2005 Mitsubishi Colt Coupe Cabriolet - Images, Specifications and Information

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In parallel to the retail launch of the sporty Colt CZ3 and Colt CZT, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) previews today at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show its third variant of the European Colt: a coupé-convertible with retractable roof, designed and engineered in close collaboration between MMC, Mitsubishi Design Europe and Pininfarina S.p.A..

Unique to Europe, this concept echoes Mitsubishi Motors' first ever show car, the Colt 600 Convertible, unveiled at the 1962 Tokyo Motor Show. A reference to MMC's heritage, Colt coupé-cabriolet concept is also the direct successor of the acclaimed CZ2 Cabriolet concept, also designed at Mitsubishi Design Europe and unveiled at the same Motor Show, two years ago.

More compact than the original concept (3,89 m vs. 3,95 m), Colt coupé-cabriolet concept is built off the Colt Hatchback platform, rather than the shorter Colt 3-door - for packaging purposes - while sharing the class leading 2,50m long wheelbase, common to all Colts. This allowed the adoption of a retractable hard-top - as dictated by the market - while offering the much appreciated extra space / seating arrangement of a 2+2 configuration. Bulkier than a soft top, but favored by European customers, the retractable hard-top influenced the overall proportions of the car, with the long rear deck of a 3-box configuration nicely blended into Colt's "One-Motion" shape.

Taking its design themes from the original CZ2 Cabriolet concept (shouldered trunk lid, slim horizontal tail lamps, V-shaped character lines either side of the rear logo, etc,...), this car also benefits from a large and fast windshield, to protect its passengers from turbulence, as shared by CZ2 and the production Colt. Fine details, like the wide strip thin rear spoiler / high mounted stop lamp combination or the discreet flying buttresses either side of the backlight sign the car.

In line with the overall Colt's design intention - and as opposed to some of its competitors - this coupé-cabriolet offers the chunky look of a driver's car. Well planted on its long wheelbase, wide tracks and specific 18" wheels, Colt coupé-cabriolet concept delivers on the road the dynamics promised by its purposeful styling, thanks to a strong and reinforced bodyshell (to compensate the absence of a structural roof) but also to the tuned chassis and 150 ps 1.5 liter MIVEC Turbo-charged engine shared with the new Colt CZT.

Presented in warm tones of dark orange, including its leather & suede upholstery, Colt coupé-cabriolet concept previews the car that will be built at the Pininfarina plant in Turin (Italy) starting early 2006. A faithful partner of Mitsubishi Motors since 1997, Pininfarina will bring its impeccable expertise in the fields of roof system engineering and production, as well as its prestigious signature. Mitsubishi Motors' NedCar plant in Born (The Netherlands) will also be involved, providing Pininfarina with body-in-white components, as well as their production engineering expertise in the building process of Colt.