The forthcoming Paris Motor Show will see the unveiling of a string of significant new products from Mitsubishi. There will be three world premieres, starting with the Lancer Sportback - Mitsubishi's distinctive five-door "sports hatch" for the C/D segments.
That will be followed by the 'Racing Lancer' - Mitsubishi's entry at the 2009 Dakar Rally, modelled after Lancer Sportback and powered by an all-new 3.0 V6 turbo-diesel engine.
Mitsubishi Motors tells us it has reserved a third world premiere for the Paris Motor Sho which can only be discussed on October 2.
Paris will also see the European premiere of the 240bhp Lancer Ralliart, in both sports saloon and sportback (five-door hatch ) forms.
Since Mitsubishi entered its first race in the 1962 Macao Grand Prix / Mitsubishi 500, the name of Mitsubishi and the term‘Motor Sports’ have been inextricably linked.
No matter the discipline, the extraordinary skills of its drivers and co-drivers, the efficiency of its racing teams, the integrity of its cars together with the engineering excellence of its R&D have gradually built its reputation and credentials around the world: Four drivers’ World Rally Championships titles and one manufacturers’ title with Lancer Evolution, and a remarkable 12 Dakar victories in Pajero.
As a real-world test laboratory, Motor Sports birthed some enduring Mitsubishi legends such as the Pajero, Lancer, and Lancer Evolution. Supporting production car technological realities has been at the heart of Mitsubishi’s ethos, including the recently introduced “Project Global” Lancer Family of sports saloon, portback, Ralliart and Evolution X.
Now Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has announced what it describes as a new era of Motor Sports design and engineering with its next-generation racer, the new crossover Racing Lancer.
With this car, MMC has added a new dimension to its racing activities, blending 35 years of Lancer prowess with 25 years of Pajero epics.
The end result is a crossover between on-road and off-road rallying as well as applying to passenger cars and SUVs. The Racing Lancer will reach a wider marketing audience than any of its predecessors while re-launching Lancer’s racing career.
Sporting a silhouette inspired by the recently previewed Lancer sportback five-door hatch, Racing Lancer will support Mitsubishi’s offensive in the passenger car sector, much like the Pajero Evolution in parallel to the production Pajero in 2006.
The Racing Lancer is a super production cross-country rally car, which has been developed in compliance with the FIA's Group T1 regulations (modified cross-country rally cars ). It also complies with the new rules due to come into force in 2010.
Supported by the highly successful trial period of the new engine, already raced several times with Pajero Evolution over the last months, Mitsubishi Motors is confident that the Racing Lancer will be a major player at the 2009 Dakar rally.
The Racing Lancer will become MMC’s key ambassador for diesel technologies. Mitsubishi’s long recognized expertise in engine development as a pioneer in clean emissions, balancing shafts, turbo-charging, and direct injection since the 1970s has again been mobilised to create a diesel engineering centre of excellence within the company covering a wide range of diesel powertrains.
From the new 4N13 Euro V 4-cylinder engine to be launched in 2009 to Racing Lancer’s 3.0 litre turbo-charged V6 diesel race engine, all will share the same fundamental know-how and the same essential low fuel consumption and low emissions ‘green benefits’ of Mitsubishi’s diesel technology. The engine is currently finalising development on qualifying rounds of the 2008 Dakar Series and the 2008 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup.
MRX09 is Mitsubishi’s new codename for its latest cross-country rally challenger. MRX09 stands for Mitsubishi Rally Cross Country (X ), plus a suffix for the year in which it competes (09 = 2009 ).
The MRX09 features a new, multi-tubular steel frame which has benefited from advanced computer aided engineering analysis with a view to optimizing the layout and dimensioning of the tubing.
The carbon-fibre bodywork of the MRX09 is redolent of the Lancer Sportback, and will come equipped with the same 4WD system, drive train, suspension and brakes - following their modification in accordance with the new technical regulations and as a function of the characteristics of the diesel turbo powerplant.
