New Mitsubishi to run on Rally Japan.

Mitsubishi has announced that its 'new-generation high-performance' 4WD sedan, the Lancer Evolution X is to be used as the course car on the Rally Japan later this month.

As the official course car for the event, the 14th round in the 2007 FIA World Rally Championship, the Lancer Evolution X will be the vehicle that runs though the route and all the demanding stages ahead of the competitors to check track conditions are OK.

The course cars, often referred to as the 'Double Zero' and 'Zero' cars, travel through the course before the competing vehicles, 30-minutes for the Double Zero car and 15-minutes for the Zero car.

The Lancer Evolution X will run on Rally Japan in Group N specification and will include various new features. Included in these new developments is the integrated roll cage in the body of the car which results in the cars strength and stiffness being drastically upgraded from the normal road-going version.

As course car on Rally Japan, the Lancer Evolution Xs used will have revolving roof lights as well as a siren and loudspeaker to warn the spectators expected on the stages that the competitors will be arriving shortly.

The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is scheduled to obtain Group N homologation from the FIA, the sports governing body, next summer with the new rally challenger taking part in international rallies during the second half of 2008 or 2009.