The 3.8 litre V6 engine that will power the yet-to-be-released Mitsubishi 380 has won a major award at the prestigious Society of Engineers Australasia’s Automotive Excellence Awards.

The award was given for “innovative adaption of new and existing technologies in the new Mitsubishi 6G75 3.8 litre V6 engine, designed to provide significant benefits in performance, driveability and emissions”.

The large V6 engine is a single overhead camshaft, four-valves per cylinder engine with many changes from the overseas engine on which it was based. The changes are part of Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd’s (MMAL) commitment to provide a car that is engineered for Australians.

It has an efficient design with a state-of-the-art engine management system that incorporates only 10% carry-over parts from the former 3.5 litre engine, while still retaining the great fundamentals of its silky smooth predecessor.

Taking the base 3.8 litre V6 engine from the North American Mitsubishi Galant as a great starting point, MMAL’s engineers were able to utilise the camshafts and special nitrided valve springs that were developed for the Ralliart Magna engine programme. A 12-hole injector that sprays (virtually) atomised fuel was also adopted, along with many other changes that resulted in the engine being the first of an Australian-manufactured car to meet the more stringent Euro 3 emissions and tougher drive-by noise regulations.

When added to the state-of–the-art “torque demand” engine management system that was developed collaboratively with Robert Bosch, the 380’s new engine underwent extensive testing in Australia, Japan, Germany and Switzerland to provide the on-demand power, torque and responsiveness demanded by Australian motorists.

Powerful, torquey, responsive and intuitive are only a few of the adjectives that accurately describe the 380’s V6 engine redesign – an engine that uses technology not found in any other Mitsubishi car.

Mitsubishi President and CEO, Tom Phillips, said that this award was a feather in the cap of the MMAL engineering team, who had worked closely with their Japanese counterparts to deliver an engine for a car that will excite the Australian motoring public when it is released at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in mid-October.

“We have left no stone unturned to ensure that the Mitsubishi 380 is the right car for the Australian motorist. Style, power, size and value for money are the fundamental criteria to satisfy the discerning consumer, and the new car will satisfy all of those criteria. The SAE award is further affirmation that this will be the right car for Australia, and everybody involved with its engine development is to be congratulated on the final product they have produced, “ Mr Phillips said.

The SAE judges recognised this significant achievement of value engineering - technical success without frills – that has enabled MMAL to focus customer value onto other design areas, such as the advanced trims and finishes on its forthcoming Mitsubishi 380. They considered the large percentage of the development that was done in Australia by Australian engineers, the impact on the national economy, the extent of re-design and re-development and the high level of technical achievement as major reasons for their decision.

Some previous Mitsubishi articles:

Mitsubishi Develops New 2.4 litre MIVEC Engine 8th August, 2005 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has developed two MIVEC aluminium cylinder block engines to power two new models slated for introduction in the domestic Japanese market later this fiscal year ..... more

Mitsubishi 380 Arrives In October 4th July, 2005 Mitsubishi Motors today announced that its all-new locally manufactured large car would be known as the Mitsubishi "380" ..... more

Mitsubishi's New 3.8 litre V6 For Next Magna 10th June, 2005 Engineered for Australians, the new Mitsubishi 6G75 is a 3.8 litre SOHC 24-valve MPI V6 engine which will power the new generation Magna, due in October ..... more

Mitsubishi Grandis road test 5th May, 2005 Much better than a people mover ..... it's like a car! ..... more

Mitsubishi Magna VR-X AWD road test 17th November, 2004 A gripping drive? ...... You bet! ..... more