Filed under: Detroit Auto Show (http://www.autoblog.com/category/detroit-auto-show/), Motorsports (http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/), Etc. (http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/), Mitsubishi (http://www.autoblog.com/category/mitsubishi/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/starion_group_a_02_450-op.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586721/)
Click the image above for a gallery of high-res shots.

During Mitsubishi's press conference on Sunday, it paid particular attention to the marque's motorsport heritage with a video montage/quiz game on how Ralliart has fared in the last quarter century of rallying and road racing. That's no surprise, considering the introduction of the Lancer Ralliart (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/detroit-2008-2009-mitsubishi-lancer-ralliart-were-sold/), but Mitsu also brought a few of the vehicles that shaped its racing legacy and proudly displayed them on the show floor.

The first vehicle that caught our eye was the Group A Starion Turbo (above) that barely got a wash before being put away wet after its last race in 1988. The Starion racked up over a dozen wins in Japan and throughout the world during its four-year campaign, but beyond its on-track successes, the weights still taped onto the wheels (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586719/) and the rear-mounted radiator (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586715/) had us geeking out between photos.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/lancer_rally_01_250.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586698/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/73_mitsu_01_250-op.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586748/)

The 1981 rally-prepped Lancer (2nd generation, above left) was particularly impressive, but the Galant GTO R73-X (above right) was what floored us. This Galant is a one-of-a-kind concept from 1972 that had its stock 1.6-liter inline-four swapped out for Mitsubishi's Formula Two-derived, 200-hp two-liter DOHC four. We've assembled all the cars in a gallery for your viewing enjoyment and Mitsubishi had the foresight to include a number of pics of the R73, which we've put in a separate gallery here (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-galant-gto-r73-x/).

Gallery: Mitsubishi Ralliart in Detroit
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/73_mitsu_01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586748/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/73_mitsu_02_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586742/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/73_mitsu_03_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586744/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/73_mitsu_04_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586740/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/73_mitsu_05_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-ralliart-in-detroit/586746/)

Gallery: Mitsubishi Galant GTO R73-X
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/galant_gto_mitsu_01_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-galant-gto-r73-x/586688/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/galant_gto_mitsu_03_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-galant-gto-r73-x/586677/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/galant_gto_mitsu_04_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-galant-gto-r73-x/586667/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/galant_gto_mitsu_05_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-galant-gto-r73-x/586683/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/galant_gto_mitsu_06_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mitsubishi-galant-gto-r73-x/586674/)

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