Subaru and Mitsubishi developing R4 versions of the Impreza and Lancer

Japanese manufacturers Subaru and Mitsubishi are both developing high performance versions of their existing Group N cars to enable them to compete on level terms with their Super 2000 rivals next year.

Armindo Araujo driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4 prototype

Work on the cars, based on the firms Impreza and Lancer models, began earlier this month after the FIA World Motor Sport Council gave the green light to a new ‘R4’specification.

An R4 kit, homologated by the current Group N manufacturers, should enhance the performance of the two-litre turbo cars, bringing them in line with the normally aspirated Super 2000s.

The R4 class could lead to Imprezas and Lancers competing alongside Super 2000 cars in the 2011 SWRC, and should also give the turbo cars a boost in national rallies where they already compete in the same category as the S2000s.

Alister McRae to drive for MML Sports at Rallyday [UK]

Alister McRae to drive for MML Sports at Rallyday
Friday, 14 August 2009 00:00


Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Grp N

Former British Rally Champion and Mitsubishi works driver, Alister McRae, will drive the MML Sports Ltd Mitsubishi Lancer World Rally Car and EvoX Group N rally car at this year’s Rallyday.

Alister has a long association with MML Sports, having driven for the Mitsubishi works team in 2002 and also, on a personal level with MML Sports’ Managing Director, John Easton. Before joining Ralliart Europe, which went on to become MML Sports in 2008, John was Chief Engineer on the Nissan rally program and was instrumental in Alister’s early career success with the Japanese marque.

Alister is returning to the UK from his home in Western Australia for the event and is looking forward to driving both the Lancer World Rally Car, which he has already sampled and the Group N EvoX, which will be his first taste of the MML Sport version.

“I’m looking forward to being back at Castle Combe for Rallyday this year,” said the Scot. “The last time I was there was in 2005 and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so it should be fun this year. In fact, especially as I will be driving the two Mitsubishi rally cars. I have a huge amount of fond memories of the World Rally Championship with Mitsubishi and it will be fantastic to catch up with the team and drive the WRCar and the EvoX.

“I actually drove the WRCar at Goodwood on the gravel stage a few years ago, just before Mitsubishi withdrew from rallying and was impressed with it. I gather that MML Sports has carried on making improvements to it, so I am looking forward to seeing how it drives now, as I’m sure it’s still a very good car.

“I’m also keen to see what the Group N car is like. I know Guy [Wilks] has driven it and was impressed, so I’m looking forward to that also.”


Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution WRC05

Managing Director of MML Sports Ltd John Easton is also pleased that Alister will be returning to the Mitsubishi fold, albeit for just the one day. “I’m delighted that Alister will be driving both the Lancer WRCar and the Group N EvoX at this year’s Rallyday. I’ve personally known Alister for some 15 years and have worked with him for almost as long, so it will be a pleasure to see him driving our cars again.

“Not only is Alister an extremely competitive driver, he’s also a showman and at an event like Rallyday, will make sure that the fans are treated to a display to remember.”

This year’s Rallyday takes place at Castle Combe racetrack in Wiltshire on Saturday 19 September. For more information, go to www.Rallyday.com.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X MR is top 10 finalist in The World Performance Car of the Year

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Powers into the Top Ten of the World Performance Car of the Year Awards

February 5, 2009 -- CYPRESS, Calif. --
Mitsubishi Motors' iconic Lancer Evolution was named one of 10 finalists in the 2009 World Performance Car of the Year awards by a jury of 59 distinguished international automotive journalists. The finalists in the prestigious annual competition were selected from a group of 23 eligible vehicles from around the world.

"The Lancer Evolution is the only C-segment, four-door sedan that made the top 10 list," observed Dan Kuhnert, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mitsubishi Motors North America. "The inclusion of the Lancer Evolution speaks volumes about its design, performance and value. The Lancer Evolution, and the entire Lancer family for that matter, has consistently earned its stripes as a rewarding, dependable and daily-driving performance sedan."

Outstanding performance and expressive, intelligent design permeates virtually every aspect of the Lancer Evolution, making it a natural choice among smart, thrill-seeking drivers. The turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 2.0-liter engine belts out 291 hp and 300 pound-feet of torque, which is fed through either a 5-speed manual or the 6-speed Twin-Clutch Sportronic® Shift Transmission (TC-SST) and harnessed by a rally-bred all-wheel drive system with active center differential. Big, vented four-wheel disc brakes with Brembo calipers and Sports ABS make fast work of slowing down.

While Mitsubishi's Lancer family of sport sedans has proven performance credentials, their skills run deeper as evidenced by several important awards already on the shelf, including NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating, IIHS Top Safety Pick and CNET Editors' Choice. Moreover, J.D. Power and Associates recently ranked the Mitsubishi Lancer's factory-installed touch-screen navigation system as an industry leader in customer satisfaction (2008 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction StudySM). This marked the first time since the study's inception that a non-premium model ranked at the top.

The top 10 finalists for the World Performance Car of the Year are:

* Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR
* Audi RS 6 Avant
* BMW 135i Coupe / Cabriolet
* Corvette ZR1
* Lamborghini LP560-4 Gallardo
* Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
* Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG
* Nissan GT-R
* Porsche 911 Carrera
* Subaru Impreza WRX STI

The World Performance Car of the Year jury's next step is to re-evaluate the top 10 in preparation for a final round of voting in February. They will specifically rate each vehicle in terms of overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal and significance. The top three finalists will be announced on March 9. The overall winner will be announced on April 9 at the 2009 New York International Auto Show.

Mitsubishi Racing Lancer versus Mitsubishi Evolution X [UK]

Monday, 5 January 2009

STEPHANE PETERHANSEL – LANCER EVOLUTION VS. RACING LANCER



* Mitsubishi recognises that dealer profitability and cash flow is key
* Comprehensive cost saving measures are announced
* Dealer terms enhanced for 2009

In all its different configurations (Sports Saloon, Sportback, Ralliart, and Evolution), the new Lancer family is at the forefront of Mitsubishi Motors’ renewed offensive in the passenger car segment… but with a twist.

Racing’s In Our Blood
After 36 years of rallying (starting with the Lancer 1600 GSR in 1973) and 17 years of “Evolution” legend, it was only legitimate for the newest generation of Lancers to go racing as well, keeping the Mitsubishi sporting flame alive and supporting Lancer’s initial steps in the market, be it with the Lancer Evolution Group N rally car or the more extreme Racing Lancer cross-country racer.

Racing Driver, Racing Machine
Tackling the uncharted territory of a South American Dakar rally this year with this all-new Racing Lancer, Mitsubishi Motor Sports’ driver Stephane Peterhansel is probably in the best position to appreciate that twist, having owned Lancer Evolutions since the late 90’s (with two successive “Evo VI”), then a VIII and a IX, all the way to today’s “Project Global” Lancer Evolution X.

As he puts it:
“Very small-looking next to our Racing Lancer, the new Lancer Evolution is really a fantastic machine. With its TC-SST twin clutch gearbox and improved comfort and features, it is really a unique machine in the marketplace: set it to “Sport” or “Super Sport” and play with the paddle shifts and all of a sudden you are behind the wheel of a fantastic video game-like sports car. Then, move to “Auto” and the car can travel over long distances in full comfort mode.” He added: “It is meant to be less manic that my older VIs were for instance, but at the same time, I can’t think of any other sports car than can offer that dual personality really…”

Gallery

*Note: Stephane Peterhansel is driving the Lancer Evolution X with Jean Paul Cottret on the passenger seat. The Racing Lancer MRX09 is Luc Alphand's car.

FIA announces more details of the future World Rally Car

12/12/08
New World Rally Car details revealed

The FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has announced further technical details of the future World Rally Car.

After meeting today in Monaco, the council reconfirmed that the 2010 World Rally Car will be based on an S2000 specification car.

However, the scope of the removable performance kit, already adopted by the WMSC to bring the car to WRC specification, has been redefined - with no electronic benefits, or similar upgrades, allowed on cost grounds.

Instead, the WRC kit is believed to be limited to a turbo, revised inlet and exhaust manifolds, a quicker gearshift mechanism (with steering wheel paddle shift) and an aero package consisting of a rear wing and front spoiler. The bolt-on kit will cost under 30.000 Euros and should give the cars an extra 50bhp.

The WMSC also decided that the new S2000-based World Rally Car will only be permitted for use on World Rally Championship events, and that the P-WRC will remain open to Group N cars, including the existing S2000 car.

The FIA also revealed that it is in exclusive negotiations with Ralliart Italy to supply and service Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution cars for the Pirelli Star Drivers to contest the designated 2009 and 2010 FIA World Rally Championship events.

-wrc.com

South Yorkshire Police to use Evo X to hunt down criminals [UK]

Tuesday, 09 December 2008

SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE HUNT IN PACKS WITH THEIR LANCER EVOLUTION TRILOGY

* Lancer Evolution X to be used in the Road Crime Unit
* Inspector praises Evolution’s strong visual impact, performance and safety credentials
* All-new Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system adds extra value to crime stoppers

Evo X Has Excellent Pursuit Capabilities
The new Police specification Evolution X has arrived with South Yorkshire Police to the great delight of its drivers, and the chagrin of local villains. The new car will be used alongside the ever present Evolution VIII and IX in the Road Crime Unit where proactive road policing is the mission and officers will be driving the new car in cases involving drug dealers and car thieves. “The Evo X was the car of choice because of its excellent pursuit capabilities and the fact that so much time and effort has been put into maximising performance whilst minimising the risk of accidents” Inspector Slack explained.

The Hunted Will Give Up
The new member of the team will be used on the same missions and at the same time as its previous-generation siblings, creating such a strong visual impact that the vehicle being pursued will often simply give up the chase and pull over, knowing they won’t be able to out-run the RCU. What is more, the Police Evolutions ‘hunt’ in packs of three, which, Inspector Slack explained is often enough of a deterrent that high-speed chases are avoided.

Evo X Has The Latest Software and Hardware
Not only will the new Evolution X be one of the most capable performing cars, it will also be fitted with the latest Police hardware and software combinations. The onboard Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system allows officers to check who the vehicle is registered to and if there is anything remotely suspicious about the vehicle.

Evo X wins Dave TV's "Sports car of the Year"

Monday, 17 November 2008

LANCER EVOLUTION X WINS ‘SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR 2008’

*Public vote sees Evolution X take the crown against some stiff, and expensive competition
*New looks, power and value are a big hit with Dave judges and viewers

Sports Car of the Year 2008
This year’s ‘Car of the Year’ final on Dave TV announced that Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution X has won the Sports category ‘Car of the Year’. The new car was up against some very tough – and in some cases very expensive - competition, including the new VW Scirocco and the Porsche 911.

Awesome power
In a public vote the Evo X won out with its sophisticated, yet menacing looks, and all the power and handling to back up its rally-bred credentials. The panel of judges, including Mike Rutherford, Alistair Weaver, Ben Oliver and Nick Gibbs found that the car had “awesome amounts of power” and that the new Twin Clutch SST gearbox was excellent.

The viewing public seemed to agree as well, voting the Mitsubishi muscle car into top slot ahead of all its rivals.

Juho Hanninen wins P-WRC battle in Rally Japan

FIA PRODUCTION CAR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
RALLY JAPAN
2 November 2008
DAY 3

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION DRIVERS DELIVER PERFECT RESULT ON RALLY JAPAN
All-Mitsubishi battle between Juho Hanninen and Andreas Aigner for FIA Production Car World Rally Championship on final round


JUHO HANNINEN / MIKKO MARKKULA

At the end of three exceptionally tricky days of rallying on the mountain roads around Sapporo, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution drivers filled eight of the top 10 Group N positions on Rally Japan. Juho Hanninen (Finland) won the event and now takes a commanding lead into the final round of the FIA Production Car World Rally Championsip in Wales next month.

Hanninen admitted he hadn’t been pushing for the win, through the final day’s nine stages east of the rally’s base at the Sapporo Dome, but when leader Evgeny Novikov (Russia) slowed in the final two tests, Hanninen moved to the front to clinch his third maximum P-WRC point score of the season.

The success of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution on Rally Japan is the 15th straight victory in the Group N category of the World Rally Championship. And this latest win came before tens of thousands of cheering and adoring rally fans from the home of the Lancer Evolution, Japan.

The final day had been far from a straightforward affair for any of the world’s fastest drivers, with torrential rain making the stages incredibly slippery this morning.

Hanninen now needs to finish fifth or higher in the P-WRC on December’s Wales Rally Great Britain to clinch his first world title. It’s hardly surprising the Finn is looking forward to his next event.

“This rally started badly for me, but then got better and better,” said the winner. “Today was tough, though. The rain in SS23 - Sikot – was just incredible. The water was so deep in the roads that the car was aquaplaning a lot. It wasn’t nice to drive in these conditions, you just had to come through. Luckily, we were in a good position and we didn’t need to take the risk. We pushed harder in the final stage, when it looked like we could be in a position for taking the win. Now it’s all down to the final round. The rain has given us some good preparation for the last rally in Wales. That’s an event I really like, now I just need to get the right result. The car has been perfect here, no problem at all.”


EVGENY NOVIKOV / DIMITRY CHUMAK

Novikov was naturally disappointed at missing out on his first P-WRC win, but second place remains a strong result for the 18-year-old. Behind the Russian teenage sensation, Eyvind Brynildsen (Norway) collected fourth place after a trouble-free final day in his Lancer Evolution and it was a similar story for Mirco Baldacdi (San Marino) in sixth. The good news for Mitsubishi fans was the P-WRC debut of the Lancer Evolution X. Both cars entered in the P-WRC category of Rally Japan finished and collected points on their first time out – an incredible achievement for a brand new car at this level of rallying.

Home heroes Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) was seventh and Fumio Nutahara (Japan) eighth in their respective Lancer Evolution Xs. Nutahara, a seasoned P-WRC campaigner, said: “This is a very good car. We have had a good rally. Okay, we have the puncture which is not so good, but driving the new Lancer has been very nice. It’s a strong car.”

Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala (both Finland) finished one-two for Ford in the overall standings, but it was Citroen and Sebastien Loeb (France) who did most celebrating in Japan, with Loeb collecting his fifth consecutive drivers’ title.

The next and final round of the P-WRC and WRC is Wales Rally Great Britain (December 4-7).

FIA PWRC CLASSIFICATION
Pos	Driver Co-Driver	Nat	Vehicle	Grp Pos	Total Time	Diff Leader
1	Juho HANNINEN Mikko MARKKULA	FIN FIN	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 1	3:43:30.4	**:**:**.*
2	Evgeny NOVIKOV Dale MOSCATT	RUS AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 2	3:43:36.7	6.3
3	Toshi ARAI Glenn MACNEALL	J AUS	SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi	N 3	3:43:39.6	9.2
4	Eyvind BRYNILDSEN Mathieu GIRAUDET	N F	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 4	3:47:18.2	3:47.8
5	Takuma KAMADA Naoki KASE	J J	SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi	N 5	3:47:53.5	4:23.1
6	Mirco BALDACCI Giovanni AGNESE	RSM I	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 6	3:50:11.0	6:40.6
7	Katsuhiko TAGUCHI Mark STACEY	J AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X	N 7	3:51:25.1	7:54.7
8	Fumio NUTAHARA Hakaru ICHINO	J J	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X	N 9	3:58:39.3	15:08.9

Mitsubishi leads the way in Day 2 of Rally Japan

FIA PRODUCTION CAR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
RALLY JAPAN
1 November 2008
DAY 2

MITSUBISHI LANCER DRIVERS LEAD THE WAY THROUGH DAY2 OF RALLY JAPAN

Russian driver Evgeny Novikov maintained his grip on the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship standings of Rally Japan, leading the field throughout today’s 10 stages close to the city of Sapporo. The stages were devoid of the snow which caused the cancellation of two tests yesterday – and, despite the cold conditions, the sun shone throughout the day.


EVGENY NOVIKOV / DIMITRY CHUMAK

Novikov’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ran without fault for the duration of the day, allowing him to head into tomorrow’s third and final day of the event with a clear shot at taking his first ever P-WRC win. Beyond Novikov’s continued success, there was more to cheer from the Mitsubishis, not least a scorching drive back up the leaderboard from flying Finn Juho Hanninen. Hanninen’s was the drive of the day; starting ninth in P-WRC this morning, he would end the day in second place.

He set fastest time on six of the 10 stages during the day, but admits he’s unwilling to risk everything in a final-day fight for the lead.


JUHO HANNINEN / MIKKO MARKKULA

“I don’t know if I need to win this rally,” said Hanninen. “Maybe I don’t. Certainly, if there’s the chance of the puncture or breaking the car, I’m going to slow down. One of the good things for me is that tomorrow’s stages are similar in nature to today’s, they’re fast and flowing – just as I like them.”

Hanninen started Rally Japan four points adrift of P-WRC series leader Andreas Aigner (Austria). Second place tomorrow afternoon would mean he headed into the final round of the championship four points ahead. This was clearly playing on the mind of the Finn.

“I’ve pushed harder today,” he admitted. “The stages have been a lot faster. They’ve suited me more than the twisty, slippery ones yesterday. But now I’ve got to think about things before tomorrow. The good thing is that, once again, the Mitsubishi has run perfectly. The only problem we’ve had today was the lights this afternoon. We didn’t have the right lights on, so running the dark was really tricky. That’s where we lost the time.”

It was the same story for Novikov, although winning the rally was definitely at the forefront of the 18-year-old’s mind.

“I was steady this morning,” said Novikov. “I wanted to be safe, not to take risk. I pushed harder this afternoon, but still I am trying to look after the car. I am a little bit concerned about [Juho] Hanninen, he seems to be coming quite quickly. Okay, we’ll see.”


FUMIO NUTAHARA / HAKARU ICHINO

The P-WRC top 10 was, once again, packed out with Lancer Evolutions. Crucially, both of the latest-specification Lancer Evolution Xs were still running in strong points-paying positions although Fumio Nutahara’s (Japan) day was spoiled by a puncture which cost two minutes on SS16. Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) was one place ahead of Nutahara, but his day didn’t get off to the best of starts.


KATSUHIKO TAGUCHI / MARK STACEY

“We hit the same post as everybody else in the first stage,” said Taguchi. “Unfortunately for us, it flattened the exhaust and so cost us some power from the car. That made the morning a bit tricky, but after that it’s been good.”

Further up the order, early P-WRC leader Eyvind Brynildsen’s (Norway) hopes of getting back into the lead were dashed when he suffered broken suspension after dropping his Mitsubishi into a big hole in SS18 – the final dirt test of the day. He was fourth in P-WRC with Mirco Baldacci (San Marino) two places further back in sixth.

At the head of the field, Ford men Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala (both Finland) maintained their one-two placings, while Sebastien Loeb (France) retained third place in his Citroen.

FIA PWRC CLASSIFICATION
Pos	Driver Co-Driver	Nat	Vehicle	Grp Pos	Total Time	Diff Leader
1	Evgeny NOVIKOV Dale MOSCATT	RUS AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 2	2:34:01.3	**:**:**.*
2	Juho HANNINEN Mikko MARKKULA	FIN FIN	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 3	2:34:20.4	19.1
3	Toshi ARAI Glenn MACNEALL	J AUS	SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi	N 4	2:34:22.1	20.8
4	Eyvind BRYNILDSEN Mathieu GIRAUDET	N F	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 5	2:35:31.6	1:30.3
5	Takuma KAMADA Naoki KASE	J J	SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi	N 6	2:35:59.8	1:58.5
6	Mirco BALDACCI Giovanni AGNESE	RSM I	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 7	2:36:40.7	2:39.4
7	Katsuhiko TAGUCHI Mark STACEY	J AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X	N 8	2:37:02.2	3:00.9
8	Fumio NUTAHARA Hakaru ICHINO	J J	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X	N 9	2:39:26.6	5:25.3

FUMIO NUTAHARA / HAKARU ICHINO


KATSUHIKO TAGUCHI / MARK STACEY

Mitsubishi dominates P-WRC in day 1 of Rally Japan

FIA PRODUCTION CAR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP
RALLY JAPAN
31 OCTOBER 2008
DAY 1

MITSUBISHIS DOMINATE P-WRC IN JAPAN, WITH LANCER EVOLUTION X MAKING STRONG DEBUT PWRC CLASSIFICATION

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution drivers hold seven of the top 10 positions in the Production Car World Rally Championship category at the end of day one of Rally Japan. Evgeny Novikov (Russia) leads the penultimate round of the P-WRC, the 18-year-old moving ahead of day-long leader Eyvind Brynildsen when the latter spun his Lancer on SS9.


EVGENY NOVIKOV / DIMITRY CHUMAK

The opening day of Rally Japan was marked by cancelled stages - the third and seventh tests were shelved after heavy snowfall in the lead up to the event, while SS6 was stopped following the accident of Francois Duval (Belgium). In order to ensure the cars were on time for the Sapporo Dome superspecial stage, SS8 was cancelled to make up for the earlier delays. The stages all ran out east of Sapporo through some of the most technical and demanding dirt roads incorporated in the calndar this season.

Through all the drama, Norwegian Eyvind Brynildsen kept his head together and his right foot down. Brynildsen enjoyed a trouble-free run until his spin, which allowed Novikov to overturn the different - which was less than a second - between them.

Novikov said: "It's been hard to find grip on all of the stages today. The twistier stages this morning worked well and we made some good times there, but I think I was too cautious on the faster corners in the fourth stage. I dropped some time there. The first stage after lunch was good, we closed right up on Brynildsen."

Brynildsen, who dropped to third overnight, said: "I had no championship points to worry about here. That meant I can drive at my own speed. I had some understeer from the car, but I think this is because of my style of driving. As well as that, it's hard not to get understeer when the car is following in the ruts all of the time. It's been like driving a train on the rails. The spin on the last stage was very frustrating, it cost about five seconds."

The Russian driver did just that, arriving back in Sapporo with just four tenths of a second separating the top two positions. One of the most exciting stories of the event so far has been the exceptional pace and reliability of the all-new Lancer Evolution X, which makes its World Rally Championship debut on this event.

Multiple Japanese Rally Champion Fumio Nutahara placed his Evolution X in fifth place, with the sister car of Katsuhiko Taguchi one place further back. Nutahara said: "The car has been perfect, we have not had any technical problems. I might make some small adjustments to the suspension, but this is to help to find some more traction in the slippery conditions. The only trouble we had this morning was two slow punctures. We only had one spare tire, which meant I went into SS4 with a deflating right-rear tire. Apart from that, it's a good day - and it's very nice to be driving this car here at home."


FUMIO NUTAHARA / HAKARU ICHINO

It was a similar story from Taguchi. He said: "I am learning very much about this car. I did a small test before the start, but the road was not so much like the rally. The car feels very responsive, very fast. But today has been difficult with the conditions."


KATSUHIKO TAGUCHI / MARK STACEY

P-WRC title protagonist Juho Hanninen (Finland) struggled through the opening leg, running in an unusually low position out of the points. Hanninen admitted the treacherous conditions on the opening loop of stages had caught him by surprise.

"It's been very hard work today," he said. "I couldn't find any grip and there was no rhythm for me in the stages. It was terrible. The fourth stage was a little bit better, but still not so enjoyable. I tried to speed up in SS4, but I was having moments when I tried to make the time up."

At the head of the field, Ford men Mikko Hirvonen (Finland) and Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland) settled into a solid early pace, with Sebastien Loeb (France) starting slowly, but speeding up to make third by the close of play.

FIA PWRC CLASSIFICATION
Pos	Driver Co-Driver	Nat	Vehicle	Grp Pos	Total Time	Diff Leader
1	Evgeny NOVIKOV Dale MOSCATT	RUS AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 2	45:49.6	**:**:**.*
2	Toshi ARAI Glenn MACNEALL	J AUS	SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi	N 3	45:54.9	5.3
3	Eyvind BRYNILDSEN Mathieu GIRAUDET	N F	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 4	46:06.1	16.5
4	Mirco BALDACCI Giovanni AGNESE	RSM I	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO IX	N 5	46:12.7	23.1
5	Katsuhiko TAGUCHI Mark STACEY	J AUS	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X	N 6	46:15.1	25.5
6	Fumio NUTAHARA Hakaru ICHINO	J J	MITSUBISHI LANCER EVO X	N 7	46:17.3	27.7
7	Takuma KAMADA Naoki KASE	J J	SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi	N 9	46:26.7	37.1
8	Naren KUMAR Nicky BEECH	IND GB	SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STi	N 10	46:35.4	45.8

Pictures from Shakedown [30-NOV-08]


FUMIO NUTAHARA / HAKARU ICHINO


KATSUHIKO TAGUCHI / MARK STACEY

MITSUBISHI ANNOUNCES LANCER EVOLUTION X RACE-CAR PROGRAMME [UK]

MITSUBISHI ANNOUNCES LANCER EVOLUTION X RACE-CAR PROGRAMME

* Preparing to contest the popular Britcar Championship
* Britcar Championship, 20th – 21st September, Silverstone
Mitsubishi Motors UK can confirm that it is developing a race-going version of its new Lancer Evolution X, with which it plans to contest the increasingly popular Britcar Championship.

The project is being run in association with Southampton-based vehicle importation and compliance specialists SVA UK, with the car driven by the company’s managing director and former BTCC regular James Kaye. It will run as a Mitsubishi works entry and appear in the official red and chrome Ralliart livery.

“We are pleased to be introducing a race-car programme for the Evo X”, said General Manager for Ralliart Paul Brigden. “Mitsubishi UK has not been involved with circuit racing for many years, so this new initiative is a great opportunity for us. Subject to the level of interest from competitors, we are also hoping to announce a one-make race-series for the Evolution X soon.”

The new car is being constructed by ADR Motorsport, the team which already builds and runs the two-works Mitsubishis currently competing in the British Rally Championship. However, ADR are no strangers to circuit racing, having been involved with a number of successful campaigns during the 1990s.

The first public appearance of the racing Lancer is scheduled for the weekend of September 20th & 21st , when the car competes for the first time in the Britcar 24-hour race at Silverstone, driven by Kaye and two other drivers who are yet to be named.

“As I’m yet to race this season I’m not only looking forward to getting back behind the wheel, but also driving the new Mitsubishi”, said Kaye. “It is anticipated that the engine will develop around 400bhp which, together with the Evo’s four-wheel-drive system and inherently good chassis, should make it a highly-competitive package.”

Following on from the car’s Silverstone debut, Kaye – who lives on the Isle of Wight and has a business based in Southampton - is planning to contest a full season in the 2009 Britcar Championship, plus other selected endurance events.

Mitsubishi UK are keen to point out that its venture into circuit racing will not affect any of its current or forthcoming rally campaigns.

FIA awards Official Group N homologation to the Mitsubishi Lancer X

MITSUBISHI LANCER Evolution X Gains FIA Group N homologation

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation submitted to the Federation Internationale de L'automobile (FIA) papers on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X (chassis type CZ4A) for Group N Official homologation, receiving that recognition on August 1st 2008. The FIA Group N Official homologation number is "N-5718."
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, the competition model equipped with the turbocharged MIVEC engine, acquired official recognition from the FIA for Group N homologation. It is expected that the high-powered FIA Group N machine will be active in rally competition including in the FIA Production Car world Rally Championship (PWRC), FIA regional championships, and a variety of domestic championships in the future.
RALLIART INC. (President: Masao Taguchi) "In an attempt to improve our Mitsubishi-running entrants' convenience, we have published on our website a new "Group N Information" section, with homologation and competition information etc. on all models from the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI onwards. As for the homologation information and rules, these are the officially recognized versions. There are also details on obtaining the car, and a sample of the official rulebook has also been published. In the near future, information on parts and additional officially recognized parts (VO) information for Group N vehicles that this company sells will be introduced onto the site.

K. Taguchi's Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X for 08 Rally Japan

Katsuhiko Taguchi's Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Group N Specs

Pending final homologation, K. Taguchi's Group N Evo X was displayed to the public following the announcement of the new Rally Japan sponsor, Pioneer carrozzeria. The Group N Evo X also served as course cars in last year's Rally Japan. After final homologation, these rally machines will be in official competition.

BRR's Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Group N Spec

BRR's Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Group N Spec

BRR, a company in Austria that prepare cars for rally competition, has published pictures of their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Group N Spec rally car. Enjoy the Gallery...