u/gwim_weapurr

Long before the factory doors shut, Mitsubishi Australia was building a catalog of unique, homegrown performance cars hidden from the rest of the global market

The Magna Ralliart (based on the Magna VR-X) and the TMR 380 were born from Mitsubishi Australia's passion and ingenuity. Only 500 units of the 2002 Magna Ralliart were built, offered in Flame Red, Amethyst Black, Mawson White, or Cool Silver, featuring an Evo VI inspired aero kit, 17" Enkei wheels, Koni suspension, a factory LSD, unique black and red Momo cockpit gear, and an upgraded 3.5L V6 pushing 241 HP via high lift cams. The 2008 TMR 380 was Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia’s supercharged take on the US 9th gen Galant platform, built from the 380 VR-X and limited to 20 units. Finished exclusively in bespoke TMR Red, it featured leather sports seats with red stitching, a Sprintex supercharger boosting the 3.8L V6 to 310 HP, TMR tuned coilovers, 6 piston brakes, unique mesh grilles, a dual outlet exhaust valance, and a VR-X rear wing. The model's aggressive bumper splitters and deep side skirts proved so popular that Mitsubishi later reused the styling on factory Series III 380 models. Both cars were front wheel drive, and while the Magna Ralliart offered a manual option, the TMR 380 was exclusively paired with a 5 speed sequential automatic.

The car was based on the Japanese-market 'Base Grade' (GS-T) and was limited to only 100 units. It was equipped with accessories offered for the standard base grade, such as the front lip, carbon gauge and door trim. Plus, it featured a couple of upgrades like a sports muffler, six-spoke aluminum wheels, 20mm lowering coils that were 20% stiffer than stock, 4-stage adjustable gas dampers, and the J-Spec door decal. Because of minimal advertising, most dealerships didn't even know it existed, causing it to fly completely under the radar. The car didn't sell well, resulting in Mitsubishi selling the remaining parts to a certain shop.

Last time I covered the 7th-gen Galant’s special variants. This time, I'll be sharing the sister cars: the Eterna XX-4/GT/GT SE and Emeraude Super Touring-R.

Both were bubble-era Mitsubishis sharing the Galant’s underpinnings. The Eterna XX-4 was essentially its VR-4 version, later renamed the GT. The GT SE added a Galant Sports GT esque interior and the VR-4's high-rise spoiler but with extensions at the bottom. The Emeraude targeted hardtop buyers with frameless windows, a Cd of 0.29, the Super Touring-R had the same engine as the Galant VX-R.

Both were discontinued in 1996 due to their overlapping roles and were replaced by the Aspire and Legnum.