CT: a hybrid-powered small car. This outlandish looking concept could represent (at most) Mitsubishi’s design direction as customers continuously look for more fuel-efficient alternatives to offset rising fuel prices. Looking something like a Fiat 500 for the 21st Century, the Concept-CT’s design apparently echoes that of the Mitsubishi Concept X/Evo X, but we don’t see the resemblance. With a stubby little nose and a downright bulbous front end divided horizontally by a full-length grille, the friendly-looking CT’s appearance is a far cry from the EVO X’s angry stare. Reportedly it was also influenced by the high-performance Japanese scooters that frequent the country’s streets, and as such is intended to convey a more “casual performance character.” We don’t know about the performance part, but the CT looks about as casual as a Hawaiian shirt.
Logically, the look makes sense, and thrusting the surprisingly large 20-inch wheels to the far corners not only maximizes interior space but also makes the car more nimble and smooth-riding, all thanks to its 2,590 millimeter (102 inch) wheelbase contained within the tiny 3,810 millimeter (150 inch) long vehicle. Of course, being a concept car, the CT is packed with tons of unrealistic, but cool features. LED head- and tail-lights meld into the car’s corners while a bizarre wraparound windshield is said to provide excellent visibility; although we doubt the NHTSA would be too pleased. The lighted grille surround is undeniably cool though, as are the almost-unnoticeable integrated turn signals that frame the LED headlights.
Gaining access to the inside of the CT continues the unrealistic concept car theme, with traditional (almost) front doors that lift up higher than normal on as they swing out, and ultra-bizzarre “butterfly” doors at the rear that open upwards and backwards; think Lamborghini meets Saleen S7 meets Al Capone. Ranking among the most ridiculous interiors ever produced, the CT’s is nine parts sculpture to one part practical automotive interior. Concept-car-narrow seats look uncomfortable sitting on giant leaf spring-like mounts, and the front seat is half bench, half bucket, with a floating centre console dividing the passenger and driver sides’. An equally spartan dashboard appears like a set piece from Star Trek, complete with faux-gauge and display appliqués, while the centre console’s supposed HVAC and stereo controls include what we assume is a starter button; but is adorned with the same power on symbol as most computers. Directly up from the centre console, the centre stack is both unrealistic and useless looking, with a wraparound “display” (read: plexiglass panel) that looks more like it was designed to hide information from the car’s occupants than actually display it. The steering wheel itself is equally strange, with two displays mounted vertically on either side of what should be an airbag cover. One looks to be a hybrid drive monitoring system while the other seems to be some sort of bar graph system, perhaps an early warning detector designed to keep track of the CT’s proximity to any wormholes, Klingons, or Romulans that might be about. These displays are mounted within vertical panels that run up and onto the dash (although there is a gap so you can still turn the steering wheel), eventually terminating in very cheery-looking orange-tinted panels that house a pair of head up displays, one presumably being a speedometer, the other possibly a photon torpedo counter or warp core indicator.
All joking aside, while the CT’s exterior may resemble an old Fiat and the interior the bridge of the NCC-1701D (albeit orange-tinted), it’s what lies beneath it all that’s the real star. Using
an all-new platform, the CT’s designers opted to go with a mid-rear engine layout, putting the small 1.0L gasoline 3-cylinder below and behind the rear seat passengers, but ahead of the rear axle. Thanks to the lack of differentials, driveshafts and half-shafts, the CT’s floorpan is almost devoid of bumps and tunnels, making it the perfect place to store the gas tank and some of the hybrid’s batteries, with the remaining cells being mounted in the front to offset some of the engine’s weight. The result of all this, according to Mitsubishi, is a very safe automobile thanks to the relatively empty space in front of the passenger compartment that “greatly reduces the potential for engine intrusion into the cabin in a collision.” Battery or gas tank explosions, however, are another matter.
But the trade-off of personal safety for fuel mileage almost seems worth it, with the CT’s complex and very cool hybrid system being one of the most interesting in the industry. Borrowing a page from the aforementioned heavy industry book, the CT’s MIEV (Mitsubishi In-Wheel Electric Vehicle) hybrid system does exactly what its name implies; mounting a small electric motor in each of the CT’s 20-inch wheels. Getting their power from lithium batteries charged by the three-cylinder, 67 horsepower gasoline engine that’s hooked up to both the rear wheels and a generator via a complex transmission, the electric motors combine with the gasoline engine to produce a grand total of 134 horsepower. While far from stunning, the manner in which this small amount of power is meted out could go a long way towards making the CT a more exciting drive than the horsepower figure alone.
Completely computer controlled, each wheel’s power output can be tailored for the driving conditions, providing unprecedented control over the available traction as well as the vehicle’s stability. The result would be similiar to Honda’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, which diverts more power to the outside wheels during cornering; however, while the Honda’s system is limited to using the mechanical systems to divert power through the differentials, the CT’s electric motors have complete control over each individual corners’ power output, and could very well render every other all-wheel drive system obsolete. And given that the Evolution’s AWD system is already regarded as one of the best and most intelligent systems around; that Mitsubishi is currently testing a high performance variant of the MIEV system in an Evo rally car speaks volumes about the system’s performance potential.
As the Concept-CT’s main showpiece, the MIEV system is definitely the most impressive part of the otherwise completely fictional car. From its unorthodox layout to its bizarre rear doors, there isn’t much on the CT itself that points to a future production model other than the drivetrain; which looks suspiciously production-ready. Innovative, smart, and incredibly beneficial, the MIEV system could be just what Mitsubishi needs to give the floundering company the boost in sales it needs. Providing unreleased but expectedly good gas mileage alongside what should be astounding grip, that Mitsubishi is putting some serious R&D weight behind the system is a relief, for the automotive industry is due for just such an innovation. And while the CT may not be the best platform for the system, we wouldn’t be at all surprised nor dismayed if some future EVO came with an MIEV option.
Specifications:
- Body Type: 4-door sedan
- Layout: mid engine, AWD
- Base Engine: 134-hp hybrid 1.0L I-3
- Wheelbase: 2600 mm (102.4 in.)
- Overall Length: 3800 mm (149.6 in.)
- Overall Height: 1430 mm (56.3 in.)
- Overall Width: 1700 mm (66.9 in.)
- Seating Capacity: 4
- Web Site: www.mitsubishimotors.ca