The Mitsubishi TETRA is a concept car

Concept car

A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....

 developed by Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese automaker

Automaker

The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....

 Mitsubishi Motors

Mitsubishi Motors

is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...

. It was first exhibited at the 57th Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997 as the Mitsubishi Technas, before being displayed at the 32nd Tokyo Motor Show

Tokyo Motor Show

The is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...

 as the TETRA later the same year. The name is an acronym of "Thoroughbred styling Ergonomic multi function interior Technologically advanced sporty performance RISE & All-round information system".

The TETRA was an attempt to combine the traditional benefits of a sports utility vehicle with the more performance-biased handling of a car

Čar

Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...

, by lowering the ground clearance and overall height, and thereby the center of gravity

Center of gravity

In physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity...

, while using a wide track and wide, low profile tire

Tire

A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...

s.

Under the skin, it utilised a 6G72 24-valve 3.0 litre DOHC V6 with gasoline direct injection

Gasoline direct injection

In internal combustion engines, gasoline direct injection , also known as petrol direct injection or direct petrol injection, is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke and four-stroke gasoline engines...

, mated to an INVECS-II five-speed semi-automatic transmission

Semi-automatic transmission

A semi-automatic transmission is an automobile transmission that does not change gears automatically, but rather facilitates manual gear changes by dispensing with the need to press...

. The electronically controlled, full-time four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive

Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...

 system was heavily based on that of the high performance Legnum VR-4

Mitsubishi Galant VR-4

The Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 was the range-topping version of Mitsubishi Motors' Galant model, available in the sixth , seventh and eighth generations of the vehicle...

 wagon

Station wagon

A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...

, incorporating a center differential and Active Yaw Control

Active yaw control

Active Yaw Control is an automobile feature that uses an active differential to transfer torque to the wheels that have the best grip on the road. Unlike traditional mechanical limited slip differentials, an AYC is electronically controlled....

 (AYC). The same car was the donor of the four wheel multi-link suspension

Multi-link suspension

A multi-link suspension is a type of vehicle suspension design typically used in independent suspensions, using three or more lateral arms, and one or more longitudinal arms....

, rear self-levelling mechanism, and RISE

Mitsubishi RISE

Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution or Realized Impact Safety Evolution is the brand name of Mitsubishi's patented safety body construction system. It was first introduced in the 1996 Mitsubishi Galant...

(Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) passive safety construction.

Styling details included a vertically split rear tailgate

Tailgate

Tailgate is an American English word denoting the door or 'gate' at the back of a wagon, pickup truck, SUV or other similar type of vehicle that is hinged at the bottom and can be opened for the convenience in loading cargo into the rear of the vehicle...

, center-opening suicide door

Suicide door

A suicide door is a car door hinged on the trailing edge, the edge closer to the rear of the vehicle. Such doors are rarely used on vehicles in modern times because of their disadvantages....

s at the rear, and a two-piece split-opening hood

Hood (vehicle)

The hood or bonnet is the hinged cover over the engine of motor vehicles that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. In British terminology, hood refers to a fabric cover over the passenger compartment of the car...

.