A supercharged all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Magna promises to be one of the performance-car highlights of the 2005 Melbourne International Motor Show.

Thanks to the combined talents of Perth-based Sprintex Superchargers and Adelaide-based Mitsubishi, the Magna promises to be a special treat for Melbourne enthusiasts.

The Sprintex AWD Magna will have its first public showing at the motor show, which opened at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre at 5pm on Thursday 3rd March.

Sprintex general manager Jay Upton said the Magna had been an ideal candidate for supercharging because of the fine balance and grip of the all-wheel-drive chassis.

“It’s the only Australian sedan with all-wheel-drive, and it is such an intelligent and well balanced car that we knew it could easily and safely handle more power,” he said.

“Supercharging has lifted the power from the standard Magna AWD’s 159 kW to 225 kW, and torque from 320 Nm to 422 Nm, but the car has no trouble handling the extra power - in fact, it is even more satisfying and rewarding to drive.

“The Sprintex twin screw supercharger installation looks OEM factory-installed, with no alterations required for the bonnet or engine bay.

“Sprintex will provide additional warranty coverage to match the standard Mitsubishi new car warranty - even the five year total and 10 year powertrain warranties that they have introduced just recently.”

Sprintex Superchargers is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian Automotive Components and enters a new chapter in its quarter-century of history, with new owners and significant new projects on both four wheels and two.

Mr Upton said the company’s Melbourne Motor Show display would pair the Magna AWD with a Harley-Davidson V-Rod, which are both production prototypes.

“Our new owners are very progressive, so you can expect to see a lot more excitement from us over the next few years,” he said.

“We are looking forward to an exciting future as an all-Australian performance engineering company with an eye to both national and international markets.”

The Melbourne International Motor Show is organised and promoted by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce through its dealer division the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Vic).