Mitsubishi launches first World Rally Car.

Mitsubishi Motors has embarked on a new and exciting chapter in its motorsports history with the unveiling of its first World Rally Car.

Known as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC, it will make its first FIA World Rally Championship appearance on Italy's San Remo Rally [5-7 October], and is designed to be the most advanced, most sophisticated competition car that Mitsubishi has yet produced.

The new car is based on a rich motorsport heritage, but switching to the World Rally Car regulations from the established Group A category represents a major change of policy for Mitsubishi Motors. The Group A rules allow significantly fewer modifications to the standard road car, a characteristic that Mitsubishi has welcomed, because it has cherished the direct link between the cars it sells in the showroom and the cars with which it competes around the world long after all other manufacturers decided to produce highly specialised cars purely for rallying. The team feels obliged to adopt a new approach, as Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe chief engineer Bernard Lindauer explained.

"Now we have reached the point where the imbalance between Group A and World Rally Car regulations, and the resulting increased performance of World Rally Cars, puts Mitsubishi in the situation where we could not have all the development facilities available," he said, "The only way for us to improve performance and to gain more post-development benefit on the standard car was to follow World Rally Car rules."

The Mitsubishi Lancer WRC is closely based on the Lancer Cedia four-door saloon in the Japanese market, but it can exploit the extra freedom offered by the World Rally Car rules in a number of key areas. Mitsubishi Ralliart engineers have been able to change the suspension, some elements of the bodywork and the weight distribution. It will however retain many components from the existing World Championship-leading Lancer Evolution and it is therefore an exciting blend of new and well-proven technology.

The Lancer Evolution WRC was tested for the first time on Tuesday 24 July, by Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart's Belgian driver Freddy Loix, at the Millbrook Proving Ground north of London in Britain. The test went according to plan, the car showing immediate promise.

"It's exciting to be involved in the World Rally Car project and was great to drive the car for the first time," Loix commented, "The regulations allow us greater flexibility in certain areas and I think this, combined with elements of our current car, mean we can look forward to a really competitive package. Tommi won in Africa last week - the toughest event in the championship - so we know what we are already using is good, strong and reliable. Combine the two, and hopefully it should be fantastic.

"The engineers have already made good steps with the engine and wheel travel at the front, and the weight distribution is much better. It feels different, not hugely, but still different. The car we plan to launch in San Remo will be our first evolution and the goal is to learn as much about it as possible. With the intense test programme there will be lots of refinements before San Remo, and even greater advancements with new technology on the second generation Lancer Evolution WRC."

Test work will concentrate on asphalt in the early stages, as the car is being introduced to the World Championship in Italy on the 11th of the 14 rounds. Ralliart plans to carry out between 3,000 and 4,000 kilometres of testing as it prepares for a new venture in Mitsubishi motorsports history.

"Straight out of the box the new car worked well, but we must be realistic that we have a lot of work ahead of us," added Lindauer after the first running. "Between now and San Remo there are five tests scheduled and the plan is to have run 4,000 kilometres. Initially we will be concentrating on asphalt because this is the surface of our first two rallies with the car, but we've got a lot of gravel work to do as well.

"With World Rally Car regulations, the weight distribution and increased suspension travel means the car should be a lot better, but there is always a question of reliability with new cars. However, we have always had reliable parts in the past and done simulation tests in conjunction with the Japanese engineers, so hopefully any problems will be kept to a minimum."

After it's debut in San Remo, both Tommi Makinen and Freddy Loix will contest the remaining three rounds in the Lancer Evolution WRC. The Tour de Corse in France [19-21 October], Rally Australia [2-4 November] and the final round in Great Britain [23-25 November] all closely follow Italy's round of the series